How to Create a Color Palette for Your Home

Top things to know about creating a color palette for your home:

• Familiarizing yourself with the color wheel can help you identify which colors and tones will work well together.
• Understanding basic color theory is critical when using color to create a specific mood in your space.
• Looking for color inspiration from your favorite things, or even your wardrobe, is a great way to find a jumping-off point.
• Incorporating color in different ways throughout your home makes creating a color system simple.
• Don't forget about the fixed elements already in your home's design, as they will impact your palette.
• Using a color palette generator is the easiest way to create a palette for your home and keep your aesthetic cohesive.

Color is one of the most powerful tools in any artistic measure, especially regarding the ones you use in your home. Knowing where to start can feel daunting if you're not familiar with using color or are designing your own space for the first time. The good news is that you don't have to be a professional to nail down the palette in your home and create a color story that resonates with you and, most importantly, makes you feel good in your space.

Identifying a cohesive color palette in your interior space is critical to achieving a cohesive aesthetic. A strong color palette also serves as a great visual reference as you shop and source elements, giving you a jumping-off point to never wonder, "would this color work in my home?”.

Start by getting familiar with the color wheel.

If you're unfamiliar with the color wheel, learning a thing or two about how it works can help create a palette. Although working with color is fun, some general guidelines can help you ensure a palette that works. For more on using the color wheel in interiors, take our free online design color course here.

Consider color theory.

Color is a robust tool that can evoke emotion even in small amounts. Understanding the basics of color theory can help you create a feeling with color in your space regardless of which colors you love or don't love. For example, if you want your home to feel calming and peaceful, you might not want to paint your walls red and instead stick with cool earth tones that are easier on the eyes. On the other hand, if you want your home to feel bright and playful, utilizing colors with warm undertones like yellow, red, orange, and most wood species can quickly boost the mood of a room.

Find inspiration.

Whether finding inspiration is your first step or happens along the way, looking to your favorite things can help when creating a color palette. You can find color inspiration from artwork, nature, other interior spaces, or your closet!

Incorporate colors in different ways throughout your home.

A straightforward way to think about building a color palette in your home is by using each color differently in each room. Although each room may have a different look and feel, thinking about dividing them in this way can help you keep things cohesive throughout. For example, if you paint your living room yellow, maybe you want to continue that color story in another room through a rug or a piece of furniture.

Consider the elements and tones you already have in your home.

Don't forget about the fixed elements you already have in your space — these will be a part of your palette too! Even if you have wood floors and white cabinets and walls, every shade has an undertone, and each one will impact how the palette in your space comes together.

Try a color palette generator.

If you're staring at a mish-mash of Pinterest photos trying to figure out what colors are coming through, using a palette generator is a great way to clarify the mood and feeling of your project. With this color palette generator explicitly made for interior design, you can create your own custom palette from scratch or let it auto-generate one based on an image. You can even browse palettes already created to find inspiration!