THE LANGUAGE OF COLOR

DEFINING COLOR
The perception of color is a phenomenon of light – a form of energy with its own frequency and wavelength.  Shine a light through a prism and you’ll see it divide into the six color families: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.  White light is the combination of all color.  We actually perceive color due to the pigments in a given object.  A blue pillow appears blue to our eyes because the pigment in the pillow is absorbing all of the colors in the light except for the color blue, which it is reflecting back to us.

COLOR AND LIGHT
Have you ever tried to match a color swatch to a fabric or carpet in a store, only to find what looks like a completely different color when you actually bring an item home?  You’ve just experienced metamerism.  Metamerism is the occurrence of colors seemingly changing when viewed in different light sources.  Some colors are more prone to this phenomenon than others such as tan, taupe, grays, grayed-blues, mauve, lilac, and grayed yellow-greens such as celadon.

COLOR AND SPACE
Space also has an effect on how we perceive color.  The larger the space, the  more intense color is perceived.  A color that looks rich on a small fabric swatch can appear overwhelming when an entire couch is covered in that same fabric.   The same is true of a paint color chip when compared with the same color being applied to an entire wall.  Small narrow rooms will intensify color; large open spaces can handle more saturated color.

HOW COLORS AFFECT OTHER COLORS
The colors that surround a given color affect how we perceive that color.  An off-white wall can appear pink when paired with a vibrant red carpet.  Complementary colors (red and green for example) tend to enhance each other’s color quality.  Two squares of the identical shade of gray will appear to differ from one another when on is placed against a white background and the other against a black background.  Michel Eugene Chevreul , a French chemist, discovered that our perception of color was influenced by surrounding colors.  Chevreul’s famous law:  “Two adjacent colors, when seen by the eye, will appear as dissimilar as possible,” helps to explain why certain colors look more vibrant, or conversely, duller, when paired with other colors.

THE LANGUAGE OF COLOR
Some frequently used terms regarding color:

HUE:    Another name for color, it also refers to the color family such as red, blue, yellow.
SHADE:  A color or hue that is mixed with black or gray.

TINT:      A color or hue that is mixed with white.

VALUE:  Refers  to the relative lightness or darkness of a color

TEMPERATURE
Whether we perceive a color as warm or cool is relative to the particular color and its surrounding colors.   Generally, reds, yellows and oranges are warm colors, while blues, greens and violets are cool colors.  Warm colors seem to “advance” while cool colors “recede.”  Combining both warm and cool colors in a decorating scheme intensifies the temperature of the respective colors.

UNDERTONES
Undertones are the underlying color in a hue.  With the exception of primary colors, all other colors are a mix of colors.  There are no undertones in a primary red because it is pure color, but the color berry is the color red with blue undertones.  Being able to discern undertones is important when creating a room décor, since pairing colors with clashing undertones can ruin the look of a room.

THE COLOR WHEEL
The color wheel most people are familiar with includes high intensity pure colors.  While you may not use these vibrant colors as they appear on the wheel for your home decorating schemes, the principles associated with this helpful tool will assist in ensuring you achieve the effect you want to create.  There are 12 colors in a standard color wheel that are divided into three designations; primary colors (pure red, blue and yellow), secondary colors, which are a combination of two primary colors and include orange (red plus yellow) and green (yellow plus blue) and violet (blue plus red), and the tertiary colors, which are a combination of a primary and secondary color, and are identified by the names of the colors used; blue-green, yellow-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange and yellow-orange.

SELECTING A COLOR SCHEME
The color wheel can help you in choosing a color scheme for a room or your home by visually illustrating various color harmonies:

	MONOCHROMATIC Color schemes that use tints and shades of the same color for a look that is sophisticated and elegant
	COMPLEMENTARY Includes the two colors that oppose each other on the color wheel.  Complementary colors enhance the temperature of each other, adding interest and energy to the décor.
	SPLIT COMPLIMENT Color schemes that combine hues to the left or right of its complement on the color wheel
	TRIAD Color schemes that include any three colors equally spaced on the color wheel (red-orange, yellow-green, and blue-violet).  Use various shades of these colors – one as a dominant, another as a secondary and the third as an accent color.
	ANALOGOUS Uses consecutive colors on the color wheel (yellow, yellow-orange, orange). Create a pleasing palette by using one color more than the other two.

MONOCHROMATIC	COMPLEMENTARY	SPLIT COMPLIMENT	TRIAD	ANALOGOUS