Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Understand how the color wheel works
• Method 2 of 3: Choosing your clothes using the color wheel
• Tips
• Warnings

Knowing which colors exactly match is still quite difficult, especially if you have never learned how to use an official color theory, for example with the help of the color wheel. The color wheel is an ideal aid if you want to know whether or not certain colors combine well with each other. You can use this theory to put together a new outfit, or to paint or decorate your home for a special occasion.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Understand how the color wheel works

1. Learn the basics of the color wheel. The color wheel consists of primary colors (red, blue and yellow) and secondary colors (purple, green and orange) in the shape of a wheel. Primary colors cannot be formed by mixing other colors, and secondary colors are created by mixing primary colors. Then by mixing primary and secondary colors, you can create tertiary colors.
   • Some color wheels show three primary colors, three secondary colors and six tertiary colors in separate spokes, while other color wheels blend the colors into one another like a spectrum.
   • It is important to understand how the color wheel works as it can help you choose colors that match.
2. Check out the entire wheel to find complementary colors. Complementary colors are colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, yellow is directly opposite the secondary color of purple, red is opposite of green, and blue is on the wheel opposite of orange. Complementary colors usually go well together because one color, simply by lying next to the other, makes the other color stand out.
   • Complementary colors can also include tertiary colors.
3. To find analogous colors, look for colors that are right next to each other. Analogue colors are often paired because they fade into each other on the color wheel. For example, yellow fades into orange, creating a yellow-orange tertiary color in the center. Since they are close together, they blend well when you try to coordinate colors.
   • Another example is turning blue into purple, creating a purple-blue color in the middle.
4. Create so-called monochromatic combinations by making colors lighter and darker. You can darken a color by adding black. This is called "shading" in English. If you want to lighten a color, you can add white. This is also called "tinting" in English. If you choose a certain color, you can create a beautiful monochrome whole by using lighter or darker shades of the same color.
   • Monochrome shades of purple are, for example, lilac, wine red or dark purple.
5. In principle, do not combine warm colors with cold colors. Warm colors are for example orange, red and yellow. Cool colors are for example green, blue and purple. If you understand this subdivision of colors, combining colors becomes a lot easier. You then know that in principle you have to combine cold shades with cold, and warm shades with warm ones.
   • In itself this is a good general guideline, but sometimes a warm color can combine very nicely with a cool color. For example, you can accentuate rich and warm gold very well with cool purple tones.

Method 2 of 3: Choosing your clothes using the color wheel

1. To put together an outfit in an easy way, combine a neutral color with a bright color. Neutral colors are, for example, black, white, brown, gray, and sometimes olive green and navy blue, but they can also include metallic tones such as silver, bronze and gold. Choose a neutral color as the base color for your outfit and complement it with one or two other colors to match.
   • For example, try black pants with a light pink shirt or a silver dress with a bright blue jacket over it.
   • When combining neutral colors such as navy blue and olive green with other colors, consider their hues. Olive green, for example, complements maroon and various shades of orange very well, but it also works well with blue and gold because they are close together on the color wheel.
2. Try a fun, cheerful outfit by combining several complementary colors. Choose two complementary colors on the color wheel and create your outfit accordingly. For example, if you choose orange and blue, you can combine a bright orange shirt with dark jeans.
   • You can also make good use of complementary colors by combining one complementary color with a lighter shade of the other color. For example, try a purple dress with a light yellow scarf.
3. Create beautiful combinations with analogous colors. Choose two or three colors that are close to each other on the wheel and create your outfit accordingly. A combination of colors that look alike produces an outfit that looks cohesive. For example, you can combine a bright yellow summer dress with a light orange scarf.
   • Another example of using analogous colors for good effect could be a red dress with gold jewelry and pink shoes.
   • While it is usually best not to mix warm and cold colors, you may want to make an exception every now and then if you see something that looks good together. For example, with your bright yellow dress it may well be that that light green cardigan looks very good.
4. Create a simple but well-coordinated outfit with monochrome colors. To create a monochrome look, start with primary colors. First choose a single color and then choose different shades and shades of that same color to put together your outfit. For example, try a navy blue trouser suit with a light blue shirt and dark blue shoes.
   • If you're creating a monochrome look, try to stay in the same spoke on the color wheel. That is, if you choose blue, make sure you choose true shades of blue, and not, say, purplish blue.
5. Combine a primary with a more neutral color. A garment in a primary color like red, yellow, or blue often goes very well with a plain garment in a more neutral color, such as black pants with a yellow shirt above. Or try a bright red T-shirt with gray leggings or a cobalt blue skirt with a white blouse.
   • If you want to make it a bit more daring, try combining multiple primary colors in one outfit. An example of this is blue jeans with a red top and a yellow handbag.
6. Experiment and combine to see what goes well together and what doesn't. Usually by holding two colors next to each other you can quickly see whether or not they match. Yet sometimes you only know when you actually see them together. Get all your clothes out of the closet and mix and match items that you wouldn't normally wear together. You may very well discover a combination that looks great and that you normally would never have worn. EXPERT TIP

   Try a neutral color in the living room first. If you choose a more subtle color for the main room in the house, you can paint the rooms next door in brighter colors without being cursed. In this way you prevent the colors of the different rooms from colliding with each other instead of forming a nicely coherent whole.

   • For example, try a soft gray, cream or other light shade.
   • You can also paint one room in the house in a brighter, more daring color. Then choose matching colors for the rest of the house based on that room.
7. Choose bright colors for the other rooms. Now that you've chosen a neutral color for the living room, you can make it a bit crazier outside. Just keep in mind the so-called viewing line. For example, if you can look from the dining room into the living room (the neutral room) and then into the hallway, you will have to choose colors that match each other for the dining room and hallway.
   • For example, if you painted the dining room purple-blue or aubergine, choose something like a light peach shade for the hallway. These are complementary colors, which means that they make each other stand out better.
8. Follow the rules for using analog, complementary, or monochrome colors. Choose the combination you like best and apply it to your color scheme. For example, if you like blue, you can try a monochrome combination with different shades of blue. If you like bright, bold colors, try using complementary colors. Experiment to create a rainbow effect at home with analogous colors.
   • For example, for an analogous color pattern, you can paint one room light yellow, the other peach, and the next light pink.
9. Pay attention to the line of sight and the rooms that are next to each other. Use these schemes if you are going to choose colors for the rooms that you can see through, that is, if you can see from one room into the next. Likewise, even if you can't see much of a particular room from the next room, you should use a color wheel combination so that your home looks cohesive.
   • This is especially true for open houses, such as a house through the sun.
   • If you want, you can choose a different color combination for each floor. The staircase serves as a natural partition.

Tips

• Do not use more than three colors per outfit, including the neutrals. This way you prevent it from becoming too colorful.
• Add colorful accents to your outfit with the help of jewelry and other accessories.

Warnings

• Never combine two colors that are not exactly the same, but are very similar. That almost never looks good.