Contrast in interior design creates all-important visual interest, but the line between contrast and clash can be pretty fine. When it comes to colors, how different is too different to work together in your home? These tips will help you navigate the potential minefield of contrast.

Types of Color Contrast
For a lot of people, classic black and white will be the first color scheme to come to mind when they think about contrast. But there are actually seven different types of color contrast, first laid out by Johannes Itten in his book The Elements of Color. These include contrast of hue, light-dark contrast, and cold-warm contrast. If a dramatic look like black and white isn’t right for you, you have more subtle contrast options in abundance.

The Color Wheel
We’re all familiar with the classic color wheel, but a quick refresher is always helpful when discussing contrast. The greater the distance between hues on a color wheel, the stronger the contrast. Hues that sit directly opposite one another, like purple and yellow, are known as complementary colors, and tend to make one another ‘pop’ by dialling up their luminosity. Colors that sit adjacent to one another, like blue and teal, offer a subtler effect.

Color Saturation
The terms hue, tint and shade are often used interchangeably, but they actually have very specific meanings. Hue is the purest form of any color — bright red, for example. A tint is that color with white added — pink, for example. And a shade is that color with black added — dark red, for example. Achieving a successful light-dark contrast will involve combining a variety of hues, tints and/or shades.

Mid Tones
The higher the contrast, the sharper and more dramatic the effect. Avoid jarring the viewer and bring a little more subtlety to high contrast color schemes by introducing accents in mid tones — these might be simple combinations of the two main colors, or a third color that offsets them both. For example, a black and white scheme could be softened by grey, or punched up with blue.

The 60-30-10 Rule
If you’re feeling uncertain about the best way to work with three different colors, play it safe by observing the 60-30-10 rule, where 60% of the room features your dominant color, 30% your secondary color, and 10% your accent color. For a lot of rooms, this works out as follows:

60%     wall color (dominant)
30%     furniture color (secondary)
10%     2-3 room accessories (accent)

Color Temperature
Cold-warm contrast is all about the interplay between colors that create an impression of warmth (like red, orange and yellow) and colors that create a sense of coolness (blue, green and indigo). Too much of either color ‘temperature’ can make a room seem off kilter, with extreme cases looking either stuffy or chilly. Introduce elements of its temperature opposite to restore balance.

Black and white is a classic combination that moves in and out of the fashion spotlight yet never loses its power. It’s crisp and clean, and allows a designer to place emphasis on shape, composition, placement and pattern, without the distraction of color. A maximum contrast monochrome scheme can be adapted to suit any room in the house, from bathroom to bedroom; punctuate a black and white space with accents in a single metallic or jewel color for even more impact.

Style Edit: a twist on monochrome
When positioned on a pure white pedestal, tabletop or credenza, a sleek black sculpture like the A Hole In My Heart Sculpture makes a simple, striking statement.

Chairs are especially well suited to the black and white treatment, whether in the form of graphic printed upholstery or a deceptively simple, sculptural shape. Eero Saarinen’s iconic Tulip Armchair is a show stopper in black and white, or just pure white. The Guapa Office Chair by Midj looks almost futuristic in glossy white, while the Mimi Armchair is simply fun. Paired with a black table, the Giuseppina Dining Chair is really in its element.

Accessorize your sofa or sectional with dramatic pillows, like the Circolo Pillow from Dellarobbia, available in four configurations that combine sharp styling with soft comfort.

Designers have long known that black and white are a natural choice for contemporary lighting. The Taj Light is available in matte black and white, both of which highlight its clean lines. The sleek Neutra Hanging Lamp by Kartell is also available in both black and white, allowing you to mix and match these extra-large fixtures as you see fit. Or, if a floor lamp is what you really need to finish your monochrome room, consider the high-contrast Cadmo Floor Lamp or the unique Sipario Floor Lamp, which doubles as a coat rack.

Eclectic style is all about creative and interesting combinations of color, texture, pattern and style. Because every eclectic home is unique, there are guidelines available but no hard and fast rules. Instinct and experimentation are key; when it feels right, it probably is.

Color
Neutral walls help showcase and foreground the showier elements in an eclectic room, while preventing an overwhelming clash of colors and patterns. Choose a single favorite color and weave it throughout the home to visually link disparate elements. If furnishing with wood, try to keep it within a theme; all blond or all dark, for example.

Style mixing
Don’t be afraid to mix different styles; balance contemporary furnishings with a beloved antique, or mix mid-century modern pieces with more exotic elements picked up during your travels. Use multiple textures to add depth, creating balance with opposites; shiny with matt, bumpy with smooth. However, it’s wise to choose furnishings and accessories with shapes that echo one another, to achieve a deliberate, non-random look. Try pairing a sofa with rolled arms with a round coffee table, or a low buffet with a rectangular sectional.

Staying focused
However eclectic your furniture choices, you still need a focal point to tug all the threads of your room together. It might be your largest piece of art, a fireplace, an entertainment center or an accent wall, as long as it’s selected and positioned for maximum impact. If you have an open plan home, the best place for your focal point is usually directly visible through the entrance to the next room.

Whites and neutrals have long been go-to dominant colors for interior designers. However, the past few years have seen a surge of interest in dark walls and furnishings. Several leading paint companies are predicting a rise in the popularity of dark shades used as neutrals for 2017. These include Benjamin Moore, whose color of the year is Shadow, a dusky purple that makes a spectacular backdrop for both colored and metallic accents.

The right dark color for your home is moody but not gloomy; it’s elegant, dramatic and bold. Pure black is absolutely an option for walls; it can be restful in the bedroom and elegant in your living areas. Slate gray, regal purple, navy blue and forest green are equally spectacular, whether as accent walls or the base for the whole room. Dark colors make for a dramatically different bathroom or kitchen; flip the look on its head in any room by leaving the walls light and opting for a richly colored ceiling.

Black walls are at their best in rooms with plenty of natural light. Restore balance to a space with lots of deep color with white or bright contrasting accents – think cushions, light fixtures, artworks, curtains, or bedding. Mirrors and metallic elements are another way to introduce a little more brightness into your moody, glamorous new room.

Simplicity is the key to achieving a Scandinavian look within your home. A Nordic room is relatively pared back and free of non-functional clutter. Beautifully designed modern furnishings take center stage, with pale walls, light woods and white accents providing a restful backdrop. It’s also helpful to understand the concept of hygge, which has recently emerged as a buzzword in design circles outside of Scandinavia. Hygge is about the simple pleasures that make a house a home; in cold Northern climates that often translates to literal warmth and coziness, while in our part of the world hygge might mean sharing a home cooked meal with good company, in a living space designed to let you escape the worries of the world.

Danish Modern furniture
For lovers of modern and contemporary furnishings, Danish Modern is a standout style. The story of Danish Modern begins in 1924, and winds through such important 20th century milestones as the Bauhaus and mid-century modern movements before arriving at its current form. Danish Modern furniture is typically characterized by wood construction, expert cabinetry, and simple, elegant and perfectly proportioned lines. Its influence has spread far beyond the borders of Denmark; US companies like Dellarobbia and American Leather have produced designs that are heavily influenced by Danish Modern style, and several key mid-century modern designers incorporated elements into their own practices.

Leading Scandinavian brands
Skovby, masters of Danish design, have been designing and building modern furniture since 1933. This third-generation family company specializes in dining room furniture, and is especially known for their innovative extension tables. The designers of Skovby’s streamlined, quintessentially Scandinavian forms take the intended use of each piece as their starting point, keeping alive the functional philosophy of the Danish Modern movement.

BDI designer Matthew Weatherly, trained in Denmark’s Design School, is also an exponent of Danish Modern principles. Inspired by his appreciation of nature, he aims to extract maximum impact from minimal materials, letting his clean, strong lines speak for themselves in pieces like the Corridor Bar Cabinet.

Fjords was founded in 1941 by the Hjellegjerde brothers in a cellar in the village of Sykkylven, Norway. Their seating designs combine the old-world traditions of Norwegian furniture building with the latest technical innovations in ergonomics and materials. Its designers draw inspiration from the ever-changing natural world surrounding Sykkylven, always aiming to combine fluidity and movement with solidity and permanence.

Playing it safe with area rugs is not for everybody. There is an abundance of creative, colorful rugs available, meaning it’s never been easier to customize your floors. We’ve assembled a few pointers to help make extravagant, patterned area rugs work for you.

Avoiding the “too busy” trap: Perhaps the most common concern homeowners experience when choosing a patterned rug is that it might make the room look too busy — too much pattern, too many colors, too much going on. Balance and contrast are your allies here. Offset a patterned rug with solid-colored furnishings and plain walls for an effect that’s exciting but not overwhelming. Multiple patterns in a single room, in the form of upholstery, window coverings or wallpaper are for serious risk takers only.

The 60-30-10 rule: You may already be familiar with the 60-30-10 color rule. It’s a rule of thumb for devising a color scheme, and whether you are adding a rug to an existing room or designing a new look around the rug, it can be a handy tool.

To put the 60-30-10 rule into action, design your space around three main colors; a dominant color, a secondary color and an accent color. 60% of the room should feature the dominant color, 30% the secondary color and 10% the accent color. In most rooms the dominant color will be the wall color, the secondary your furniture color, and the accent will be reflected in your choice of accessories. Whether you consider your area rug an accessory or a furnishing is going to be a matter of personal judgment, but look at your color scheme as a whole and consider how each part is represented.

Proportion: When it comes to rugs, getting the proportions right can be a tough nut to crack. There are a few different approaches available to you when sizing up a rug, which frees you up to choose the one that works best for you. If you want your new rug to unify the whole space, opt for the largest one that will fit. If you’re more interested in defining independent areas within the room, one or more smaller rugs are a good bet. For a harmonious look, all your seating should relate to the rug in the same way; with either all legs on the rug, all legs off the rug, or all front legs on the rug.

Toward the end of 2016, color experts began releasing their predictions for the trends of 2017, and one of those was a resurgence of interest in green. Pantone’s color report for spring 2017 already included a vibrant green called Lush Meadow, and now they’ve unveiled their eagerly-awaited Color of the Year: Greenery (15-0343).

Greenery is a bright yellow-green, reminiscent of tropical foliage, fresh fruit, and newly mown grass. It’s a refreshing, optimistic color, intended to set the viewer thinking about new beginnings and the joys of the great outdoors. When most of us spend our time in built environments and engaging with technology, Greenery is a reminder to reconnect with what’s real.

Pantone describes Greenery as “nature’s neutral”, a shade that is suitable for any season or application yet retains its distinctiveness. Like most greens, it has a life-affirming emotional effect and, when used inside the home, links the interior with the natural world outside. Some products that we have available in this color are the Baloo Chair and Ottoman and the Glamour Chair Get inspired by Greenery at pantone.com.

Pastels have cycled endlessly in and out of fashion for decades. Depending how you style them, they can appear feminine, vintage, dreamy, moody or contemporary. Balance is the key to keeping them looking fresh and modern; offset pastels with harder-edged colors or raw, natural textures to create a look that’s contemporary, not cloying. Here’s how.

Pastels 101
Pastels are really just light or diluted versions of brighter colors, sometimes with a hint of grey added for restraint. There are pastel versions of all colors, not just the obvious pink, blue and green. Dove grey, lavender, peach and dusty yellow are sometimes overlooked in discussions on pastels, but all are both soothing and beautiful.

How to Use Pastels
There is almost no limit to the ways you can use pastels in a contemporary home. Add a large pastel area rug or sectional to an otherwise neutral room, or take the opposite route by starting with pastel walls. Just like their full-strength equivalents, pastel green is fresh; pastel blue is cooling; and pastel pink is warm.

To really shake up a space, try pairing your pastel of choice with the full-bore version of a contrasting color — bright yellow with pastel lavender, rich green with pastel pink. If that’s too risky for your taste, opt for a more vibrant shade of the same color, like deep purple accents against a lavender backdrop. Add sparkle by accessorizing with metallics in complementary tones — green with gold, blue with silver, pink with copper.

Pair mint green or powder blue with white for a fresh look that pops, or use black accents for a high-contrast look that makes pastels seem more modern. Prevent a room with a heavy pastel presence from looking too sugary by using deep moody neutrals like grey or Benjamin Moore’s 2017 Color of the Year, Shadow.

Use pastels only on architectural focus points while keeping the rest of the room neutral for a sophisticated look that hints at Scandinavian style. Take it further by pairing them with natural wood or light colored Danish modern furnishings for an effect that’s both light and sophisticated.

When pastels meet geometric forms, the effect is exciting, contemporary and anything but soft. Combine with pops of neon to freshen and energize a pastel palette. A touch of iridescence, whether from a shell or a light fixture, can pick up pastel tones to spectacular effect. Whatever your style, don’t forget the importance of balance; always stabilize your pastels with whites or neutrals; with dark walls, with textured natural wood; or with stone.

Everybody feels the winter blues sometimes. Even in a state with year-round sun, the cooler months can seem to drag. One way to start feeling energized again is to surround yourself with color and fun. Let us help you snap out of the blues by treating your eyes to some greens, reds, purples and yellows instead!

Color
One of the biggest interior design trend predictions for 2017 is that deep green is going to make a big entrance. Pantone has called it by announcing that Lush Meadow, a rich emerald green, is one of their colors of spring 2017, and Sherwin-Williams and Dulux have both revealed color schemes featuring darker greens. Watch for this and other jewel tones, including amethyst and sapphire, throughout the year.

Decor
A splash of bold and optimistic orange makes a fantastic, summery antidote to gloomy conditions. Dellarobbia’s Elements and Sunkiss pillows, each available in three configurations, will light up any room.

The Molten Area Rug, also from Dellarobbia, is like a fun, retro lava lamp translated into pure New Zealand wool. Molten is available in your choice of over 200 color variations – we say, go bright!

Kartell’s Moon Bowl, manufactured from Poly(methyl methacrylate), displays an iridescent sheen that accents its textured surface. This large and practical serving bowl is available in yellow, orange, red, fuchsia and blue, plus clear and smoky black iterations. They pair beautifully with the Dune Tray, in either matching or contrasting colors.

Sculpture
Add a touch of the surreal to your living room or bedroom with the Lips Sculpture in your choice of red, purple, pink, yellow and clear acrylic.

The sweet and friendly Dino Sculpture by Haziza is designed to make viewers smile. Dino is made from acrylic and is available in a wide range of custom colors.

While black is standard for the realistic Panther Sculpture, big cat lovers who think outside the box can also opt for a pink or purple version that’s sure to liven up your mantelpiece or credenza.

Finally, the Liset Sculpture combines an abstract splash of color with a solid black ball for a delicately balanced final result. Seen here in acid green, Liset can also be customized to match your decor or simply lift your mood.

In a departure from the greys that have dominated neutrals for the past few years, Sherwin-Williams has declared 2017 the year of taupe. Specifically, Poised Taupe or SW 6039 (R: 140 G: 126 B: 120: hex value: #8c7e78).

Presenting a fine balance between warm and cool tones, with elements of brown and grey, taupe is versatile enough make a great neutral for both contemporary and traditional homes. Whether as a wall covering or upholstery, it provides a refined backdrop that offsets a wide range of accent colors. Sherwin-Williams specifically recommends pairing Poised Taupe with Cultured Pearl (SW 6028), Gauzy White (SW 6035) or Vintage Vessel (SW 9050), but your color choices are really wide open – it’s hard to go wrong with such an all-purpose neutral.

Learn more about Poised Taupe and the rest of the Sherwin-Williams 2017 Colormix Color Forecast, including the dramatic Noir, centered Holistic, energetic Intrepid and exotic Unbounded colorways, at Sherwin-Williams.com.

Match this color with a lighter tone using the Sliding Wall Unit from Aleal or the Elan Bench from Nathan Anthony.