See how harmonious analogous colour schemes come together to create a striking design in any home.
Even the most experienced interior designer counts on the colour wheel for creative inspiration when it comes to selecting paint colours. In this article, discover how the careful combination of three side-by-side colours, known as an analogous colour scheme, yields a cohesive, interesting look for any room.
What is an analogous colour scheme? The simple answer is that analogous hues are three colour families that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.
Taking a closer look, an analogous colour scheme combines a primary colour, a secondary colour and a tertiary colour:
Primary colours: Red, blue and yellow — the primary source of all colours
Secondary colours:
red + blue = purple
red + yellow = orange
yellow + blue = green
Tertiary colours: These are a mix of primary and secondary colours: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet.
Antique Pearl 2113-70
Lavender Mist 2070-60
An analogous colour scheme can be used to create an interconnected colour story in any room.
Think how soft blues, greens and purples might evoke the feeling of a dusky, misty meadow. Or pale yellows, oranges and reds might conjure the sunrise of a new-day.
Here, a pastel colour scheme creates harmonious colour flow from bathroom to hallway. “Antique Pearl 2113-70, is a soft, airy lilac that tends toward a neutral and has a hint of red-violet undertone,” explains Hannah Yeo, Manager of Colour Marketing & Development at Benjamin Moore. “This subtle red-violet undertone creates a seamless transition into the violet hallway, painted in Lavender Mist 2070-60.”
With its use of low-slung red-violet chairs, red area rug, and a wall in Shadow 2117-30, a royal amethyst and former Colour of the Year, this striking space uses a successful red, red-violet & violet analogous colour scheme.
A farmhouse kitchen combines the calming energy of blue, blue-green & green to create an elegant look.
Keep colours soft for a relaxing, restful atmosphere as seen here in the balanced use of a yellow, yellow-green & green analogous colour scheme.
Muted hues work in any space, as in this earthy yellow, yellow-green & green colour combination. Home accessories, like the bowls seen here, are an easy way to incorporate analogous colours.
Selecting and viewing analogous paint colours is made easier with the photo and video visualizers available in our Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio® app, available for download on either Android or iPhone.
If you need help in choosing your colour, come by any of our stores today to see all our colours on display. Our colour experts will also be glad to assist you in choosing the shade that truly suits your space. Also, you get to bring home complimentary swatches which are true to colour for your consideration.
