How to Use Complementary Colors When Designing Any Room

We explain why opposite hues on the color wheel make such a beautiful match.

pink dining room with green accented chairs — Credit:
onurdongel / GETTY IMAGES

Embarking on a redecorating project can be a daunting task—it's simply overwhelming to think of how to combine various colors, textures, and shades in a way that is dynamic but doesn't seem chaotic. Thankfully, if you know how to use the color wheel effectively, you can choose colors with confidence, knowing that they'll pair together beautifully.

To take your room to the next level, bring in complementary shades by choosing any two hues across from each other on the color wheel and bringing them together in your space. To better understand how opposite colors attract, we tapped experts for their best tips on melding these bold pairings.

The Color Wheel, Explained

color wheel illustration — Credit: Illustration by Enya Todd

Multitasker Isaac Newton first developed the color wheel in 1704 to categorize the visible spectrum of light. "The color wheel is a visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship," says Jerry Poon, artist and graphic designer. "It's a fundamental tool in art and design, used to understand and create pleasing color combinations."

When looking at the color wheel, you'll notice that it's divided into 12 sections based on color. The types of colors can be further broken down into the following:

Primary colors: Red, yellow, blue
Secondary colors: Orange, green, violet
Tertiary colors: Blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green

So, how can you use the color wheel to help with decorating your home? Just know that if you pick colors that are directly opposite (or complementary), the results are, from a decorating standpoint, pretty fabulous. "Complementary colors are located across from each other on the color wheel and are known to create a vibrant and harmonious visual effect when used together," says David Mason, interior designer and founder of Knobs.co. "The color wheel can be a helpful guide in making these decisions. By understanding the relationships between colors on the wheel, you can create a cohesive and visually appealing color scheme."

How to Use Complementary Colors in Your Home

The secret to successful mergers: Be open-minded. Each color has a range of shades that harmonize with those of its partner on the other side. "The color wheel can guide homeowners in selecting color schemes that evoke specific moods," says Poon. "For instance, cool tones for a calming effect or warm tones for a vibrant, energetic atmosphere."

The key, though, is striking a balance between complementary colors so that the effect is harmonious. "Execution involves using one color as the dominant hue and the other as an accent, maintaining balance without overwhelming the space," says Mason.

Any green can be simpatico with any gradation of red, for example, from burgundy to ballet-slipper pink. Throw in some neutrals, and "it's hard to go wrong," says interior designer Brad Ford. All the more reason you should give these colors a whirl.

Following are a few examples of how designers have used complementary colors in their work.

Orange and Blue

This combination can go bold—think vibrant Mexican tiles or Howard Johnson's hotels—but Ford went in a subtler direction in the room above, teaming walls and cabinets in Fine Paints of Europe Inspiration Collection #N51040, a hushed blue-gray, with chairs and stools in a rich cinnamon. Tone down the intensity to create a "calming, inviting space," he says.

Red and Green

pink and green bedroom with giant apple painting — Credit: Jonny Valiant

With its blush-pink walls (in Benjamin Moore's Salmon Peach), the bedroom of designer Amanda Lindroth's teen daughter could have skewed saccharine. But emerald accents, from the crisp drapery and bed skirts to the extra-large art, "modernize and sharpen it, and give it a sense of joy," she says.

For a non-Christmas riff on this pairing, gravitate toward more subdued offerings, like warm terra-cottas and pale pistachios. Or punctuate a space with a single hit of high-octane red: A chair with a sleek, shiny frame will look extra chic against a celadon rug or wall.

Yellow and Violet

Floral wallpaper inspired the palette in this dramatic bedroom, which mixes mustard, buttercup, amethyst, and lilac. Dark wooden furniture grounds the colors, "making the room more sophisticated," says Lorna Aragon, the former home director of decorvow Living. The door and trim are painted in Benjamin Moore's Millington Gold. Ultimately, she says, "layering different shades of a color gives a room so much more depth and complexity."

It's a daring pairing, for sure, but the payoff is transformative. Skip sunshine brights in favor of more nuanced hues, like green-leaning goldenrod with soft plums or lavender. Then, match their lushness with rich textures, from plush fabrics to lustrous metallic finishes.

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