How the Color Wheel Can Help You Pick a Room’s Paint Palette

The only thing more exciting than a finished home project is the earliest stage of one: deciding how you want your space to look. The process of selecting the best colors for a room is an exercise in delight; there’s no feeling quite like fanning out those bookmark-shaped paint samples like a deck of rainbow cards.

But there’s another colorful tool you should be consulting before choosing a paint palette—and it’s one you may not have used since elementary school. The color wheel is an incredibly helpful visual when it comes to choosing a harmonious blend of complementary colors. Ahead, find out how to use it for your next project. 

What Is the Color Wheel?

The color wheel is just what it sounds like: a circular diagram showcasing a spectrum of colors. Typically, you’ll see shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and magenta represented, much like a rainbow. But the usefulness is derived from the wheel’s shape: Any colors positioned opposite each other on the wheel are considered complementary. So, red and green are complementary, as are yellow and purple and orange and blue.

Complementary colors create a high-impact look through maximum contrast. That’s because the pair of colors are situated on opposite ends of the spectrum, meaning each is the inverse of the other. Being opposites does not mean they clash, however. Instead, they appear brighter and punchier when paired. “[These combinations] enhance or emphasize qualities of their opposites,” writes color specialist Leatrice Eiseman in her book The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition. The result is a vibrant pairing and a more impactful visual. 

How to Use the Color Wheel to Choose a Paint Palette

There’s value in creating a high-impact look, but the color wheel can be used for devising a well-balanced palette for almost any type of paint project. It all comes down to the shades you select, according to designer Ashley Ferguson, owner of Ashley Ferguson Interiors.

Rely on the "60-30-10" Rule

She explains the best way to select colors and their respective shades (light, medium, dark) on the color wheel is by employing the “60-30-10" rule. To use it, you select three colors from the wheel: one that’ll represent 60% of your room, one for 30%, and another for 10%. The idea is that a room’s dominant color takes up 60% of the palette, while the secondary color aims for 30, and an accent color for 10.

“This encourages the space to feel balanced and harmonious,” Ferguson says.

She explains you can use the color wheel to choose the three main colors. Say a homeowner wanted to paint their living room a light or pale blue color, Ferguson reasons. They could use that as their dominant color, opt for a darker navy for the secondary color, and choose the complementary color— a moody orange—to pepper in as accents in the remaining 10% of the space. 

Similarly, she’s paired a soft pink with a Kelly green, then thrown in a shade of vanilla for a calming accent; pinks and reds sit opposite green on the color wheel. “They’re all harmonious,” Ferguson says, “But at the same time, it’s bold and super visually appealing because they pop off each other.”

Consider Breaking the “Rules”

Using the color wheel for complementary colors isn’t the only way to choose a paint palette. Selecting analogous colors that sit beside each other on the wheel, neutral colors, and varying shades in a monochromatic palette is fair game. 

Ultimately, the complementary color wheel and the 30-60-10 rule are helpful tools, but breaking the “rules” is always an option. Looking for outside inspiration is a good gut check, too.

Ferguson loves pairing lavender with a bright or minty green, much like a lilac bush. “A lot of this you see in nature, like green grass with a blue sky is super beautiful together. If Mother Nature does it, you know it’s gotta be good.”

Gazing out your window—at nature’s greatest palette—can help you make decisions with or without the color wheel. Though whatever you decide, it’s imperative you love the combination. “Think outside the box,” Ferguson says. “And it will all naturally fall into place.”