THE COLOR WHEEL You coordinate colors everyday when you decide what to wear. So when it comes to choosing colors for your home why leave it to someone else? After all you can best decide what suits you. Trust yourself and remember our basics when you plan. You can use the Color Wheel (which has been used by artists and experts for years) to help you fix on your color scheme. The color wheel shows how each color of the spectrum relates to every other; starting from dark (at the center) and spreading out to light (at the perimeter). You can choose from four basic types of color schemes. Monochromatic: Where one color is dominant, and tints and shades of this color are used to create combinations. Analogous: Where colors that are adjacent or at least close to one and other on the Color Wheel are used to create combinations. Triadic: Where a set of three colors more or less equidistant on the wheel are used in combination Complementary: Where colors that are diametrically opposite on the wheel are used in combinations. Color Palette: Each color evokes a particular emotion. Browse through this section and enjoy giving your space its own distinctive look. Blues: Shades of blue can be used for a restful or a bold effect. Pale blue has a calming effect and gives space to a room. A darker blue will draw things closer and add depth. Blue teams up smartly with browns and whites. So next to a wooden bookshelf, it builds up a striking corner. Whites: There is nothing that reflects natural light better than white. Snow-white walls and cabinets make a room sparkle. Wood and metal contrast with white and this highlights furnishings. The best is that in a stark white room, you can splash any colors of your choice on the curtains and linen  Yellows: Yellow is a happy color - it gives a lift to black and white. It merges effortlessly with pastels, warms to red, and makes wood glow. Rich gold's are elegant and used for traditional settings while darker yellows are quieter and cut glare. Dark yellow teams up best with white and contrasts well with green, blue, and brown. Greens: Green is perfect background for any other color of your choice. Use a bluish green to cool off a room that is too bright or warm a cold room with a yellow that leans towards green. Whatever you choose, you will get summertime warmth in winter and grassy coolness in summer. Pinks: Pinks are delicate and soft. They blend wonderfully with grays, browns and sharp blues. Because pink is essentially a pastel, it should be used with a stronger color to highlight its pleasant tone. Used in a party room, pink suggests gaiety.   Browns: Remember wood is a color. Earthy and comfortable, brown ranges from the palest of cream-beiges to the deepest of chocolate brown. Because any brown tone is essentially warm, cool colors should be used as accents. Red: Red is warm and welcoming. Too much red can distract so it should be used with care in family rooms. A splash of red on a wall or a fireplace or a rug creates a dramatic effect. Select a fabric with a cool background color like gray, blue, or green and a dominant red in the pattern. Use only one pattern throughout the room and balance the red there with your accessories. If yours is too warm a room, try the pale purple-violet family in large areas. Grey: Grey is cool and contemporary. Pale grey pushes walls away to create space. Varying in range from a light to medium value, grey is an elegant neutral value for all furnishings. If you like stark contrasts, set off grey against bright tones, whites and blacks. To get a blended background, warm grey with blue, brown, or yellow depending on your color choice.  Combine or Contrast: Combining, or contrasting colors can be the point of departure that gives an interior its individuality, a personality of its own. Combine white with beige - the result is glowing sophistication. Contrast red or black with white - the result is stark, bright and stylish.