Color Schemes
Complementary Colors

Complementary Colors are any two Hues positioned exactly opposite each other on the Basic Color Wheel.

Here, as an example I've chosen Red and its opposite Green. We tend to think of this pairing as typically intense Christmas colors.

Is it Complimentary or Complementary?
Many people get confused between Complementary with an "e" and Complimentary with an "i". The word complimentary simply means flattering. However a complement with an "e" is a bit more complex.

These pairs on the Basic Color Wheel have a special relationship. When they are placed next to each other, they make the other appear more intense and brighter. This is a phenomenon in Color Theory called Simultaneous Contrast.

That's because, being opposite, one color is always cool and the other always warm with the greatest contrast. Plus, taken together, the 2 colors are always a combination of all three Primary Colors meaning one completes or "complements" the other.

Opposing colors work best when they are of similar intensity and when one plays the dominant role.

Mixing Opposite Colors
When you mix two opposites together the result becomes increasingly neutral.

YELLOW + VIOLET / PURPLE = WARM GRAY
BLUE + ORANGE = COOL BROWN
RED + GREEN = WARM BROWN



Knowing this little trick is really valuable when you have paint colors that are just too bright. Adding gray (black & white) as we have with other Color Schemes can flatten your color. Instead, by simply adding a drop of the Complement, you can get a more neutral version.

Color Scheme Tips

1. Make one of your Complementary Colors the dominant one in your palette.

2. Use various intensities of that dominant color, by adding different proportions of its complement. Then vary the values by adding white to lighten or black to darken.

3. For contrasting accents such as pillows and art, choose the non-dominant color. Make sure it has a little of the dominant hue mixed in to tone it down a touch. Otherwise these accents will jump out to the eye a bit too much.

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