Complementing Colors

When picking out paint, make sure to go with light shades of the colors you want. Remember that the paint covers a large part of the room and will have a big impact on the color scheme.

There is a rule I like to somewhat follow called the 60/30/10. You want 60% of the room to be your base, somewhat neutral color, 30% of your room to be a complementing color and 10% of the room to be the color that gives it a pop. So for example you would have 60% light grey, 30% dusty pink and 10% rose gold.

What’s Trendy

The “in” paint colors right now are sea-foam blue, light pink, rose gold, grey and white — all very light colors, as well as navy and “modern brown” (which is a lighter version of the traditional brown) and deep greens for boys’ rooms. I always like to make sure to bring in a bit of a pop in addition to the light, styled colors like aqua or green or even orange.

Light it Up!

You usually want at least two levels of lighting in a bedroom, for example, a ceiling light and a lamp. When buying a light you want to look at the lumens (it is usually in the description on the box). The more lumens, the more light! For best lighting in workspaces, it is good to get a task lamp for your desk and a bright fixture. Desk lamps can be found in many stores in all price ranges and you can even try a DIY.

Furniture Facts

Make sure you buy furniture in the right size. If you have a big room, buy big furniture. For a small room, buy small furniture. If you need to stick with the furniture you have for now, consider removing a piece if your room feels cramped, or adding an inexpensive accent piece if you want to fill it up more. You also want to make sure all of your furniture has a function, so nothing becomes a dumping ground for clothes. And if you are looking to buy new furniture, remember that you don’t necessarily have to buy all matching furniture — just make sure they are coordinating. For example, the same style leg, the same materials, the same color — as long as they have a common denominator, it can work.

Mixing styles is also okay. Although people assume they have to commit to one consistent style, as long as you bring in the style in more ways than one, it will all blend together to create something unique (just like you)! Make sure that the furniture color contrasts with the surface you’re putting it on, so no brown bed on a brown floor, and no grey linen on a grey bed. Of course, you can break those rules, but that’s what’s recommended.  (Excerpted from Teen Pages, Issue 738)