First, find the existing dominant color you want to keep for both the interior and exterior. On the exterior, this could be the color of the brick, stone, pre-finished windows or roof. On the interior, it could be the color of your sofa, flooring or window coverings.
Determine what kind of feeling you want to create for the interior and exterior. Warm colors like red, orange, yellow and beige can create an invigorating mood or add intimacy to large spaces. They can also help warm up a room that has northern or eastern exposure. Cool colors like blue, green, violet and gray give a serene feeling and can add spaciousness to small places. You should also consider the balance between light colors and deep colors.
It’s also important to decide how complex you want the color scheme to be. There are three main schemes to choose from:
Monochromatic schemes are based on one hue, which varies in value (lightness and darkness) and saturation (the amount of color). An example of this is a pale blue with a pure blue and dark blue.
Analogous schemes combine no more than three similar colors. An example of this is red, yellow-red (orange) and yellow.
Complementary schemes are based on opposing colors. This scheme offers more contrast and can introduce both warm and cool colors into an area. An example would be burgundy complementing three shades of green on a front door.
