Triadic colour schemes are the next in this series on how to choose a colour scheme for your home. Before we get into it, I want to take the opportunity to show you this tool that I recently discovered. I love a good random internet discovery! This colour calculator helps you to discover ideas for all the different colour schemes. Just choose your starting colour and scheme (analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, monochromatic, or tetradic) and this clever little calculator will pop out the associated colours to complete your scheme. Super fun and easy, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time playing around on here this week!
Triadic Colour Scheme
Triadic colours are 3 colours on the colour wheel that sit at equal distances apart, making an equidistant triangle. For example the primary colours red, yellow and blue are triadic colours, as are orange, green and purple. The ‘inbetween’ hues on the colour wheel can also be used to create a triadic colour scheme. Because of the strong contrast, a triadic palette is generally quite dramatic, but by choosing subdued shades you can tone down the drama to a manageable level. To avoid too much intensity when decorating with a triadic color scheme, one or two of the colors should be muted. Shades, tones and tints are your friends here! A triadic colour scheme can be sophisticated, and is often based on the artist Mondrian’s paintings which used red, blue, yellow, black, grey and white.
Tips for creating a Triadic colour scheme
- To create balance let one colour dominate and use the other two for accents. Using the 60-30-10 rule ( one prominent colour, one secondary colour and one accent colour) will stop the scheme from feeling too intense
- It is also important to remember the use of neutrals to help balance a Triadic colour scheme. Neutrals such as white, grey, tan, and black all work well as companions to Triadic schemes.
- Consider the vibrancy of the colours you are using and the feel that you are trying to create before beginning. The more saturated the colours are, the more energetic the space will feel. Using muted hues will help to create a more sophisticated space.
- Add a piece of art, or textile that has all 3 colours of the scheme to help pull the look together and add intentionality.
- Wood features can be used to replace yellow/orange.
This is an excellent tool to help you discover ideas for all the different colour schemes.
Am loving this article by The Spruce on triadic colour schemes for bedrooms.
Cover pic is by Grey Hunt Interiors