Color clashes

It's always good to have a contrast when it comes to colors but be careful not to choose two clashing colors! Choosing colors which clash can be distracting and will automatically cheapen any room.

Choosing clashing colors is a common mistake for first time decorators and designing novices. Clashing colors can usually be found on the opposite side of the color wheel and are seen as the direct opposite of each other. For this reason they don't combine well together and can be hard to look at. Contrasting colors are usually found separately on the color wheel but work well together. On the other hand; complementary colors are found next to each on the color wheel and can often complete one another. Clashing colors are a bad choice for everything; from clothes to cars and walls - and should definitely be avoided! When choosing it's good to pick a color tone and stick to it. Popular color tones include; earth tones (greens, browns), neutral tones (browns, beiges, creams), water tones (blues and greens) and fire tones (oranges and yellows). People who are color blind often have trouble picking out complementary tones due to their inability to tell the difference between color tones. For this reason; they may have to have help when picking out clothes or colors for painting. Common confusing tones for people who are color blind include green-brown-red and pink-purple-blue.

Clashing colors to avoid include:

  • Purple-yellow
  • Green-red
  • Blue-orange
  • Red-yellow
  • Pink-navy