How to Create a Monochromatic Color Scheme in a Room

In a monochromatic color scheme, one color completely dominates a room. Here are some ways to carry it off with high style.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chenille Or Fleece Throws
• Interior Paints
• Paintings
• Pillar Candles
• Strongly Textured Area Rugs
• Tulips
• Vases
• Apples
• Apples

1. Go with a neutral such as white, off-white, taupe, gray or beige for a sophisticated, versatile, serene scheme. Add contrast by varying the color values - for instance, use toast, wheat and buff in a beige scheme.

2. Vary the textures and sheens in the room to add subtle shifts in shading. A beige room could include a matte bleached-oak floor, a sisal rug, orange-peel-texture semigloss walls, a chenille sofa, a suede recliner and unstained maple tables.

3. Use ultra-strong textures - a springy shag rug, wide-wale corduroy or a chenille throw - to add a cozy counterpoint where the color might seem overly cold, as in a gray or blue-white room.

4. Put tiny sparks of color in multiple places in the room to add vitality. For example, use a painting with a bold splash of red paint, a bowl of red apples, a vase of red tulips, a red telephone and/or a red velvet pillow in a white living room. Never use the accent color just once; multiple uses ensure unity and cohesiveness in your scheme.

5. Link your monochromatic-scheme room to adjoining spaces by continuing the main color and accent color, although you can introduce another color or two. For example, a white living room with forest-green accents could segue into an entryway with pale sage-green walls, evergreen and buttercream-yellow accents, and a white floor and white moldings.

Tips & Warnings

• Bear in mind that Chinese red, royal purple, emerald green and other strong one-color looks can be satisfactory in rooms where you won't spend long stretches of time (powder rooms, dining rooms), but can quickly become tiresome in a family room, master suite or study.

on 8/30/2006 A great way to liven up monochromatic color schemes is to paint a wide stripe on a wall, especially a wall with no other break-ups, such a doors or windows. Example: using a light shade of tan and a darker shade of tan, paint the wall in the light shade, then paint an 18" wide stripe along the wall in the darker tan. The stripe can be near the top or near the middle of the wall, depending largely upon furniture and furniture placement. Example: If an entertainment center will be put against the wall, position the stripe so it's visible above the entertainment center. Otherwise, it'll be largely overlooked. It is very important to make a straight stripe. Using a large level to draw it out is the easiest, then tape it off and paint. Touch up any smudges after removing the tape. This treatment is simple, inexpensive and gets a lot of compliments, great for rentals!