The Secret to Picking Winning Color Combinations Every Time

Last Updated on March 3, 2022

It is totally normal to become paralyzed when trying to choose colors for your room. I'm sharing the best secret to pick winning color combinations every time!

I get a lot of questions from people about how to chose colors and how to know what combinations work together. In this episode Thea and I discuss a secret weapon I have found that anyone can use to chose winning color combinations! I also give you a glimpse into how I move through picking paint colors during the design process. This episode is for anyone that wants more color in their home but doesn't know how to get started! Listen below and get all my tips and tricks for finding colors that work well together.

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All the Details From This Episode

• Today we are talking about how to pick winning color combinations. This topic popped in my head because we were talking about this in conjunction with Racheal from Banyan Bridges. She is amazing and if you love colorful bold murals she is a must follow on Instagram at @banyanbridges. We both love her!
• Racheal's ability to choose colors is impressive. You can even buy original artwork from her. Her color combinations are often not things I would think to pick, but they work beautifully together. Then I realized picking colors for art isn't any different than choosing colors for decorating your home.
• I have the secret sauce for people who don't know how to pair up colors. It is the ColorSnap® Visualizer from Sherwin-Williams. All you have to do is upload a picture and it will show you all the colors in the picture and what that translates to in their colors. (Just so y'all will know, I am not being sponsored or compensated for this at all! I just think this tool is super cool.)
• I discovered this after I fell in love with Banyan Bridges on Instagram, and I decided to paint a mural. I was paralyzed because I didn't know what colors to chose. It felt so hard! I had to pick 9 colors, and that felt overwhelming. I love that she always chooses some colors that are unexpected, but I didn't know how to do that.
• Enter the ColorSnap® Visualizer. I was trying to do the hard work, then I stumbled upon this tool and it changed my life. I knew I wanted to use the colors in my IKEA rug that I love so much I bought it twice–for my office and and the sitting room in our kitchen. I uploaded the image of our rug it showed me all the colors!

• Once you have the colors in your image you can go to their website and see what colors are complimentary with that shade. After I “cheated” and got my color matches, I called Sherwin-Williams and asked for samples of the colors I wanted. Then I zipped right into the store and grabbed them!

• The point is, don't be afraid of color because you don't know how to choose colors! If you are struggling, don't try to do it alone. Go find fabric that makes your heart happy and buy a little. Then look at the colors in the fabric-those work well together. The hard work has been done! Just take a picture or find a picture online and uplaod it to the ColorSnap® tool.
• You can also do the same with art you love–that is what I did in Attley's room. People were astounded at how well I mixed the colors, but newsflash, I didn't! I used the mural in her room and pulled the colors from that!

• Crucial element–it is one of the core tenets of Designer In a Binder. This is the fabric, or the art, or SOMETHING that you love and have to have in your room. Then you just go from there! The whole process is guided by that one element. It makes it so easy! Once you pick your crucial element, it becomes your guide.

• Are there other online tools to find colors? I did a quick search and didn't see any thing quite like Sherwin-Williams' product. There is an scanning tool you can buy, and lots of room visualizer tools. If you know of another online tool, let us know!
• There are also tools that color match for you between brands! Each color formula is proprietary, but you can get pretty dang close. You can also get a sample and have it color matched. Again, it won't be exact!!! (not for touchups–I learned that the hard way. Read about it here!) I think you can also ask at one store to color match by name and they have software for it. After a brief online search, I found Encycolorpedia which seems to show you related colors for other companies. I have never used it but it looks pretty cool!
• Please stop working so hard. Also, don't forget you can order paint online. I needed some paint during quarantine and I realized we could just order it!
• I think you can even have Sherwin-Williams shipped to you. Doesn't even matter if you have a store with it close by. Don't play it safe! Let the fabric designers do the hard work.
• Sidenote: Just because something has to stay in your room, does not make it a crucial element. What you choose needs to have 3-5 colors!
• Send us your design questions. You can also email them! We do keep a running list of questions submitted–we love to hear what you want to know! We want to know what you don't know! Tag us on Instagram at @tasha.kaleidoscope and tell us what you are doing while you listen. We love seeing those and try to share them as often as possible! Make sure you are following me on Instagram so you can follow along with my stories and see all the behind the scenes action. I talk about ALL the things (not just home decor and DIY!) and it is very fun so come hang out with us!

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If you want more info on not only how to pick your crucial element, but on how to do all of this, check out the Designer in a Binder®. Designer in a Binder®. This is the design system I have used for years and years! I walk you through all the important stuff like choosing items that are the correct scale, space planning, mixing patterns, choosing colors and more! I give easy-to-understand guidance on all of this in Designer in a Binder®! We have over 5,900 happy customers so far! Click HERE to learn more.

Wondering how I approach transforming rooms and spaces in our home? Check out Designer in a Binder®.

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