Colour Terms

When planning a colour scheme, or making changes to your current furnishings, it helps to have an understanding of some colour terms.

The Color Wheel describes the relationships between colours.

It is laid out so that any two PRIMARY colours (red, yellow, blue) are separated by the SECONDARY colours (orange, violet, and green).

Red, Yellow and Blue - primary Colors are basic and cannot be mixed from any other colours

Two primary colours mixed together resulting in orange, green and violet.

Intermediate or 'Tertiary' colours are one Primary and one Secondary mixed together.

Reds, oranges and yellows

Greens, blues and violets

Dominant colour in a colour scheme or mixture

Combining a shade, tint or tone of one colour and the colour opposite on the colour wheel. Example: Blue and orange.

A colourless scheme using blacks, whites and greys.

Using any shades, tints, or tones of colours that lie adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.

Another name for colour

Colour + white

Colour + grey

Colour + black

Combination of black and white.

The brightness or dullness of a colour.

The lightness or darkness of a colour

Using any shade, tint or tone of one colour.

Choosing one colour and using the colour on each side of its component on the colour wheel.

Using two colours that are two colours apart on the colour wheel.

A colour scheme in which three colours equally spaced from each other on the colour wheel. Example: The three primary colours - red, blue and yellow.

A contrast of four or more colours on the wheel.