One Singular Sensation ........

Hi Everyone and thanks for checking in with me again. In my last post “Orange Is The New Black” I talked about decorating with orange on the large, medium and small scales (if you haven’t read it go back and read it first because a) it’s genius if I do say so myself and b) this post will make waaaay more sense to you). This time around, I’d like to take what I told you in that post and give you a lesson in decorating with a colour scheme. There are several (Achromatic, Monochromatic, Complimentary, Split Complimentary, Double Compliment ,Primary Triadic, Secondary Triadic, Broken Hue) but I thought I’d start you off easy with *Monochromatic* (using ONE COLOUR). It’s the easiest scheme using colour and, as I’ll show you, you can use a little or a lot of your chosen colour and not screw it up.


For this first example I thought I’d do a Monochromatic Colour Scheme using last week’s heavy hitter ORANGE (in case you thought using orange was cray cray). Not only will I decorate a room using orange but I will incorporate the large, medium and small scales that I talked about in last week’s post (which you’ve read by now) so you can see it in action. To all you orange naysayers, behold:

Room Design By Steve Ryan Designs - Created Using HOMESTYLER App


So here is our good friend Orange used in a contemporary space. You can see I’ve only used orange, neutrals and metallics (Orange is the one colour used hence “Monochromatic” - neutrals are achromatic and metallics don’t really have a hue). You can also see I’ve used it on the large (focal wall colour), medium (armchairs) and small scales (art and accessories). Also, by only painting the window wall I draw your eye to the great view beyond - which I also talked about last week. Sooooo if you live in a condo, apartment or open concept home THIS is the way you should do a Monochromatic Colour Scheme I say (it’s tricky to figure out where to stop and start Colour in an open concept and painting every wall in an open space could overwhelm). This look is very easy to live with and achieve.


If you live in a home with *delineated* rooms (clearly walled off and self contained), want to embrace a colour, make a real WOW statement and feel brave because you’re an avid fan of my blog and the wealth of knowledge I impart to you that fills you with confidence, then you might want to try using a Monochromatic Colour Scheme in a BOLD way. Like this:

Room Design By Steve Ryan Designs - Created Using HOMESTYLER App

I know. You’re looking at that pic and just sh’t yourself a little. It’s ok. It’s just the WOW factor hitting you. You’ll be fine. Anyway, you can also see here I’ve still used the one hue (with waaaaaay less neutrals) still adhering to the large scale (walls, ceiling), medium scale (chairs, rug, bench, chaise in window, blinds) and small scale (art and accessories). And again I drew your eye to the view using colour as focal point with the red chaise and blinds in the bay window. However, because I’ve used much more large scale colour than the first room, the result is far more dramatic. If you live in an open concept space, you can see this might be hard to live with but because this Dining Room is clearly separate from the house (note the grey walls of the hallway that likely permeates the main spaces) it’s very livable. Also, notice the reds aren’t all the same. When using a Monochromatic Colour Scheme, use tints, tones and shades of that chosen hue to create visual interest. I recommend a Monochromatic Colour Scheme like this for rooms you don’t use very often or are more private spaces such as a Dining Room, Den, Laundry Room or Basement. I especially recommend it for a separate formal Dining Room like this because it’s likely only used occasionally and this look will make those occasions more grand.


So my Gentle Readers, I hope this post gives you some confidence in incorporating a colour into your interiors. The best part is, you can use as much or as little as you like so it’s perfect for the colour phobe as much as the colour enthusiast. As long as your space reflects who you are, you really can’t screw it up


Thanks for reading and check back with me soon to learn more. Until then, keep striving to live the Well Designed Life




Steve