Balancing all of the wood tones, paint hues, tiles and stone elements can be a tough decorating challenge. You'll also have to consider the tones of metal and the colors of fabric for a truly balanced room. You may even want to bring in artwork which will add an entirely new range of shades into your room. With a little practice you can make cohesive palettes with the best of the interior designers.
When choosing a color for anything in the room you'll want to consider the cost. This will determine whether you go with a bold color or a neutral color. You might want a basic granite countertop color like black or taupe instead of blue. Even if blue is your favorite color it may hurt the resell value of your home later on because it won't work with every design aesthetic and it doesn't blend in for that mass appeal. Instead you might want to stick with a taupe or beige countertop and then paint the walls or even the cabinets blue or bring in bright cobalt blue pottery. This infuses the space with your favorite color but also gives your home durability.
The same principle applies to tile. You might not want to remodel your bathroom for another five or ten years. This means that you should go with a basic ceramic tile color that you can live with throughout all your design fits and moods. Who knows? In a few years the guest bathroom might be a kid's bathroom.
You can still add interest to a tile job with texture. You might want to go with oversized tiles to give a beige faux stone more presence. You can also add in white accent tiles in a rope design to spice things up while keeping them neutral. Vary the finish by going with a stone tile border and then using a basic coordinating ceramic for the rest of the room. Neutral tile doesn't have to be boring. You might want to go with a stone mosaic backsplash in a traditional kitchen to add warmth and subtle color. You can also use glass tile for a contemporary space that you'll still be able to change out.
You might want to use the same wood tone throughout your home. For a contemporary space this would mean painting all of the trim and woodwork in your home a bright white or daring black. For a traditional home that still has warmth and character try a mahogany color on the cabinet, floors, furniture or all three. This gives a subtle red warmth without being over the top. Use a lacquered finish for an elegant space or try beating up the piece a little bit and then putting a black glaze over it. When you wipe off the glaze it will stay in the indentations for a rustic, worn look that still keeps within an elegant color palette.
You can use almost any color in an interior design color scheme and still have a cohesive look. The important thing to consider is how often and how expensive it is to replace a material. You might want to just paint the furniture red in a kid's room instead of going with red carpet. The use of neutral colors, wood tones, and a tied together metallic color palette ensures a successful design aesthetic.
