Tertiary colors are also called intermediate colors. These colors are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color, which is why they have two names. Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green belong to the tertiary colors. Orange is a product of mixing red and yellow, while red and blue create purple. Green is made from mixing blue and yellow. The 3 secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. These colors are made by mixing the primary colors. They are the building blocks for all the other colors on the wheel. On the color wheel, the secondary colors are located between two primary colors. Primary colors are also known as basic colors simply because they are the base for other colors. These colors cannot be made by mixing other colors. There are 3 primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Over the years, scientists and artists have made improvements to make the color wheel look like it does today. This has been dubbed as the first color wheel. In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton conducted an experiment on a prism in which he discovered that pure white light contains more colors.

Without knowing it, colors influence our moods by simply stepping into a room. Orange tones translate to health, happiness, and youth which is great for kitchens or exercise rooms. A room with black tones sends a message of seriousness, elegance, and power, which can be perfect for home offices or study. However, rooms with maximum activity are decorated in brighter colors such as red, orange, or yellow. They send a message that the room is for relaxing and unwinding. For example, bedrooms are usually made with cooler colors such as blue, gray, green, and purple. The proper combination of colors translate to a specific purpose of a room. In interior design, colors are extremely important. Also known as a color circle, the color wheel helps us see which colors mix well with others, and which don’t. In interior design, the color wheel provides a visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship. It is definitely difficult to determine every single color there is. Studies show that we see 1000 levels of light dark, 100 levels of red-green, and 100 levels of yellow blue. The human eyes and brain translate millions of different colors. We have learned how to mix and match the colors to set a specific mood, theme, or genre. Inspired by nature, we have adapted colors to our clothes, homes, personal grooming, toys, and educational materials. From green trees to white clouds, to yellow sunshine and gray storms, we are immersed in the beauty reflected by colors. In everyday life, our world is filled with colors. Welcome to our page on the color wheel and how to use it for matching colors for your interior design projects.

Light color wheel