How to Coordinate Colors

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff | 14 References

Updated: September 6, 2019

Explore this Article Understanding the Color Wheel Applying the Color Wheel to Clothes Coordinating Paint Colors Article Summary Questions & Answers Related Articles

Color coordinating can be a little daunting if you've never been introduced to color theory based on the color wheel. The color wheel is a great tool to help you choose colors that go together. Whether you're putting together an outfit or choosing paint colors for your house, use the color wheel to figure out the best colors to suit the occasion.

Understanding the Color Wheel

  1. 1
    Figure out the basics of the color wheel. The color wheel is made up of primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and secondary colors (purple, green, orange) in the shape of a wheel. Primary colors can't be formed by mixing other colors, while secondary colors are created by mixing primary colors. In turn, primary and secondary colors mix together to form tertiary colors.[1]
    • Some color wheels depict 3 primary colors, 3 secondary colors, and 6 tertiary colors in separate spokes, while others blend the colors into each other.
    • It's important to understand the color wheel because it guides how you choose coordinating colors.
  2. 2
    Look across the wheel to find complementary colors. Complementary colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. For instance, yellow is directly across from the secondary color purple, red is across from green, and blue is across the wheel from orange. Complementary colors typically go well together, brightening the other one just by being nearby.[2]
    • Complementary colors can also include tertiary colors.
  3. 3
    Check for analogous colors right next to each other. Analogous colors are often paired together because they fade into each other on the color wheel. For instance, yellow fades into orange, making a yellow-orange tertiary color in the middle. Because they are near each other, they blend well when trying to coordinate colors.[3]
    • As another example, blue blends into purple, making blue-purple in the middle.
  4. 4
    Use shading and tinting to make monochromatic matches. "Shade" just means you add black to a color to make it darker. "Tint" means adding white to a color to make it lighter. If you choose a single color, then you can pick lighter or darker variations of that color to create a monochromatic look.[4]
    • For instance, monochromatic colors in purple could include lavender, plum, and grape.
  5. 5
    Avoid mixing warm and cool colors for the most part. Warm colors include orange, red, and yellow, while cool colors include greens, blues, and purple. When you understand this division, it can make it easier to coordinate colors, as you can match cool colors with cool colors and warm colors with warm ones.
    • While this is a good general guideline, there are times when a warm color looks nice paired with a cool color, like a rich, warm gold accented with cool purple tones.
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Method 1 Quiz

What's the difference between a primary and secondary color?

Not necessarily! Within every color, both primary and secondary, there are various shades and tints of that color. For instance, navy and sky are both blues, but the former is much darker than the latter. Choose another answer!

Try again! The warm colors are red, orange and yellow; the cool ones are blue, green and purple. Each of those groups contains at least one primary and one secondary color. Pick another answer!

That's right! Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors together, and tertiary colors are a mix of a primary and secondary color. Only primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) cannot be created by mixing other colors. Read on for another quiz question.

Applying the Color Wheel to Clothes

  1. 1
    Build an outfit out of a neutral color and a bright color for simple coordination. Neutral colors include black, white, brown, gray, and even olive and navy at times, but they can also include metallics like silver, bronze, and gold. Pick a neutral for the main part of your outfit, then add 1-2 other colors around it.[5]
    • For instance, try a black suit with a pale pink shirt or a silver dress with a bright blue jacket thrown over it.
    • When pairing neutrals like navy and olive with other colors, think about their hues. For instance, olive complements maroons and oranges, but it also does well with blues and golds because they're nearby on the color wheel.
  2. 2
    Try an outfit made of complementary colors for something bright and fun. Pick out 2 complementary colors on the color wheel, and use that to build your outfit. If you choose orange and blue, for instance, you might pair a bright orange shirt with a dark pair of blue jeans.[6]
    • Another good way to use complementary colors to good effect is to pair 1 complementary color with a paler tint of its opposite color. For example, mix a purple dress with a pale yellow shawl.
  3. 3
    Use analogous colors for a pulled-together look. Try picking 2-3 colors that are right next to each other on the wheel and guide your outfit with those. These similar hues will make your outfit seem cohesive. For example, you might pair a bright yellow sundress with a pale orange scarf.[7]
    • Another example of using analogous colors to good effect might be a scarlet red dress with gold jewelry and pink shoes.
    • While you usually should avoid mixing warm and cool colors, you can occasionally break that rule if you find something that looks good together. For instance, with your bright yellow dress, you might find a pale green cardigan that looks smashing with it.[8]
  4. 4
    Choose monochromatic colors for an easy coordinated look. A good place to start with a monochrome look is with the primary colors. Pick a single color to start your look, then choose shades and tints of that color to put together your outfit. For instance, try a navy pantsuit with a pale blue shirt and bright blue pumps.[9]
    • When you're creating a monochrome look, try to stay in the same spoke on the color wheel. That is, if you choose blue, make sure you're picking true blues, not purple-y blues.
  5. 5
    Color block primary colors with neutrals. The primary colors red, yellow and, blue often look great with a solid block of color, such as black pants with a yellow top. Try wearing a bright red shirt with grey leggings or royal blue skirt with a flowing white top, for instance.[10]
    • If you want to go bolder, try pairing more than 1 primary color in an outfit, such as blue jeans, a bright red top, and a yellow purse.
  6. 6
    Mix and match to see what goes well together. Usually, you can tell when 2 colors don't look quite right together by holding them up next to one another. However, you may not be able to guess before you see them together. Pull all the items out of your closet and try mixing and matching different pieces you don't normally put together. You may come up with something that looks awesome together that you never would have worn before.
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Method 2 Quiz

What of the following colors cannot be used as a neutral in an outfit?

Nope! Black is an absolutely classic neutral color, and it goes with just about anything. When you're in doubt about what you can pair a colored piece with, reaching for black is always a safe choice. Try again...

Not quite! When it comes to matching colors, metallics are considered to be neutrals. Silver often looks best with cool colors, but it can easily match a wide variety of them. Click on another answer to find the right one...

Almost! Navy blue isn't the most traditional neutral, but it absolutely can work as one. When you're coordinating an outfit with navy as your neutral, you should be careful about combining it with black, as those colors don't always match well. There’s a better option out there!

Yes! Pale pink is a soft shade, but that's not the same thing as being neutral. A true neutral looks great with basically any other color, but pale pink looks best with the shades right next to it or right across from it on the color wheel. Read on for another quiz question.

Coordinating Paint Colors

  1. 1
    Try starting out with a neutral in your central room. If you begin with a subtle color in the central room, then you can paint bold colors in the nearby rooms without them clashing. Otherwise, you might find your rooms seem to be working against each other rather than creating a cohesive look.[11]
    • Try a soft grey, a cream, or pale tan, for instance.
    • An alternative option is to pick a bold color you like, and put that in the room you want it in. Then move out from there, picking colors that coordinate throughout your house.
  2. 2
    Opt for bold colors off of your main room. Since you went with a neutral color in your main room, you can get a bit crazier as you move outward. However, keep the line of sight in mind. For instance, if you can see from your dining room into your living room (the neutral room) and then into the hallway, you should probably pick coordinating colors for the dining room and hallway.[12]
    • For example, if you choose a periwinkle for your dining room, you might pick a light peach for the hallway, since those are complementary colors.
  3. 3
    Follow the rules of using analogous, complementary, or monochromatic colors. Pick the type of coordination that you like the best and apply it to your color scheme. For instance, if you love blues, then you might try a monochromatic scheme featuring different hues of blue. If you like bright, bold colors, try using complementary colors. For a rainbow effect, opt for analogous colors through your house.[13]
    • For instance, for an analogous scheme, you might paint one room pale yellow, the next one pale peach, and the next one pale pink.
  4. 4
    Pay attention to the line of sight and to rooms next to each other. When picking colors, make sure that you apply these schemes in rooms that you can see through to the next one. Similarly, even if you can't see much of 1 bedroom from the one next to it, you still want to apply a color wheel scheme to help the house feel more cohesive.[14]
    • This is especially true if you have an open concept house.
    • With separate floors, you can use different schemes if you'd like, as the stairway creates a separation.
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Method 3 Quiz

When is it okay to use totally different paint color schemes in the same house?

Right! A staircase creates a natural separation between two color schemes, so if you want to do different things on the upper and lower floors of your house, you can. Just make sure that the staircase itself is a neutral color. Read on for another quiz question.

Not necessarily! While it's true that you shouldn't use different color schemes in adjacent rooms, you also need to keep line of sight in mind. As long as you can see one room from another, those two rooms should be painted in the same general color scheme. Click on another answer to find the right one...

Close! In general, it's best to stick to one color scheme when you're painting the rooms of your house. However, if there's enough separation between them, you can sometimes get away with multiple color schemes in the same house. Click on another answer to find the right one...

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    What color would be too bright with a blue skirt?
    Community Answer
    Bright colors tend to go well with blue. The only problem is how well it suits your complexion.
  • Question
    Would red, pink and white go well together for wedding colors?
    Community Answer
    There are two schools of thought on this. Some would insist that red and pink don't match as red is fiery and ferocious while pink is loving and gentle, suggesting conflicting emotions. But others would say that the connotations given to colors are highly subjective and culturally ordained. Hence, if you like red, pink and white together, you're on the side of nature, who regularly throws such a color combination together in the form of flowers. Ultimately, the choice is up to you and it'd be a good idea to test the hues of each color together to find the matches that you think appear the nicest when placed near each other.
  • Question
    What color shoes go well with a coral dress?
    Community Answer
    Many colors go well with the color coral, but for the most part, the shoe color and the shoe itself should depend on what kind of dress it is. But since you asked for the color, here are some that match well with coral: gold, silver, white, pale orange, perhaps even baby blue if you're daring enough.
  • Question
    Can I wear a scarf and trousers of the same color?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but only if the trousers and scarf are a dark color, like navy or black, otherwise you will look too bright! Any brightly colored clothing items should be smaller and complimented by neutral or dark colors.
  • Question
    What goes well with a black and white striped top?
    Community Answer
    With black and white, you can use almost anything, except other patterns. Stick with solid colors with a patterned top.
  • Question
    Do green, blue, and purple go together?
    Community Answer
    It depends on the shades, but if you go for a blue-ish purple, a dark blue and a bright green (with bright green used to accentuate details) then it should look good. Try not to put the green and the purple directly next to each other, so try to use dark blue as a base.
  • Question
    Do gray and blue match?
    Community Answer
    Absolutely, they do.
  • Question
    Would a yellow shirt go with pink shorts?
    Community Answer
    Generally, yes, a yellow shirt would go with pink shorts so long as both colors have the same tone. For example, pastel yellow would pair well with pastel pink, but a neon yellow shirt would not.
  • Question
    What colours work best with an ash-grey skirt?
    Community Answer
    Grey is a great background color to which you can add any pop of color like purple, yellow, or green. Bright or light colors should look nice.
  • Question
    Does orange complement gray?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it does.
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Unanswered Questions
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    • Limit yourself to 3 colors per outfit, including your neutral colors. This will make sure that you don't go overboard with color.
    • Use accessories to add pops of color to your outfits.


    • Avoid using two colors that are nearly the same but not quite, as that will usually create an unpleasant visual effect.

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    Article SummaryX

    To coordinate your clothing colors, try to mix colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, like red and gold, since complimentary colors come off too strong. You can use red, yellow, and blue to compliment single-color outfits as well, like wearing a purple scarf with an all-black outfit. In general, though, try to pair 1 colored item with 1 neutral one so the colors don’t seem overdone. Keep reading to learn how to wear patterns well!

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    Article Info


    Categories: Color Coordinating Clothes

    In other languages:

    Español: combinar los colores, Italiano: Coordinare i Colori, Русский: сочетать цвета, Português: Combinar Cores de Roupa, Français: coordonner les couleurs, 中文: 搭配衣服颜色, Deutsch: Farben kombinieren, Nederlands: Kleuren in je outfit combineren, Čeština: Jak sladit barvy, العربية: تنسيق الألوان, ไทย: เลือกสีให้เข้ากันในการแต่งตัว

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