After you have your color wheel and begin choosing some of your favorite colors, there are other color related terms and theories that you should consider before making the final decision. What follows is a list of terms, what they mean and how they might affect the color schemes you choose for your home.

Hue- “The attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as red, yellow, green, blue, or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors,” as stated by Merriam and Webster. When thinking in terms of decorating or art, the hue of a color refers to either the yellowness or blueness of that color. So a deep hue of blue or yellow will mean that a color has greater amounts of pure blue or yellow in it. And using hues of a color in a room would mean that you are going to use various intensities of that color.

Tint- A color tint refers to a color that has been mixed with white. So you could use orange as the primary color for a room and then various lighter tints to soften the overall effect. Tinting a stronger color will give you a great amount of versatility with just one color.

Shade- This term refers to a color mixed with black. So just like tinting, you could use one main color and then various shades of the color to create a very unified and powerful look.

Tone- Colors that are mixed with grey. Mixing grey with your colors can help to create a balanced and subtle look that may well be desired for larger wall areas.

Related Colors- Neighboring colors on the color wheel: purple and red or green and blue.

Complimentary Colors- Colors that are across from each other on a color wheel: orange and blue, purple and yellow.

Neutral Colors- These are good base colors and consist of the whites, creams and beiges, grays and blacks. Essentially they are the non-color colors.

Warm Colors- This is a very popular term in the decorating world and refers to the mood conveyed by certain colors. Some warm colors include red, orange, yellow and brown. Warm colors are set to induce feelings of coziness, comfort, warmth and sometimes energy.

Cold Colors- These are another set of mood inducing colors that include blues and greens. Cool colors are said to have a calming effect on a room.