© Dorling Kindersley / Rob Streeter
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Houseplant design principles: colour

Colours evoke emotions, so design your displays according to the mood you want to create

Within nature there are many different colours, shades and tones for you to work with. Colours have emotional properties too: greens are restful and reassuring, whereas reds and oranges suggest warmth and energy.

Cool colours such as white evoke calm and space while warmer shades promote a sense of cosiness. Use colour to set the mood of your space – and don't forget that it can come from both the plants and their pots. 


How do colours work?

Colours in isolation behave differently from colours in combination, and the colour wheel shows how these relationships work. In between the primary colours of red, blue and yellow lie all the shades they make in combination (so, for example, green sits between blue and yellow). Towards the centre are progressively lighter tints, while as the circle progresses outwards, the shades get darker.


The colour wheel shows all colours along with hues, tints, tones and shades
Adjacent colours work in harmony as they share the same range of hues and tones
Opposing colours on the wheel can create contrast and vibrancy

Top tip

Adding white to a colour makes a tint; adding black makes a shade. Adding grey (both black and white) produces a tone. 


Harmony of colour

© Dorling Kindersley / Rob Streeter
Harmonious colours evoke calm
Restricting your palette to different shades of the same colour creates a sense of order and control. Limiting an arrangement to such a narrow section of the colour wheel can also provide and air of calm and tranquility. Mixing in colours that lie adjacent on the colour wheel, such as soft blues or gentle yellows, changes the rhythm but doesn't unbalance the overall equilibrium. The colours still harmonise and blend with each other, maintaining the simplicity. 

Contrast of colour

© Dorling Kindersley / Rob Streeter
Contrasting colours add zing and energy to displays
Using colours from oposite sides of the colour wheel, such as red and green or yellow and purple, instantly adds energy to a display. For a more subtle effect, try working with three colours evenly spaced around the colour wheel (green, orange and purple, for instance); while still contrasting, the palette is not as high-energy as a two-colour, directly-opposing contrast would be.

Colour is a powerful tool for influencing the senses and creating a particular atmosphere or mood
This article is adapted from the RHS Practical Houseplant Book.
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