Achromatic, Analogous and Monochromatic Color Schemes for Decorating

Check out how to decorate your home using achromatic color, analogous color and monochromatic color schemes!

I’m sharing another part of my informative color theory series today. I have examples of achromatic, analogous and monochromatic color schemes.

You definitely don’t have to decorate like this but if you are curious as to what colors go together, this is a foolproof way to do it.

To give you an overall of the color harmony groups again, I’ll list them here. Click my post on color theory to read more about it.

Color Harmony Groups

Achromatic – colorless scheme (no hue) using black, white and grey only

Accented Achromatic – an accent color added to an achromatic color scheme

Analogous – using 2-4 colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel (yellow-orange / yellow / yellow-green)

Accented Analogous – using analogous color scheme and adding the complimentary color to the central color (yellow / yellow-green / green / violet)

Clash – one color and another that is directly to the left or right of its compliment (green / red-violet)

Complementary – using 2 colors that sit directly opposite each other (red / green)

Split Complementary – using any color along with the color either side of its complement (blue / yellow-orange / red – orange)

Double Split Complementary – using a combination of 4 color that contain 2 sets of complements (blue / green / red / orange)

Monochromatic – using a tint, tone or shade of just one color (1 color)

Tetrad -using a combination of 4 colours that are equally spaced on the color wheel (green / blue / yellow / red)

Triadic– using any 3 colors that are equally spaced from each other on the color wheel (green / violet / orange)

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Click to buy your own inexpensive artist’s color wheel here.

After doing a post on color theory and another one specifically post on complementary colors let’s carry on with our color series and learn about achromatic, analogous and monochromatic harmony groups or color schemes.

The colors can be a different shade, tone or tint. You don’t have to deal with heavily saturated colors. Pastels work just the same way!

Achromatic

Achromatic literally means without color. There is little or no color saturation so all you have is black, white and grey.

Here are two examples of achromatic color scheme.

via Little White House Co

via Coco Alpine Design

Accented Achromatic

Accented achromatic is exactly that, one accent color added to an achromatic color scheme.

This example below shows pink added.

via @oh.eight.oh.nine

Analogous

Analogous colors are any 2 to 4 colors which are side by side on the color wheel.

via House & Garden (Designer Audrey Carden)

via Wallpaper Direct

Monochromatic

A monochromatic color scheme is based on tint, tone or shade of just one color.

via House Beautiful

via Minnie and Me Interiors (Photographed by @everyday.muse)

via Jenna Sue Design

and my master bedroom!

I hope this has given you insight to the world of color theory and how you can decorate your homes in achromatic, analogous and monochromatic color schemes.

Be sure to see the rest of my color theory series below!

Click in case you missed:

How to Use a Color Wheel for Decorating

How to Decorate with Complementary Colors

Decorating with Split Complementary, Tetrad, Triadic and Clash Color Schemes