New shades and shade pairs from the color circle
These instructions are intended for those of you who are interested in mixing your own, unique shades. Read here how to mix your own shades of paint and how you can use the Color Circle to help you. See a few useful videos on the subject at the end of the instructions.
About using the color wheel
The color wheel has 12 segments - parts, each of which represents one color. The disc shows how the colors relate to each other, whether they are next to each other or diametrically opposite.
The two-sided color wheel contains three primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, and three secondary colors, green, orange, and violet (when two primary colors are mixed together, they form a secondary color).
The color wheel also has six tertiary colors, which are a mixture of primary and secondary colors. These are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet.
Warm colors - reds, yellows and pinks - are on the other side. Cooler shades - blues, greens and purples - are on the opposite side of the circle.
Choose a color, for example green - then turn the inner wheel of the color wheel to see what it looks like when you add red to the green you chose. Turn more and you can see how the green looks when you add yellow etc.
The color circle is double-sided
Turn the color wheel and look at the color green. Place the inner disc of the circle aligned with the green, and you will see three shades of green in the inner disc view: Shade, Tone and Tint - marked.
Shade: your chosen color + white
Tone: your chosen color + gray
Shade: the color of your choice + black
Our Frenchic customers have skillfully mixed their own, unique shades, which you can find in the FB group with the search term COLOR RECIPE. Join the group here!
How do you use the color wheel to create functional color combinations for home decoration?
Using the color wheel to build a color scheme also requires an understanding of different types of color schemes in terms of home decoration ideas. Look at shades using the color wheel, together with color theory, without forgetting your own preferences.
The color circle is only your helper, but trust your own opinion and use shades that you like. However, the color circle can be of great practical use, whether you are planning large ensembles or thinking about making one beautiful shade mix. Mixing colors is fun and by mixing the shades yourself, you can find completely unique and personal shades for your use!
A hard-working shade mixer and painter always keeps white and black paint on his shelf, because with them you can mix countless shade combinations that nevertheless fit together beautifully - a good tip for renovation and interior painters!
Monochrome color schemes
Monochromatic color schemes create a harmonious, calm atmosphere, which is currently the top trend in interior painting. Right now it is trendy to paint the ceiling and moldings in the same or almost the same shade in addition to the walls.
You can choose one main color, for example blue, and use different degrees of blue on the surfaces and in the interior, from very light, to bright, green-blue and inky blue, depending on the room and the desired atmosphere.
Contrasting colors for the brave
A contrasting color scheme uses two colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. What would orange and blue look like together, for example – you can also use this gimmick on a small scale – for example: paint a wall blue and use an orange lamp in the interior in front of a blue wall. Bold contrasting colors work well, for example, in retro-style interior design. Even modern interior design can withstand contrasting colors as an effect. Contrasting colors are very pleasing to the human eye.
Which colors go well together in the interior?
If you follow the color wheel, you'll find a wide range of shade options to choose from. Some of these combinations are already familiar to you, while others you may not have come across before. Here are some successful combinations to consider:
Yellow and Green - Hot as Mustard and Constance Moss
Green and off-white - Green With Envy and Parchment
Yellow and Blue - Daffs and Forget Me Never
Yellow and Orange - Oopsy Daisy and McFee
Blue and Red - Hornblower and Rubina
Blue and Green - Ol' Blue Eyes and Wise Old Sage
Blue and Orange - Ol'Blue Eyes and Earthy
Blue and Pink Kiss Me Sloely and Dusky Blush
Green and pink Matcha and Poppet
Play with shades and shades' intensities
A good tip is to use different saturation levels of the color.
We recommend using a lighter shade of one color and a darker shade of the other.
For example: Green and pink.
Use darker green and light pink together - Guaranteed working pair! Raspberry red and fuchsia are also suitable as spices for this combination. Finish the space with a light blue floor. Do you notice that the guarantee-safe combination is like straight from nature!
Green is now on the surface in interior design. You can naturally combine all shades of nature with green: blue, brown, terracotta, beige and black - as well as their varying degrees. Think of the sky – the sea and the land. With these shades, you can create a cozy and natural, peaceful background for the rest of the interior of the home. You can be bold in the shades of nature – try water tones, deep forest green and fresh sky blue.
Combine green with a soft cream shade instead of white if you want soft tones.
What to pair with gray?
Gray is still popular in interior design, you can choose pairs for gray from, for example, vibrant terracotta, blues and various reds. Spicy shades of brown and yellow also go well with gray.
Now that you know a little more about how to use the double-sided color wheel and how to mix colors, you're sure to be inspired to create your own perfect palettes! You can easily get directly to the shades here.
You can get your own color circle here.
How to mix paint & make unique colors
Although we also have dozens of options in ready-made shades, sometimes the available colors are not exactly what you are looking for. Or maybe you just want to create something truly unique and your own.
It is not a problem. Of course, it is possible to mix your own paint shades and create a unique and personal look with your own shade. Read on as we cover best practices for mixing paint and a few things to consider when creating the perfect shades...
How to mix paints and create something new!
Before you start making the most amazing mixes, it's important to know the best practices for mixing your own paint shades.
Before you start making the most amazing mixes, it's important to know the best practices for mixing your own paint shades.
Experimenting with relationships
At first you can try a little with paper, use thick paper or a paper plate - add small amounts of each color and mix well. Try to keep in mind the rough proportions of each color you use so you can mix a larger amount. You can write down the ratios on a paper plate with a pen.
Top tip - you should wait until the trial paint has dried to check that the color is the one you want.
If you want a larger amount, always make sure you mix very thoroughly. Again, you may have to experiment a bit to get your test spot to match. As above, you should check the correctness of your shade mix when dry.
Mixing the right amount
If you keep accurate records of the amount of each color used (for example, by using measuring jugs or even syringes), you can produce a very similar color.
However, it is quite unlikely that you will get a 100% identical color to the original mixture. Remember that mixing your own color is not a 100% exact science. Paint colors made by professionals are manufactured under carefully regulated conditions and processes to ensure they are consistent. Replicating this at home is almost impossible.
For this reason, it is good to mix enough at once for each planned project.
Combining different Frenchic sets
If you want to mix paints from different Frenchic series, it will work, as long as you take other things into account. You reduce the special properties of each paint by adding paint from different series together.
For example, if you add our wall paint to Al Fresco paint to create a color from leftover paint, it would be best to use the mix for indoor projects only, as Al Fresco's weather resistance is reduced.
You also get a mix of gloss levels of mixed paints. For example, if you mix a matte paint with a glossier paint, the result will be something in between.
Looking for ideas on what paint to mix?
There are no hard and fast rules about what colors go together. It's simply a matter of personal preference.
Part of the fun is that you never know exactly what's coming when you mix colors.
Come and see what kind of mixes our customers have already made in our Facebook group - search the group with the word COLOR RECIPE and you will get several popular mixes and their instructions.
In the following, we go through some different aspects and our own paint mixing tests
Be creative with color combinations
Most people know the basics of color combinations. For example, red and yellow make orange, while yellow and blue make green. But you don't just mix simple, basic colors. You can choose from countless colors, all of which have their own characteristics and nuances.
For example, if you want to create the perfect shade of purple, red and blue are key ingredients. How about combining a vibrant pink color like Raspberry Punch with the rich purple blue of Kiss Me Sloely?
The result is a deep purple that is full of character... Check out this amazing video by Fifi Parsons of Fifi's Fancy Furniture and see for yourself...
Open new colors with white
Adding white makes the color lighter, but at the same time maintains the tonal properties of the color. This is an excellent option for an independent color. Alternatively, you can create two complementary colors that work well together on site.
For example, you can paint the exterior of your furniture with the original color (or mix) and then add white to the paint to create a softer version of that color. Use this mixture on the inside of drawer or cabinet doors. It tones beautifully with the main colors and at the same time brings a little variety.
This is covered in the videos above as you can add white to an existing mix of two colors. Alternatively, you can simply add white to one color - like the Dive In below! and Dazzle Me! - in combination:
Add drama with black
Last but not least, you can make a color a darker shade without affecting its tones by adding black. Like white, this can be used for complementary colors - one plain and one slightly darker. Or just create a single color with an atmospheric base color.
Regarding black, it is important to remember that it is much more dominant than most colors. So you can start with even the smallest amount and see how it affects the color.
If you love really dark colors but feel like straight black isn't for you, you can create great colors by using mostly black and adding a strong jewel color like Victory Lane or Steel Teal.
Find the perfect color
If you're looking for colors that are a little out of the ordinary, Frenchic has dozens of gorgeous shades to choose from. Each of our colors offers something a little different, with its own character and tonal characteristics. From bold reds, blues and greens to neutral tones full of personality.
If you decide to mix Frenchic paints yourself, we'd love to see how you get on. Post on Instagram or join the Frenchic fan forum on Facebook to share your creations and get inspired by other painting enthusiasts - tag us!
