On more than one occasion someone points out that the rooms I build for the Inspiration Corner articles have great color schemes, and it always makes me smile! On the last article I wrote, our reader Samber asked if I could “make a post about matching colors and different objects!”, so I decided to deliver!
So here’s a little something I put together with a little bit of what I have learned and a lot of my personal insight. I have never really considered myself a true builder in The Sims, but having these things in mind certainly makes decorating easier, faster and I believe better. Without any more delays, here are some of my tips for those who want to match colors and different objects in The Sims 4.
Notice how one color has different shades
This certainly has happened to you before: You have a green couch and you want a green rug to go with it, but then found out there were two types of green and they actually looked like different colors. Well, each shade should be seen as a total different color.
You can use this to your advantage though. We know that just like there’s a light blue and dark blue, a darker shade of yellow may look more like an opaque orange than other shades from the same color. Sometimes purple can be almost blue in color, or beige can be almost brown in color depending on the shade.
So the first thing I have in mind when dealing with colors to see how some shades of one color will match the different shades of the other. I’m sure you can spot the different colors in the following pictures, but here’s a question: Do these differences really matter or do they convey a more monochromatic feel when they’re all together?
Observe how you can group different colors
Roughly speaking, you can group colors in three different categories so you can organize them easily:
Cool colors: Blue, green, purple and all shades that are darker, more opaque or more “grayish”.
Warm colors: Red, orange, yellow and shades that are bright and full of life.
Neutral colors: White, black and gray.
This is helpful if you want to build a room or entire lot under one of those color categories, but we’ll come back to this concept soon.
Understand how colors behave
Ok, I saw this in college over a decade ago (#OMGBenjiIsOldAsHeck), so I will do my best to A) explain it well and B) explain it in a simple way.
Every color has what we call an “opposite” color in the spectrum. That means that when they are paired together, one will make the other really pop, and that is what sometimes makes them “complementary colors”. Here’s the diagram:
This means that if you want to make cyan really come alive, you could pair it up with red. But that could have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for, because it will seem like both of them are “fighting” for your attention. So looking at the diagram you’ll also see what colors go beside cyan (blue and green) in a more harmonic way.
I built these next three rooms as examples of how using these colors together can be sort of aggressive (yes, your eyes will hurt, but it’s all for science).
Use colors “freely within boundaries”
Now that we know how to look for shades instead of solid colors, how to group them, and how they behave, we can use them how we like. In other words, now that you know the rules you can play the game however you want.
It really is a matter of finding the right balance, whether that means creating harmony between colors or distributing them in the given space. You’ll find that neutral colors are key in framing other colors and help you make the most out of your color combos.
Is a room too bright? Try adding cooler and darker shades for balance. Does a room feel too cold? How about adding warmer colors? It’s all about finding a balance and adding new shades.
Let your personal taste be the guide
Honestly, all these tips are worthless unless you actually like what’s in front of you. The best use you’ll make of different colors is what pleases you most. This is due to the fact that this is The Sims, and you’re supposed to have fun when creating freely. I like to believe that when I am content with a build, my sims will be too!
Here are three of my favorite themed rooms. Now that you know how I mix and match my colors and items, maybe you can look at these screenshots and figure out what I was thinking when I built them….and since you’re in my head, can you please help me remember where I put my keys?
