Couch Slip Covers

Choosing the right color for couch slip covers can seem to work magic on a couch and the room it's in. How a person reacts to color varies, but there are certain factors that are consistent. Your personal color preferences will determine your final choice, but a background in the science of color will help you choose the couch slip covers that are right for you.

Color Temperature
Colors are considered either warm or cool. The warm colors have red in them while the cool colors are in the blue part of the spectrum. Choosing warm color couch slip covers will give a sense of informality and make the couch seem closer than it actually is. The cool blue colors have the opposite effect and instill a more formal feel. They also make the couch or other object appear more distant. This distance perception is helpful if you need to make a room seem larger or smaller than it really is.

Color Schemes
Just like choosing the notes for a song, you can't just mix any colors together to get a harmonious result. You want to establish a color scheme so your couch slip covers will fit in with your room decor. One example is a monotone color scheme. This uses the same background color throughout your house with different colored highlights in each room. You could also maintain color continuity by reversing the color combinations. This means one room's background color is the next room's accent color and the first room's accent color is the other room's background.

Combining Colors with a Color Wheel
Using a color wheel can help you decide what color combinations are most appealing. The primary colors of red, yellow and blue provide the basis for all other colors. In between the primary colors are the secondary colors of orange, green and violet. Similarly, additional color levels can be created by combining colors which are next to each other on the color wheel.

These colors between other colors are called analogous, and provide a way to plan which color combinations work well. If a room had predominately green colors, an analogous couch slip cover with either yellow or blue would blend in.

Colors which are opposite each other on the color wheel, such as blue and orange, are called complimentary. When using a complimentary color scheme, it's usually best to have one color as the dominant color and the other to provide the opposing accents.

Color Intensity
Normally, the larger the surface, the more muted the color should be. You probably wouldn't want a solid bright red couch slip cover, but the same color cover on an ottoman or pillow could provide just the right accent. Or the same red color could work for a couch if it was part of a pattern with other darker colors.

Your awareness of the effects of color and color combinations will make it easier to find couch slip covers that suit both the couch and you.