Elevated Simplicity with Tone-on-Tone Interior Design

Colour in home interior design affects a lot more than the aesthetics of a home. It sets the tone, determines the ease of room maintenance and colour can even impact your psychology. These are some of the reasons why colour ranks among the primary interior design elements that professional interior designers have to think carefully about.

Choosing the right tone or colour scheme can easily tie an entire home décor concept together.

Traditionally, colour selection involves an entire palette that consists of either complementary or contrasting colours.

But how about an execution that’s based on different shades of the same colour?

This type of project is known as tone-on-tone interior design. When done correctly, it can really elevate the space and make it appear a lot more sophisticated. Producing a balanced tone-on-tone concept, however, requires an eye for detail and a good aesthetic sense.

It’s All About Creating Layers

You may worry that a tone-on-tone project is going to result in a flat home décor. This isn’t the case if you know what you’re doing.

The goal of tone-on-tone decorating is to create layers. You can achieve this outcome in a number of ways. For a start, the use of different shades and warmths of the same tone can add depth to the space, even if you keep things monochromatic.

It’s also a good idea to work with texture and make that the shining star of your project. Pastels, metallic, rough and smooth elements will stand out even more when colour isn’t as prominent as it tends to be in a typical interior design project.

Just because you’re not relying on numerous colours doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a boring and simplistic home. On the contrary. Tone-on-tone design can really give you outstanding results. The subtle differences and points of interest aren’t going to be blaringly obvious. As a result, tone-on-tone decors can be visually intriguing for a longer period of time, revealing their secrets slowly and elegantly.

A Few Tips to Help You Master Tone-on-Tone Design

Just like other techniques, tone-on-tone design has a few basic rules that will produce a deep and satisfying outcome.

Start with the selection of the foundation colour that fits into the interior design style that you have decided to go for. There are some versatile, universal classics like eggplant, beige, grey. With the selection of the right tone variations, you can enjoy lots of richness and classiness at the same time with such tones. Neutrals and classics like dark blue are always a safe bet. They’re especially good if you’re seeking a style with timeless appeal like the minimalist interior design or Scandinavian interior design.

For a more contemporary take on tone-on-tone interior design, choose something a bit more unusual. Orange, copper tones, green (so many choices to explore here!) and even all –pink interiors will never go unnoticed. While styling such colours is more challenging than working with classics, the outcomes can be really breath-taking.

Once you’ve picked a colour scheme that corresponds to your character and vision, start implementing the tone-on-tone concept.

Tone-on-tone interiors don’t need to be necessarily 100 per cent monochromatic. You can pair some elements with black and white for a bit of contrast. The tone variations themselves can be as many as you feel comfortable with. Just make sure that they all belong to the same family and look harmonious adjacent to each other.

As a general rule of thumb, two or three shades look a bit more modest and classic. If you want a bolder, much more noticeable execution opt for a bigger number of variations and start layering those.

You’re now ready to start thinking about texture and finishes.

This is the most exciting aspect of working with tone-on-tone interior designs. You have lots of freedom to bring as many textures and finishes as you feel comfortable with together. Don’t shy away from bold and daring choices that you wouldn’t pick otherwise. Tone-on-tone homes allow for lots more experimentation and even a bit of extravagance.

You can always start with one statement piece and pick complementary elements that feature either similar or completely different textures and finishes. Matte and metallic pieces, for example, will give your home some dynamic appeal. The same applies to shaggy carpet and satin throw pillows. And these are just two examples – there’s a whole lot more to work with.

Apart from working with colour, you’ll also need to focus on other design elements. Thinking about furniture styles, materials and art will be important on top of the colour layering you’ll be doing.  Materials can be mixed and so can furniture styles for a more eclectic look. Just make sure that everything works together in the end. Otherwise, the result is going to be a messy hodgepodge that just seems to be thrown into the room without thought or consideration.

When it’s right, tone-on-tone interior design is really impressive. And there’s one simple way to make sure it’s right.

Contact Home Guide if you’d like to like to go with tone-on-tone colours or other unconventional home interior designer ideas. We’ll have fun together and the end result is going to surpass your expectations. Home Guide is a home renovation contractor that is HDB-Licensed and has a large portfolio of creating amazing homes in a variety of styles . For a better idea of what we’re capable of accomplishing, please check our residential renovation portfolio.