Colour Coordination for Visual Merchandising

Element of visual merchandising

Color contributes significantly to people’s impression of a display, as well as a store’s overall appearance. Color in a display can catch the eye and make people pause and look. The color combinations of the ceiling, walls, floor covering and the overall decor can affect the atmosphere of a store. Changing the color scheme can change people’s attitudes and perceptions of a store, and can increase (or decrease) business. Color can change the shape and add interest to a dull room, and can direct attention toward a specific object or away from problem areas. People tend to respond a certain way to different colors; these responses are outlined in the chart on the following page.

Warm colors (red, yellow, orange and colors with red or yellow hues such as yellow-green, beige, peach, brown and orange-red) are stimulating and cheery. They make a room feel warm and intimate. Warm colors make a room seem smaller while making objects in the room appear larger. A warm color on the end walls of a long narrow room will appear to shorten the room. 

Blue, green, violet and colors containing blue, such as blue-green and violet-blue, are cool colors. These help create a relaxing atmosphere. Rooms decorated primarily in cool colors tend to appear larger and more spacious. Cool colors are especially pleasing in smaller rooms. A color wheel is a handy tool to use in developing a color scheme for a store. 



There are no absolute rules for choosing and combining colors, only flexible guidelines. Imagination and experimentation will find color schemes that lend to the atmosphere and attract customers. The type of merchandise featured, such as hardware, jewelry, clothing, etc., will have an effect on the type of color schemes that can be used and the extent to which they can be used. Common color schemes include:

Monochromatic Scheme- A single color on the color wheel is used with three to five tints and shades of that single true color in this scheme. Several pieces of blue merchandise each consisting of a different value ranging from baby blue to navy blue, is an example of a monochromatic color scheme.

Analogous Scheme- Any three or four consecutive colors on a color wheel creates an analogous scheme. This can be used to create a soft and subtle decor and warm or cool effect. This color scheme needs to be used with caution so as not to end up with an overstimulating nor depressing atmosphere. Examples of analogous schemes could be yellow, yellow-green, green and blue-green, or blue, bluegreen and green.

Triadic Scheme- Every fourth color on the color wheel for a total of three colors make a triadic color scheme. This is a good combination of colors that can create the muted, traditional look as well as more vibrant color characteristics of modern color schemes. An example could be red, blue and yellow.

Complementary Scheme- A complementary color scheme is represented by two colors that are exactly opposite one another on the color wheel, such as green and red or yellow and purple. It can result in a very pleasing combination of warm and cool colors. Avoid using opposite colors in equal amounts of light and dark combination.





Split Complementary Scheme- Three colors forming a Y on the color wheel consists of  a base color and one color on each side of the base color’s complement (opposite color). It is a popular color scheme to create interest and richness. Examples are yellow, blueviolet and red-violet, or blue, yellow-orange and redorange.

Double Complementary Scheme- Four colors, consisting of any two sets of complementary colors create a double complementary scheme. Be careful not to create a display that is too busy when using this color scheme. An example of this color scheme would be yellow and purple, as well as red-orange and blue-green.

Tone on Tone Scheme- Two colors that are next to one another on the color wheel with very little space between them, make up a tone on tone scheme. Generally no change in either intensity, such as degree of brightness, or in tints or shades is used in a tone on tone scheme. A display of blue and blue-violet silk flowers is an example of this scheme.