Without realizing it, we often pick up on color theory, whether in artwork, room design, or furniture patterns. Color theory describes the relationships that colors have with one another.

Think about a color wheel. A color wheel is a representation of these relationships. Like other relationships in our lives, colors have ways that they work together—primary, secondary, tertiary. These relationships help people understand what complements each other, and what doesn’t.

Want to learn more about color? Here’s an informative graphic by Quill.com on the basics of color.