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Interior Design vocabulary · Colour & Colour Schemes

Monochromatic

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˌmɒnəkrəʊˈmætɪk/adjectiveCommon term

In interior design, monochromatic means: Using different shades, tints and tones of just one colour, for example a room in several blues from pale sky blue to deep navy.

In Turkish: monokromatik, tek renkli, ton sür ton

How it is used

A monochromatic scheme feels calm and sophisticated, but it needs texture and contrast in tone so that it does not look flat. It is also called monochrome, although in everyday English monochrome often means black and white.

Example sentences

  1. We went for a monochromatic scheme in soft greens, from the walls to the velvet sofa.

  2. Monochromatic rooms need lots of texture, or they look flat.

Common collocations

  • monochromatic scheme
  • monochromatic palette
  • monochromatic look
  • colour schemeThe planned combination of colours used in a room or project, including walls, floors, furniture and fabrics, chosen so that they work together.
  • textureThe way a surface feels, or looks as if it would feel, such as rough, smooth, soft or grainy; in design it adds depth and interest to a room.
  • complementary coloursPairs of colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and orange or red and green, which create strong contrast when used together.
  • undertoneThe subtle colour that sits beneath the main colour of a paint or material, such as the pink, yellow, green or blue hidden in a white or a grey.

More terms: Colour & Colour Schemes

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