The Color Wheel shows how colors are related. Red, yellow and blue are primary colors. Orange, green and purple are secondary colors made by combining two primary colors. All colors are made from some combination of white, black and primary colors. Related colors are those next to one another on the color wheel.
Designers often build color schemes around two or three related colors.
Complementary colors are located opposite each other on the color wheel. Blue, for example, is the complement of orange. Complementary colors enhance each other in decorating schemes. Neutral colors are shades of white, gray or beige. Most neutrals are tinted slightly with a warm or cool color.