Are there any good references for colors that go together nicely when creating user controls?

Question

This may be more of a preference thing but, since I am not a very experienced UX designer I wanted to get some input to see if there was any science I can learn about the subject.

I'd like to know if there are any generally popular references on the subject of colors when creating usercontrols, widgets, etc. For example, say I am trying to create grids that show data, the general theme of the application maybe to go with light skyblue colors for backgrounds and grey colors for disabled cells, what color should I make the cell borders?

I could make the borders black and they would be visible but is that the most visually appealing color to use? So, I was wondering if experienced UX people knew of any good references which would provide general rule of thumbs when mixing and matching colors in these cases.

Sorry if this is to simple or a dumb question, I already tried to Google references but I am more than likely searching for the incorrect topic.

Answer 1

When it comes to colors you typically are going to want to stick to 3 colors (triadic color scheme) on your site overall as a rule of thumb, when it comes to choosing the colors there are many sites which have been created to assist with the styling and help to make the scheme look as good as possible. Adobe Kuler, Color Scheme Designer both of these sites I use often when I am having trouble finding a final color for my site that compliments or works well with the rest of the scheme.

From my own personal understanding of your light blue/grey color scheme thus far I would personally say that a dark blue could add a nice effect and depth to your site. Hope the links help, and good luck!