Even
on the dullest winter day, colour fills our lives. Look around and
you’ll see a thousand shades of greens and browns, violets,
greys, golds and blues. Colour is also part of our language. Few of
us will dispute that it affects our moods and how we feel -- red with
anger, green with envy, yellow with fear.
For these
reasons, colour is also the decorator’s most powerful tool.
No other design element has the quick impact or dramatic effect of
colour. If you want to add appeal and value to your home, there is
no faster and often cheaper way than by using colour.
Whether
it’s a quick, relatively inexpensive pick-me-up paint job, new
window coverings, complimentary wallpaper borders, new carpets, floors
or other interior/exterior home improvements, colour can transform
any room, cupboard or furniture item.
Before
getting started, consider what you want to achieve. Do you want to
make a room or window look larger or smaller, a ceiling higher or
lower? Do you want the atmosphere to be lively or restful? Businesses,
especially restaurants, often use colours such as bright, warm orange
to enhance appetites. Manufacturers often use red to draw attention
to packaging. Hospitals use restful colours like blue green to soothe
people.
Selecting
colours
Just as colours in clothing move in and out of fashion, so do colours
in interior decoration. The past decade saw a swing back to bright,
dark colours, including very popular greens and reds that reminded
us of rich spices. It’s anyone’s guess what the next trend
will be, but the neutral classics will always remain.
Choosing
colour combinations for your home isn’t that easy. It requires
commitment. Whatever you do, you may have to live with it for a while.
Also, if you have plans to sell your home, you want to consider colours
that will also appeal to prospective buyers. When people view a home,
they like to imagine how their own belongings will look in it. Purple
walls or furnishings in your home may make it difficult.
Colours
also look different in combination with other colours and in different
types of lighting. A red may appear cold under a fluorescent light,
but much warmer in a room with lots of natural light. A deep blue
may look bright and intense in a well-lit area, but cold and gloomy
in a dark room. Beige may seem dull and boring, but add a little yellow,
green or orange and it comes alive.
The amount
of colour also affects how you see it. An all-red interior is too
stimulating for most homes. Red is best used as an accent to add drama
and intrigue. But beware of high-contrast situations. Used in large
areas of white or green, for example, red can also be trying to the
eyes.
Colours affect our emotions and perceptions. Red has been known to
send the heart-rate up. Orange and peach are associated with comfort
and security. Purple, through its association with religion, is often
associated with mourning. Research suggests that blue not only has
a calming affect on people, but may actually lower blood pressure.
It is associated with purity and cleanliness and is at the top of
the popularity chart for most adults. Green is considered the most
peaceful colour.
Some decorating tricks