Your First Home
Lighten Up, Brighten Up with Color
Copyright Deborah Marks 2004
Colors influence us and how we feel. They evoke feelings of
contentment and well-being. They even may make us feel uneasy.
Studies have shown that red in a restaurant makes us feel
relaxed, wanting to stay longer in the welcoming environment.
Orange, as used in fast-food restaurants, does the opposite: we
want to leave as quickly as possible. A greenish yellow may
cause us to feel unwell.
We are affected by the color in itself and also by its
intensity. A room in which the ceiling and walls are painted
light gray, for example, is open, airy, and inviting. On the
other hand, a room in dark gray can be oppressive and gloomy.
We respond individually to color as well---some we like; some we
don't. These preferences are influenced by the country or region
in which we grew up or in which we live, by our social
background, and even by our gender. For example, women tend to
favor purple more than men do.
We want color; we need color; we are affected by color. How then
do we go about selecting and combining colors for a Contemporary
Light environment so as to please our senses and well-being and,
at the same time, create an environment of aesthetic beauty?
Three basic color schemes work well with a Contemporary Light
environment. They are monochromatic (tone-in-tone), contrast,
and three colors.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic means that a room is painted and furnished in one
color, using varying intensities. A monochromatic interior tends
to calm us since there are not multiple colors competing for our
visual attention. In order to make a monochromatic room
interesting as well as to add depth, woods or rattan, multiple
textured fabrics, and even glass and chrome can be used.
Frequently used colors for such settings are brown tones and
whites. Rooms, and even whole interiors, in shades of brown are
popular today.
|
For example, the floors can be finished with a beige
carpet or done in hardwood with a beige area rug, with or
without a pattern. The sofas and armchairs can be in fabric
or leather of a beige/brown/taupe or caramel tone and the
walls off-white or beige. |
_sm.jpg) |
Using wenge wood would lend vibrancy to the setting; using a
maple or beech wood would be more soothing.
 |
Monochromatic white rooms need extra care. If you like
white, and you also have to accommodate young children, use
white in your bedroom or in the kitchen and bath. If you
want to have a living room in white, use slipcovers and
leather on the upholstered pieces. |
Besides using varying textures in the materials, add plants or
framed pictures for interest. White provides a wonderful
background for seasonal decorating. Just imagine Christmas
decorations in an all-white interior! Contrary to popular
opinion, a room in white is not boring or sterile! There are
many shades of white; just spend some time in such a room, and
you will see a wonderful "play of colors."
Contrast
Create contrast by using two colors. When one color is more
dominant, the room usually will be very striking and bold. When
the contrast is created by using two colors of similar
intensity, the room tends to be more relaxing.
A classic contrast is black and white. Black was used quite
extensively in the 1980s and still makes for a contemporary
look today. An example would be a room with hardwood flooring,
white or off-white walls, sheer white curtains, and upholstered
pieces in white and black. To make the room come alive, add a
full color like red in pillows, throws, or other accessories.
|
Another example of a bold contrast is white with red. The
picture illustrates the effectiveness of this contrast. The
carpet, walls, and sheers are in white. Red has been added
through the lamp and colors in the painting. |
 |
A favorite contrast combination is white with blue. If the blue
is more intense, the result is more invigorating. Light blue
used with white can be very comforting and pleasing in a bedroom
setting. A full treatment might include white flooring, blue and
white striped wallpaper, a pastel blue tone in an upholstered
chair, a white bedspread on the bed, and white sheers at the
window moving gently in a summer breeze. The morning light
flowing into such a room adds to its sheer beauty.
Just as blue can be combined with white, so can yellow, mango,
seafoam, or turquoise. Using pastel tones creates tranquility in
a room; using more intense colors adds more vibrancy.
Not as common but also appealing is the combination of brown
tones with blue. Both colors in intense varying shades create a
bold statement. The effect of beige and light blue is softer but
just as interesting. This holds true for other two-color
combinations: beige with red, orange with yellow, yellow with
blue, and blue with green.
Three Colors
Combining three colors---or perhaps even four---takes more skill
but can be done. Colors with more intensity can create a playful
and cheerful environment. More subdued colors create an elegant
setting. For example, combine red, yellow, and green to create a
refreshing look.
 |
As in the picture, each color is repeated in several
elements in the room. The large area of red in the painting
is seen again in the fabric of the pillows and even the book
on the cocktail table. The green of the upholstered chair is
reinforced in the painting and again in the greenery in the
vase. |
The yellow of the upholstered chair is in the painting and the
bananas---until they are eaten, of course! An area rug using one
of the colors, with perhaps a sprinkling of a second color, can
unite the theme.
The living room, which was highlighted and pictured in my
introductory column, used the primary colors red, blue, and
yellow, in a white-walled room. Each color was featured in
furniture and accessories. Don't be afraid to use the primary
colors. They're not exclusively for children's rooms! They have
been used historically with great success and can be used today
in contemporary settings as well.
Light grays, light purple, and red bring elegance and warmth to
a living room or bedroom. The red could be used in accessories
in a more saturated tone to make the interior come alive. Just
as a restaurant in red makes us relax and want to stay, so would
a room in this three-color combination.
Careful consideration is required when you use three or more
colors. The effect will be totally different if the colors are
of equal intensity and are evenly distributed within the room,
or if one of the colors is clearly more dominant in its tone and
its presence in the room.
Before you start with one room, it is important to consider the
color scheme throughout the house. The chosen colors need to be
repeated in varying combinations and tones to create a feeling
of unity. An example using three colors for the complete house
would be to do the living room, the more formal room, in a
monochromatic scheme; the family room and children's room in a
three-color scheme with more saturated colors; and the master
bedroom in a contrasting or monochromatic light-colored scheme.
Once you have decided on the color or colors for a room and how
they will be distributed among the different elements, be sure
to try out fabrics, leathers, and woods with swatches, cuttings,
or samples before purchasing furniture and floor coverings. It's
important to see the color in the room and observe it at
different times of the day. Colors in the showroom under store
lighting will look very different than they do in your home.
Take into account that the natural light flowing into a room
affects the color in that area. Rooms facing the north have less
light than the ones to the south. The light they do receive is
of a more bluish nature; the rooms to the south receive a light
which is more yellow to almost white. Depending on the number
and size of the windows, the height of the ceilings, whether
there are eaves or not, and whether skylights are present, some
rooms will receive more light exposure than others.
If the room faces the south and has many windows, you may want
to add sheers to filter out some of the light so that it doesn't
wash out the colors in the room. If the room faces north, you
may want to add more cheerful colors, as there will be less
light----especially in the wintertime.
Artificial lighting in the home renders colors differently.
Incandescent lighting will lend more richness and warmth to the
colors. Halogen lighting makes the colors more true.
In Contemporary Light settings, the background walls, ceilings,
and floors usually are kept light so as to provide a neutral
backdrop for other colors in the room and also to give the
impression of spaciousness. The number of colors used in a room
or through the house must be limited. Rooms in Contemporary
Light settings are not busy, over-furnished, or filled with many
items of color. Whimsical or floral patterns generally are not
used, or are used sparingly.
Color in a home is so important! It's the element in interior
design which makes your home come alive and also reflects your
individual personality. Choose and combine your colors
carefully, experiment, and have fun!
Picture 4 courtesy of Schöner Wohnen Magazine
Read More Articles
Resources
Marks Interiors
|
