Color Your World
Choose the hues that make your design shine
By Julie Edwards
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| Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore |
Color is one of the main elements to consider when putting together your design. It brings visual interest, excitement and life to a space, and can be added with furniture, accessories, artwork or paint.
When using color, many designers say it's best to be fearless and go with your gut -- try not to overthink it. Take a chance with color; you can always repaint later if you change your mind.When selecting a color scheme, it's important to identify the psychology of color (how it makes us feel), as well as your undertone preference. The undertone is the underlying shade of a particular color that makes it suitable to your tastes. If you have invested in quality furnishings, paint and accessories, and something is still missing, consider that the undertone might be wrong.
Since any color can have warm or cool undertones, it's important to identify color likes and dislikes. The color wheel specifically identifies warm and cool colors; however, a paint fan (you can pick one up at the paint store) shows all colors in warm and cool undertones. Even though blue is traditionally a cool color, it can have warm or cool undertones. Do you prefer a blue-violet or a blue-green? This is where the color wheel and color fan can come in handy.
Remember that creating a color scheme doesn't apply to the walls alone. You can create a stunning color story using a neutral background and bringing in additional colors through accessories, artwork and fabrics.
Here are some things to remember when using color in your design scheme:
Be consistent. You can use different shades of the same colors throughout your interiors without it being too redundant. Various shades of similar colors can add depth, energy and life.
Experiment with different paint finishes on walls and architectural detailing. Using one finish on the walls and another finish on the trim work can add wonderful dimension.
Develop a color scheme by keeping colors the same intensity throughout your room. You can mix virtually any colors together -- even ones you think don't "match." Just choose a mix of pastels, brights, jewel tones and/or neutrals with similar tones.
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| Photo courtesy of Closson's |
Paint is not the only way to add color. Liven up a room by adding a punch of color through the use of colorful accessories such as vases, throws, pillows, artwork, rugs or floral arrangements.
Remember that less is more. For a bold room, paint walls a striking color, and paint the ceiling two shades lighter.
Start with something you love -- a colorful rug or a beautiful painting -- and use the colors in this piece as the basis for the color palette of the space.
Decide how you want to feel in the room: relaxed, peaceful and serene or lively and fun. Figure out if you like subdued or bright colors. Remember that a color on a paint chip can look very different when it is covering an entire wall. Test your choice on poster board, not on your wall.
Try deferring to the fabric designers when selecting a color palette. They are trained professionals and have created fabrics that incorporate colors that work well together. Use a piece of fabric as your inspiration piece and pull out the colors from the piece to create an overall palette as the basis for paint, accessories, flooring and other fabrics.
Use neutrals or more classic colors on your large upholstered pieces. Use dramatic colors in accessories and paint. Paint and accessories can be easily changed when you become tired of those colors or want a new look.
A monochromatic color scheme on walls gives rooms an illusion of a much bigger space.
Cool colors, such as blues and greens, will give the room an illusion of openness. Warmer colors, such as reds and yellows, give an illusion of less space or closeness.
A high contrast in color makes a room more interesting. If you are conservative, use a darker, neutral color family on the walls (taupe, sand or olive) and add contrast with accent pieces.
It's hard to visualize the entire space painted with the color on your small color swatch. Buy a quart or less of the paint, if possible, cover a couple of pieces of poster board or foam board with at least two coats and tape them up in the space. Look at the sample in the morning, the middle of the day and at night to get a true feel for it.
Add drama with rich colors if the space is primarily for evening use. Test them at night to make sure they don't appear too dark and heavy.
Color and style are personal. Remember that it's never about the designer's preference, trends or fads - it's what you love and what makes your home a reflection of your taste and lifestyle!
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| Yellow: A sign of hope. First color the eye notices. | Blue: Lowers blood pressure Calms the brain. |
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| Green: Soothing and calming. Relaxing mentally and physically. | Red: Can raise heart rate by 15 percent. May increase temper. |
Photos courtesy of Behr
Tips From The Experts |
Diane Agricola with Agricola Redesign LLC in Cincinnati says cool and refreshing colors, such as blues with green undertones and soft neutrals in shades from oatmeal to mocha brown, are becoming more popular. Greta Tyson with Tyson Designs in Cincinnati says design trends in the area are moving toward monochromatic, tone-on-tone color schemes. Deborah Kurak with Contemporary Galleries in Cincinnati says fashion colors can often look dated after a few years, so chose neutrals for major purchases such as flooring, countertops and furniture. Alexandra Sale, Allied ASID, with Closson's in Cincinnati says chocolate brown and aqua are still popular in the Cincinnati area, but shades of yellow are growing in popularity. Jo Potvin with Design to Market LLC in Cincinnati says if you're starting a decorating project and are "color challenged," it's better to hire a decorator/designer upfront to help you choose colors than spend money later to correct mistakes. Agricola says you should use color to "knit" your rooms together -- repeat colors throughout big spaces in different shades and tones but the same hue. Wallpaper is making a comeback and it is a great way to add color and pattern, Tyson says. Paint and wallpaper are relatively easy and inexpensive to change so they are good ways to incorporate color, Kurak says. Painting your ceiling is a fresh way to add color to your room, Sale says. Ceilings are best painted in an accent or complementary color, she says. If you want to use a fad color, incorporate it with inexpensive accessories such as throw pillows or floral arrangements that can easily be changed, Agricola says. Kurak says today's neutrals incorporate a wide range of colors including whites, off-whites, beiges, creams, greys, blacks, browns and tans. Basically, neutrals are any shades which look great with many different other shades and colors, she says. Tyson suggests finding the most inspiring piece on your home and using that piece to draw colors from for your decor. Diane Agricola with Agricola Redesign LLC in Cincinnati says popular colors for teen rooms are neon and tropical shades as well as sport team colors. Faux finishes also are a great look for teens, she says. Jo Potvin with Design to Market LLC in Cincinnati says one mistake homeowners make is painting their walls stark white if they are planning on moving. Painting walls a warm yet neutral color is actually more appealing to buyers, she says. Greta Tyson with Tyson Designs in Cincinnati says neutral tones are no longer "boring beiges" but rich, earth tones that provide a great backdrop for bold accessories. Alexandra Sale, Allied ASID, with Closson's in Cincinnati says to work backward to choose paint colors -- pick your upholstery fabrics, window treatments and floor coverings and pull colors out of them for your walls and accessories. Sale and Tyson say a great way to choose color for your home is to look in your closet. The colors you feel comfortable wearing also will feel comfortable in your home, they say. Potvin says to avoid using the same wall color throughout your entire home; instead, use different colors with the same tone to create a nice flow. For example, shades of soft gold, sage green and rich ecru work well together, she says. Be realistic about your lifestyle when choosing colors for your home, Sale says. For example, dark carpet if you don't like to vacuum or white furniture if you have children is not practical, she says. Tyson says to create a soothing space, use cooler colors such as blues, greens and purples in lighter tones. When choosing color for a room, make sure you consider the entire environment including the room size, the lighting and even what's outside the windows, Agricola says. Potvin recommends Porter Paints for a great selection of neutrals. Some favorite shades include Dried Thyme and Indian Ivory, she says. |
| Editorial Resources |
| Agricola Redesign LLC, Historic Glendale, OH, (513) 324-3927, http://www.agricoladesign.com/, http://www.agricoladesignstudio.com/. Behr, 3400 W. Segerstrom Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92704, (714) 545-7101, http://www.behr.com/. Benjamin Moore, (800) 344-0400, http://www.benjaminmoore.com/. Closson's, 10100 Montgomery Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 891-5531, http://www.clossons.com/. Contemporary Galleries, 221 West Fourth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 621-3113, http://www.contemporarygalleries.com/. Design to Market, Cincinnati, OH, (513) 265-0952, http://www.designtomarketllc.com/. Porter Paints, 400 South 13th St., Louisville, KY 40203, (800) 332-6270, http://www.porterpaints.com/. Pratt & Lambert Paints, (800) 289-7728, http://www.prattandlambert.com/. Tyson Designs, 2499 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 600-7162, http://www.gltysondesigns.com/. |
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