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| Color: Connect Rooms with Color |
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Color is the
most important element in decorating, hands down, so knowing
how to develop a color scheme that works throughout your home
can seem pretty overwhelming. But don't make it more complicated
than it needs to be - decide the colors you love, and go from
there. Here are a few ideas of how to make your favorite colors
work together.
Getting Started
Find a fabric or object you really like - maybe a piece of artwork,
a favorite quilt, or an Oriental rug. Use those colors to create
the palette for walls, floor, furniture, and accessories. The
book Color Solutions by Better Homes and Gardens suggests
that you don't try to match the painting color for color, but
rather use the inspiration piece as a starting point to select
hues that would work well together throughout your house.
In each room,
allow a different color to dominate and give each space its own
personality. The repetition of the inspiration colors throughout
your home knits rooms together and creates a feeling of comfortable
cohesion.
How do you decide
which colors to put where? Start with the rooms where you and
your family spend the most time. What mood do you want to create?
Which colors will help you achieve that mood? Use that color
for the walls and perhaps a tint of a secondary color for the
ceiling and floor. For furnishings and window treatments, look
for fabrics that combine your inspiration-piece colors in varying
amounts and shades. Solid-color fabrics will have the greatest
impact and versatility, while prints or plaids add interest and
variety.
Picking colors
that work
The color wheel is one of the basic tools designers learn for
decorating a home. Thousands of color combinations are possible,
but you can use the color wheel's basic information to create
the color scheme best suited for your home and your personal
taste.
The color wheel
generally shows the pure hues of colors: red, blue, and green.
In decorating, however, you're more likely to be using tints
(lighter values) and tones (also known as shades) that are darker
values of a color. Keep in mind that colors that lie opposite
each other on the wheel are complementary; when paired, each
makes the other appear more vivid. Hues that lie beside each
other are analogous; they always look good together because they
share a common hue.
Different colors
affect our moods in different ways, so consider the effect it
will have on the appearance and mood of the room. For example,
warm and cozy colors, located on the right side of our color
wheel, tend to convey a message of togetherness and strength,
while cool and soothing colors, located on the left side of our
color wheel, provide a sense of calm and feelings of trust.
Here are a few
things to keep in mind about color psychology:
· Varying
shades of red are commonly found in dining rooms and libraries,
but are becoming popular in kitchens and bedrooms as well. They
generally express passion, zest for life, and a healthy appetite.
· Pure
orange is an extremely warm color. It's difficult to tone down
and is often used as an accent color only.
· Yellow
has different effects depending upon its tone and value. A sharp
yellow can create a feeling of deterrence, as with police tape
at a crime scene. But a pale yellow, such as cowslip, can create
a bright and pleasing environment.
· Green
is one of nature's most prominent colors and blends easily with
any room. In many cases, the right green can be used as a neutral
color to complement most color schemes.
· Blue
is generally a peaceful color. Light blue can make a room appear
bright and refreshing, while a deep blue can create a sober mood.
Blue is appropriate in any room of the house.
· Violet
is getting more and more recognition due to its connection to
romance. Violet is also being used in bedrooms and living rooms
to communicate an air of serenity.
Don't feel like you have to match colors perfectly. The bottom
line is that YOU love the colors in your home and how they make
your rooms feel. If you think the color isn't quite right, try
a shade darker or lighter, and that may make all the difference
in the world.
Remember, the
steps involved in choosing colors shouldn't deter you from selecting
a certain combination or layout. Always choose the colors you
like best for decorating success!
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| Color:
Color
Schemes you can Live with for Life |
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One of the most
common dilemmas homeowners face is deciding which colors will
work together in their home. Part of the problem, though, is
that we make it way more difficult than it needs to be! So, first
things first - relax! Your home is all about creating a place
where YOU feel comfortable, relaxed, inspired and nurtured. Choose
colors that you love!
That being said,
color schemes can be developed from many different sources of
inspiration, such a specific culture (Oriental, Southwestern,
African) or simply from the colors in your favorite painting.
Sometimes the type of home you have will suggest a certain color
scheme - for example, the colors in an old Victorian home are
typically going to be different than those found in a Spanish
ranch.
Regardless of
where you look for inspiration, here are a few tips on choosing
a color scheme that works throughout your room, and even throughout
your entire home.
Start with
a pattern
Starting with a pattern is the easiest way to create a color
palette for your décor. Choose a pattern from any object
you already love, such as a pillow, a painting, a rug, a bedspread,
favorite shirt, or an upholstered piece of furniture.
If you don't
have something already in your home, check out some home decorating
magazines, browse fabric samples in your local furniture store,
or find a picture online that best represents the colors or culture
you want to create. From the colors in the pattern you select,
you'll be able to create a color palette for the entire room.
Get comfortable
with color
Some homeowners are so afraid to make a mistake with color that
they just keep their walls plain white - BORING! Even if you
are going for a neutral palette, that doesn't mean flat white
walls are the way to go. There is a huge variety of neutral colors
(whites, grays and browns) that can warm up a room or cool it
down. It's time to breathe some life into your home confidently
with color. Such a simple effort as painting the walls can completely
transform your room from blah to beautiful.
Another fear
that some people have is wondering whether their color choices
will "match" their furniture. If you've got a brown
or black leather sofa, you've got nothing to worry about. But
if you've got a bright red sofa or some floral-patterned upholstery,
then you of course should take those colors into consideration.
If those colors aren't a part of your inspirational pattern from
the previous step, you should honestly consider getting rid of
the piece of furniture that clashes with the colors that you
really love and want to surround yourself with. Or, consider
a neutral slipcover to emphasize the colors you like and tone
down the ones you don't.
Analyze and
apply your colors
From within your selected pattern, choose three colors: a light
color, a medium tone and a darker one. These three colors will
form the foundation of your color scheme. It's a good idea to
go to your local hardware or paint store to find the color chips
that matches your three colors that will make it easy for
you to carry those colors around with you as you shop for items
to furnish or decorate your room.
With your three
colors, keep these general ideas in mind for applying them throughout
your room:
· Use
the light color as the background. Paint the walls with a soft
version of your light color. If the light color from your pattern
seems too intense for the wall, it's perfectly OK if your paint
color is a couple of shades lighter - just stay within the same
color "family." (The paint color chips will come in
handy here, as they often have several shades lighter or darker
on the same strip.) Try to find a rug that incorporates your
light color - this will help to bring the entire room together.
· Feature
your mid-tone color in furniture and windows. Select fabrics
that use your medium color in your upholstery furniture pieces
and window treatments - even better if it picks up on your lighter
color, too!
· Accessorize
with the dark color. Your dark color will stand out the most,
so choose accessories featuring that color and use them evenly
throughout the room. Think accent pieces of furniture, accent
pillows, artwork and other accessories.
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| Color: 5 Quick tips on paint
color |
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· Take
a sample to the paint store. Bring a sample of the flooring or
carpet as well as any fabrics that will be used in the room with
you to the paint store.
· Don't
pick your paint color standing in the store. After you've identified
colors that work with your samples, take home the paint sample
cards to make sure the color will work with the other furnishings
in the room. Some paint manufacturers even have larger samples
or whole books of paint samples available for you to take home
and decide on a color.
· Paint
a sample wall. Many paint retailers now offer sample sizes of
their colors for you to try out on a patch of wall before you
commit to painting the entire thing.
· Look
at your sample at different times of day. Natural light can dramatically
change how we perceive a color, so be sure the color works in
the bright morning sun as well as the cool afternoon shade.
· Don't
be scared of an intense color before you bring your furniture
back in. A bare room in an intense color can be intimidating,
but keep in mind that when you bring your furnishings into the
room, the overall effect will be different. The tones in your
furnishings will reflect on the painted wall and change or soften
the effect.
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| Color:
Overcoming
Color-Phobia |
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One of the biggest
obstacles to a satisfying interior design can be fear of color.
While neutral and monochromatic pallets can be pleasing when
done well, they can create a sea of sameness in which everything
appears to be made of oatmeal.
If you prefer
the tranquility of a neutral pallet, consider adding interest
and variation through different hues of similar values. The term
hue refers to the color category: red, blue, yellow, etc.
The term value refers to how light or dark a color is.
This means that if the base color of your interior is beige,
you might compliment it with a soft moss green, or a soothing
pale sky blue.
Try more than
one complimentary soft shade. The effect will still be soothing,
but not bland.
While most people
have an innate affinity for certain colors, you don't have to
limit your decorating pallet to the colors you would wear. You
can warm and brighten a dark basement family room with yellow
butter-cream walls, even if you wouldn't wear the color. Your
home interiors are an opportunity to stretch your bounds in terms
of color.
Bold choices
in furniture colors shouldn't be feared. The entire look of a
room can be changed with a change of accents, accessories, and
wall color. A red sofa will feel bold and graphic in front of
a white wall, but will seem exotic and intriguing when it is
placed in front of a taupe wall.
If you are still
worried about a bold color choice, then try easing into color.
Do you love cobalt blue but are afraid that you will grow tired
of living with it? Then start out with blue accents. Candles
are a great place to introduce color, as are vases, pillows and
throws.
Artists often
joke about "sofa paintings," artwork that is selected
only on whether or not it will match the sofa. You can use your
selection of artwork to cue the rest of your interior's color
scheme. When you bring art into your home, select it because
you love it, then find a color within the artwork to play up
and reinforce with similarly-colored accents and accessories
throughout the room. This can inspire you to take your color
scheme in new directions.
Color Trends
to Watch
Since its emergence
in 2006, purple remains a strong choice for interiors. Shades
of purple have become redder in hue, moving from orchid to plum
and aborigine. It can be bold and vibrant as a rich grape hue,
or it can be subtle and elegant as a lilac-toned grey.
Shades of teal
are promising to become more prevalent in the market, primarily
in analogous color schemes, paired with lighter shades of green
and blue. Analogous colors are those colors directly beside one
another on the color wheel (blue/green or red/orange). Rich brown
also pair nicely with the teal hue.
If you lived
through the 1980's you doubtlessly remember the Easter egg pastels
of the decade. Today, pastel shades are making a comeback, but
now they are grown-up, elegant and refined. Modern pastels, in
light shades of blush pink, lemon ice and barely blue, are neither
babyish nor preppy. They are subtle, sophisticated and chic.
If you seek
a bold interior color scheme, then black and white might be a
choice for you. A black and white room doesn't have to be stark
and modern. When paired with grey, it can create an elegant and
glamorous effect, like a classic movie from the 1930's. Black
and white color schemes can take on a quaint country charm with
mixed and matched painted furniture finishes, and punctuated
with cheery yellows or reds.
Metallic tones
have become strong elements in interiors, from daring modern
rooms to exotic oriental settings. Tones are not restricted to
gold and silver, but include subtle shades of rose gold, bronze,
copper and pewter. Metallic finishes are strong on in accessories
such as vases and lamps, and on larger pieces such as accent
tables and caps on the feet of wood furniture. But metallic tones
are not restricted to objects and furnishings made of metal.
New metallic tones and finishes have infiltrated fabrics and
may be seen in accent pillows, throws as well as wall finishes.
The sheen of metal elements may vary from the gleaming effect
of mercury glass to subtle matte effects like antique bronze.
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| Color: Coloring Your World |
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When decorating
a room, color affords almost limitless possibilities. Color invokes
feelings and adds personality to your room. No other single element
can alter the appearance of space and objects like color. In
home furnishings, it can visually enlarge, reduce and even change
the feel of a piece of furniture.
Here are some
easy tips to consider:
· The
best color schemes are usually found in a single element: a sofa,
rug, painting, virtually anything.
· Consider
the intended use, room's size, desired mood and its lighting
and exposure.
· Lighting
and exposure affect the way color behaves. Most homes have incandescent
lighting, which makes reds more vibrant and blues more neutral.
Examine fabrics
and paint chips under incandescent lighting as well as under
natural daylight.
· When
planning large purchases such as, carpeting, wallpaper, and large
pieces of furniture, choose colors carefully since these items
will not be frequently changed.
· Observe
color relationships in photography, public places, private homes,
printed fabrics and even clothing. Outdoor, natural settings
can be great inspirations as well!
· If
you aren't completely confident about a color scheme, stick to
neutral, simple colors when it comes to large, expensive purchases.
Use colors and
combinations you like. Nothing goes in and out of fashion more
quickly than color. Try not to buy something just because the
color is "in."
A ROOM WITH
A MOOD: The Broad Palette
· Blues,
greens, purples and grays are cool colors and can range from
tranquil to dramatic. They can make rooms feel less confining.
In warm climates, cool colors combined with white can make an
entire house feel more comfortable.
· Reds,
yellows, browns, oranges and peaches are warm colors that can
lighten and subdue or radiate energy and exuberance! If you have
a drafty room, reds, yellows and oranges will add a little fire!
· Bright
colors are best in active, informal rooms and those with little
natural light. They work well as attention getting accents in
rooms with neutral or subdued color schemes.
· Subdued
colors are restful and relaxing and make soft backgrounds. Adding
brightly colored accents increases visual interest.
· Lights
and whites create the illusion of space, making rooms look bigger
and ceilings higher. In any room, white walls make an excellent
neutral background that won't compete with furnishings.
· Dark
colors absorb light and make rooms look smaller and more intimate.
Great for home libraries and studies, they also help disguise
uneven walls, rough surfaces and ceilings that are too high.
Because dark colors dominate, light colored accents add balance
to a room.
A ROOM WITH
A MOOD: The Focused Palette
· REDS
You'll rev up any room by introducing the most colorful of vivid
colors! Pure red is charged with excitement and even raises the
body's metabolic rate! Burgundy is refined and aristocratic while
pink is calm, sweet and romantic.
· BLUES
Frazzled nerves recover when exposed to blue, the calmest of
all colors. Sky blue is young and sporty but royal and navy convey
dignity and wealth.
· GREENS
Like blue, green is tranquil, especially sea foam and mint. Brighter
greens make us happy with reminders of spring while hunter and
pine are eloquent and quiet.
· YELLOWS
Relentlessly cheerful! Bright yellow is so happy that it can
actually become annoying and make a room feel oppressive. Pale
yellow, though, is breezy, spring-like and relaxing.
· PURPLES
Regal! Long associated with royalty, this is a color of splendor
and sophistication. Because we don't often see it in nature,
it's perceived as artificial and many people aren't impressed.
Lavender is said to be the most irritating of all colors in room
décor.
· BROWNS
Rich and natural, brown is likened to wood and leather. Darker
shades are opulent while tans and beiges are rustic and earthy.
All shades are universally popular and offer great versatility.
· BLACK & WHITE
Their qualities are as different as night and day, but both can
imply expense and elegance. Combined, they achieve bold contrast
for a stunning look!
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