Interior Design, Interior Decorating Ideas, Home Improvement

Choosing Colors

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Color is the main decorative element in a home.  Color should be determined by a number of factors, such as personal preference, the  type of room it will cover, and the individual properties of the color.

Types of Colors
Hot colors such as reds, yellows, and oranges convey energy and vitality and act as emotional boosters.  They can dominate the general feel of a room and should be used in active rooms such as the kitchen or the living room.  The eyes are automatically drawn towards these  bright colors. They are often used  to revitalize a monotonous room.  They match perfectly  with dark colors such as brown, chestnut, or charcoal gray.  Blues, greens, and purples are considered cold colors and should be used in calmer atmospheres such as bedrooms, and bathrooms.  They infuse spaces with freshness and tranquility. White, cream, and beige are neutral tones that can be used everywhere. They convey  simplicity and elegance.

Color and Lighting
In a dimly lit room, strong, vibrant, colors should be used as opposed to pastels and light colors, in order to infuse the space with richness and create the illusion of space. Conversely, in a well lit room, subtle colors should be used. These lighter tones help spread the light in the room. Most people find it difficult to choose colors due to the enormous amount of available shades, and often times resort to a “safe” wall color such as an off-white. When choosing a color, one should consider other elements of a room, such as lighting, furniture, textures, and artwork s.  The tone of a color can be accentuated or diminished, by the objects and lighting in a room.

Choosing a color
Picking out a color at the paint store can be a difficult task. Manufacturer color cards can be misleading for a number of reasons. These color cards are typically organized in tones from lighter to darker shades, making it difficult to examine the color out of context. Also it is difficult to assess the effect of a particular shade on an entire room based on a tiny section of shade. The best method of sampling a color is to actually coat a portion of the wall in that color, and observe its effects on the surroundings, and the effect that lighting has on it.

You can infuse your space with energy by painting a section of your walls in a lively color, and leaving the remaining walls in a neutral color such as gray, or dirty white. What we’re trying to achieve here is contrast, through the juxtaposition of light and vibrant colors.

Interior Design / Decorating Ideas / Choosing Colors