Color In Decorating

The Influence of Color

Understanding how colors influence you and your space will better enable you to choose appropriately when gathering ideas for decorating your home. To choose the right colors for a room, you need to decide how the room will be used. You may think that because it’s a bedroom or a bathroom the use is pretty obvious, but there’s more to it than that. It’s also about how you want yourself and others to feel when they are in the space. Choose colors by the mood you want to convey. Invigorating, energizing, passionate and sensual – these are all very descriptive words that can be applied to either a bathroom or a bedroom. Sedate, soothing, peaceful and calming – these are also very descriptive words than can be applied to either a bathroom or a bedroom. See where I’m going with this? Any room can feel any way, it’s the colors we use in the rooms that play a major role in creating the atmosphere. Colors like reds, oranges, and yellows can promote feelings of warmth, while blues, greens, and mauves will inject a feeling of coolness.

Here is a quick color theory refresher course. Fear not, this isn’t a two-hour lecture and there’s no final exam.

Primary Colors – Red, Blue, Yellow – cannot be created from other colors, but every other color can be created from them (with the addition of white and black)

Secondary Colors – Orange, Green, Purple – are made by combining primary colors:
red + blue = purple blue + yellow = green red + yellow = orange

Tertiary Colors are created by combining equal parts of a primary color and a secondary color.

Glossary of Terms

Hue - technical term for a color

Tint - created by adding white to a color

Shade - created by adding black to a color

Tone - describes the value, lightness or darkness of a color (pretty much any color combination can work if the tone or value is similar)

Saturation - describes a color's intensity or brightness

Using the Color Wheel

The color wheel is the easiest and most effective way to show the relationships between primary, secondary and tertiary colors and to determine whether they are contrasting or related. There are way too many colors to fit on one little wheel, so keep in mind that the colors shown represent color 'families' in their most pure forms. You don't have to use the colors in the value/intensity shown on the wheel, you can use softer, more subtle, tinted or shaded versions in your decorating.

Contrasting (lively, energetic)

2 colors opposite on the color wheel (complementary)
3 colors an equal distance apart on colour wheel (triadic)
1 color plus white

Related (soothing, harmonious, co-hesive)

Adjacent/Analogous - colors side by side on the color wheel
Monochromatic - multiple light and dark tones of the same color

Make Those Colors Work

Colors change when light changes. Northern exposure is cooler so it’s a good idea to use warm colors, while southern exposure is warm and can easily handle a cooler color scheme. It's always best to place samples of potential colors on the walls or furniture where they will be used, then view them at different times of the day under different light conditions. A wall color viewed on a flat surface will appear different than when it is on a vertical plane.

Color can be used to promote a feeling of spaciousness. Contrary to popular belief, dark colors do not make a room look smaller and light colors do not make a room look larger. The visual appearance of a room is influenced by contrast of color. The less contrast there is, the more space there seems to be. The more contrast, the more your eye jumps around the space to absorb everything, the smaller the space appears. In other words, regardless of the color you select, by using a monochromatic scheme in a small room, it will feel bigger. If you have a large room and you would like it to feel more intimate, use more contrast.

Jot down these questions. The answers you provide will take you one step closer to your goal of producing a balanced and eye-pleasing bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room…..

What is the purpose/function of the space?
What atmosphere or mood would you like to create within the space?
How does light exposure come into play?
Do you want the space to feel larger or smaller?

These color theories are tried and true and by reading about and understanding the influence color has on a space and the influence light has on color you have made tremendous strides towards selecting the best colors to use in your remodeling project. For ideas and inspiration on picking colors and how to use them, please refer to Decorating With Color – Where to Find Inspiration / How to Use It.

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