Color Tips To Enliven Your Home Decor
Use the following color tips provided by The Quality
Paint Institute to create a beautiful and cohesive decorating scheme.
Connecting Rooms With
Color
As every home decorating enthusiast is well
aware, color has an enormous impact within a
space. With the increasing number of new and
remodeled homes reflecting open floor plans,
carefully considered color schemes symbolize an
integral part of the ambience within the home.
Without investing a small fortune for upgraded
design elements and furnishings, color can be
manipulated as the powerful ingredient that may
be used to create a fashionably cohesive open
styled home interior.
 The
carefully considered repetition of color
represents a simple way to unite open concept
spaces. Repeating the same hue throughout an
open space is a common way to cohesively join
connecting areas. For example, implementing same
color molding throughout an open space can
successfully tie together adjacent areas that
boast different floor or wall coverings. The use
of identical trim colors on built-ins, (such as
shelving units or book cases) stylishly
integrates adjoining areas that are used for
distinctively different purposes.
Although
“color” still remains strong for 2003, experts
are forecasting that “white” will make a major
comeback this year. Returning with fresh
diversity, this ‘non-color’ represents an
abundant array of practical and neutral
selections for repetitive moldings and trims.
Remember: white is not “just” white! Prior to
selecting the “white” tone to be used within the
open concept space, carefully consider the
tremendous selection of available whites to
verify that the tone you have selected
harmoniously blends with existing surface
coverings.
Another method of effectively blending open
spaces is by incorporating a limited palette of
color that represents the same intensity of
hues. Select the same tones consisting of two or
three favorite colors that you would not easily
tire of, and fashion two side by side spaces
with the desired color palette. Utilize the
desired color palette in varying amounts within
each area. By limiting the color palette to a
smaller number of colors that share the same
intensity, the entire space maintains
cohesiveness.
Consider implementing any of these color
concepts to help beautify and unify your open
floor plan. The application of any of these tips
can yield a custom touch that is often apparent
within upscale homes that have been fashioned by
designers that command high price tags. Applying
paint to various interior surfaces is a
budget-friendly way to blend open space living
areas together. A savvy do-it- yourselfer can
produce attractive results that rival those
belonging to the professional designer with an
active imagination, a healthy dose of paint and
color!
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Adding Color to the
Ceiling
Today’s ceilings boast exciting color
combinations and intriguing textures that are
readily apparent on wall coverings and other
painted interior surfaces. If you are preparing
to take the ceiling color “plunge”, but have not
yet decided on a palette, consider the character
of the existing space. Darker spaces, as well as
rooms that have low ceilings often come alive
with the addition of a light ceiling color in
order to visually extend the ceiling’s height.
 Remember,
light does not always mean white! Many rooms
benefit from the addition of a creamy neutral to
the ceiling space. Contemporary neutral paint
colors are available in the latest, fashionable
shades. Consider implementing a monochromatic
space using a ceiling color that is two or three
tones lighter than the color of the existing
painted walls. Large, open areas often cry out
for colors that create a cozier, more intimate
space. Consider applying the identical earthy
shade to walls and ceilings within oversized
rooms that lack intimacy.
Add dimension and
further interest by applying a decorative paint
treatment that not only beautifies, but adds
warmth to the area. (Venetian plaster and other
‘old world’ techniques represent ideal choices
for warming up rooms, particularly when deep,
rich shades are implemented.)
 Indulge
in your sense of adventure! When designing the
color palette for the intended space, treat your
ceiling the same as any of your other existing
walls. By taking into consideration the size and
layout of the room, as well as the way the room
functions; a homeowner can best determine the
most appropriate ceiling shade. One more tip: if
you are unhappy with the hue you have selected
for the ceiling, nothing is final.
Remember that
paint colors can be manipulated with additional
color or techniques to reflect darker or lighter
shade, until the result of your efforts is
satisfying.
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Enlivening
White and Beige
If your goal is to warm up the
space, there are an unlimited amount of rich
colors that would enhance white cabinets and
appliances. Depending upon whether you want the
space to remain in the "neutral" family of
colors, terracotta would be a lovely choice that
would contrast with the whites, as well as
highlight the taupe that exists in some of your
floor tiles. You may consider painting only an
accent wall to begin with. Then, if you are
satisfied with the resulting color, you can
always paint the remaining walls.
Another option is to go outside of the neutral
family and select a different shade of warmth
for the kitchen space. You would probably be
most satisfied selecting a hue that you already
like, and can live with viewing on an everyday
basis. Some examples of up to date warm colors
would be mustardy golds, rich cranberry, spicy
cinnamon or the chocolate brown family (such as
toffee, mocha, etc...). You may even decide to
use one of these hues as an accent color, to
highlight the terracotta that you are already
considering. Terracotta can be the primary color
(used for the walls) and another shade (such as
mocha) can be a highlight color (used for
decorative accents, such as window and door trim
or a painted border). Consider consulting with a
paint expert at your local home improvement
store for assistance with selecting hues that
represent the same intensity of color, so all
colors in the kitchen space will blend
graciously.
Regarding your second question, whites are
becoming particularly popular again. Many paint
manufacturers have recently introduced paint
lines that are only whites- but may be
highlighted with a specific hue. A good idea is
to explore the various paint chip samples of
white, then narrow down your search to 3 or 4
hues that you like best. Consider purchasing a
small container of each paint, then bringing
them home and actually applying them to the
walls in various rooms. This way you can view
what they look like in natural sunlight,
artificial light and with the other colors that
exist in the space.
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Color Can Manipulate a
Space Without Changing the ‘Fixed Assets’
Changing the “fixed assets” (i.e.. floor and
window coverings) within a dated interior space
can be a costly proposition. Rather than
incurring the expense of redecorating a timeworn
area, enhance the entire space with an updated
color scheme!
The first step on the road to color recovery is
to examine the existing palette within the
space. Depending upon the current color scheme,
it is often possible to simply phase out one or
more of the dated colors and replace with a more
up to the minute hue. Another alternative is to
add a contemporary color to an existing, two
color partnership. Paint can provide the simple
but necessary ingredient to accomplish either of
these goals!
 Combining
unexpected, offbeat colors within a carefully
considered design scheme, is a rapidly
increasing trend. Consider enhancing a
traditional muted blue and pale yellow duo in
the master bedroom by introducing an
unanticipated, contrasting chocolate brown as
the third color. Apply a freehand painted design
to nondescript furnishings, such as a wooden
headboard and mismatched chests of drawers.
Bring a mauve (especially popular during the
1980's) living room into the new millennium by
substituting the hue for a more up to the
minute, deeper raspberry. Consider painting an
accent wall or highlight an architectural
feature with the desired hue. Instead of
eliminating avocado green (a popular color
choice in the 1970's) from the kitchen,
celebrate the shade by supplementing with more
contemporary, earthy counterparts like rich
mustards, bold cranberry and spicy cinnamon. Add
these colors to the kitchen mix by fashioning a
stenciled leafy border above the countertop, to
function as a backsplash.
Once you have the “re-energized” color palette
in place, continue to implement ongoing touches
of the new color/s by incorporating coordinating
decorative accessories. Allow paint to function
as your ‘color partner’, to creatively
accentuate the “new” color scheme. Remembering
that decorating is an ongoing process, your room
will begin to take on a new persona via the
inspirational use of paint and color.
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Tips for Choosing Color
• Consider the function of the room being
painted and choose an appropriate color.
• If you have already chosen the furnishings for
the room bring swatches and samples when
choosing the paint color.
• Is your style modern, traditional, or
eclectic? You may want to research colors from
different periods like Victorian, Colonial, or
Arts & Crafts for the color roots of an old
house, or for colors appropriate to the period
that inspired your home's design and decorating
details.
• There should be some relationship between
adjacent rooms and the new paint color for the
sake of flow and continuity.
• Look at the exposure the room has, as lots of
sunny southern exposure may be a good spot for
cool color tones while a shaded and northerly
facing room might be best served with warmer
hues.
• If you want to manipulate the perceived size
of the room with color, choose an appropriate
palate; light monochromatic colors and white
ceilings to increase size, dark bold tones with
a darker ceiling color to shrink.
• Decide on the mood you want the room to evoke
for its inhabitants and visitors and then
explore the psychology of colors.
color tips
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