The Joy of Colour

White: a nice colour that stands for purity and innocence. But too much white might cause headaches; it might also make you nervous and restless. Therefore, white alone is not a very happy choice for interior decorations, although plenty of interior decorations magazines and TV commercials show us spotless white interiors. Is that so? Why don’t you take a second look to note what other colours are there used to complete the picture?

In most cases white is used a background colour. We see often brightly coloured paintings hanging on white walls, red roses on a sparkling white piece of furniture, other coloured accents here and there to complete the interior design, to give it meaning, balance or strength. White walls are a blessing in tropical areas. White’s freshness is perfect for a Mediterranean look, for a home in sunny Tuscany, for your beach house or for other such residences. But if you don’t live in such an area, choose your colours carefully. Remember that colours influence your life, your behavior and your mood. Choose a wrong colour and you might live an uneasy time without even knowing what bothers you. But don’t ever believe that neutral colours are ideal colours. Do you live a neutral life? Do you lack personality? No. You don’t! So don’t be afraid of colour.

So far you know that white is classic but too much white might cease to be neutral and become and element of stress. The good news is that white goes well with any colours. A spot of red or orange to stimulate your appetite in the dining room, some blue or green accents to calm you down in the living room and bathroom, orange and yellow for your kitchen and pastel colours in your bedroom; these are the colour arrangements generally recommended by interior designers. But in your home, you are the interior designer. You should choose the colours according to your personality and your feelings.

It’s maybe time for a bolder colour combination? A mixture of bright and wild colours like turquoise and orange or violet and lime? Take a look at the colour wheel and choose either colours that are opposite in it or that sit next to each other. Opposite colours are complementary colours and neighboring colours provide for colour harmony. You can find a colour wheel easily online, even virtual colour pickers, but pay attention when you choose your colours based upon such tools, as monitors’ resolution may show colours slightly distorted than in reality.

Walls alone don’t make interior decorations. Accents on the walls are nothing more than that: accents. The art of interior decorations sees your living space as a whole. So choosing colours refers not solely to walls and accents, but furniture and lighting as well. If you are not skilled enough to do this on your own, if you are not bold enough to experiment, then you should probably let a professional interior designer take a look at your home and decorate it accordingly.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Interior Design

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