Green - nature's friend!
Green – nature's friend!
A fifth colour on the colour wheel is green. Known as a space - enhancing colour, this hue helps to create a mood of serenity and peace. Its freshness makes it a perfect complement to yellow and blue. Green is so pervasive in nature, it inevitably makes a good background for almost any other colour. If you want to create some striking contrast, try using green with red, orange and purples as you would find in nature ie red tulips, orange marigolds or purple pansies to name a few!
Green is also another harmonious and restful colour linked to growth and youthfulness. On the darker side, green is seen as lush and mysterious, making a much bolder statement. Blue-greens on the other hand are associated with the sea, calm, spacious and cool, while deep blue added to green is more serious and pensive.
A soft green (no yellow tinge) or a soft muted blue green make very good colours for offices as they are restful for the eye, relates to nature and is calming . Of course you can break the rules and contrast green with a more upbeat colour, as suggested above, if you want to change and create a much more charged atmosphere. Light greens are also good colours for bedrooms and living rooms.
Drawbacks: Too much green can cause complacency and inactivity. Inject a contrasting colour to counteract these feelings.
Feeling blue?
Feeling Blue?
Well folks, blue is the colour we are talking about today with it's quiet, calming, soothing and restful tones. These blues have the effect of making walls and objects seem further away and are therefore a good choice for small rooms. Blue, which is on the opposite side of the colour wheel to red, is also one of the easiest colours on the wheel to live with! Light blue is further associated with health, healing and tranquillity.
It doesn't stop there however, as there is the darker side to blue which have deeper and more mysterious associations. The sky at midnight, comes to mind with its strong connection with sleep and dreaming and can be an ideal colour for creating an elegant evening room or indeed a relaxing bedroom. Blue is a popular colour for bathrooms too and works well in studies also. The latter is not surprising as dark blue also represents knowledge, power, integrity and seriousness.
Drawbacks: Can look cold and unwelcoming. Make sure it doesn't look too chilly by choosing a blue with a warm undertone.
Yellow Mellow!
Yellow Mellow!
Today we focus on the sunshine colour of yellow which is the lightest and cheeriest colour of the whole colour spectrum. Its brightness is perfect for illuminating dark spaces like hallways to make a welcoming entrance, and it's a popular choice for kitchens.
One cannot help but feel optimistic when using yellow. It is therefore ideal for a room you may use in the mornings or north facing rooms. A yellow household is said to suggest a” happy, healthy lifestyle, where the inhabitants are cheerful and full of ideas” David Willis
Drawbacks: Used to excess yellow can be too over stimulating and is thought to enhance feelings of emotional distress. Once upon a time, yellow was associated with honour and loyalty, but later became connected with cowardice – beware!
Fancy some orange today?
Fancy some orange today?
Today's colour is Orange, which is a less intense colour than red, but no less hot, as it takes its heat from both yellow and red. It also retains that same warm feeling and effect of pulling the walls in. The colour tones of orange range from soft peach right through to coral and terracotta and again helps to create an energising mood. Orange is also regarded as creative and fun loving and is a striking colour that we associate with the sun, ripe peaches, late summer flowers – basically that feel good factor!
Orange - a colour to get you noticed!
Orange is a brilliant colour for brightening dull spaces. It's happy personality favours companionship and even it's lighter tones are stimulating! No wonder it has been chosen as pantone's colour for 2012!
Drawbacks: Might keep the occupant awake at nights in a bedroom. It can also make a room look smaller because of it's advancing colour. Ensure the room gets plenty of light if using this colour!
Til next time!
Are you seeing RED?!
Are you seeing RED?!
Continuing the colour theme, I thought we'd look at the six major colours on the colour wheel and examine the very different personalities, mood, size and even shapes they appear to display. The colours we use in our homes reflect our personalities, but they too are said to have personalities all of their own.
For instance, the use of a particular colour can transform a room instantly, turning it from a peaceful, tranquil space to a vibrant and lively one. Over the coming days, we'll examine a number of different colours and what they may say about our attitudes and personalities, home and lifestyle. Today, we'll start with RED!
Known for it's strong vibrancy, RED is also the colour of blood, fire and passion. It is regarded as warm, energetic and dynamic. As an eye-catching colour, it can easily dominate a room, making walls and accessories appear to draw in. It works well as a focal point in a room and is a perfect choice if you want to create an intimate, cosy atmosphere.
Where to use? In family rooms or formal dining rooms, where activity counts over relaxation.
Drawbacks: Can be overpowering. It's best to vary the shade, paint one wall red or use it as an accent colour.