Color is a big part of our world, and evener bigger part of the Interior Design world. We use color as a sense of expression, an accent, or focal point of any given space. I truly believe that the right dose of color in any space can truly set the scene and play an influential role in the way we experience space. Whether it be a home, corporate workplace setting, hospital, or restaurant, color correlates directly with the end user and can inflict feelings of passion, sincerity, or even anger. While respecting the design vision of any given project, it’s every designer’s responsibility to understand the basics of color theory, how color behaves in a space, how it can affect our mood, and how lighting can affect color saturation.
As a general rule, light and saturation should always be considered when selecting colors for a space as they can completely alter the shade you’re trying to go for. As an example, lighter shades appear brighter and can often times make a space feel larger whereas darker shades tend to be more regal and sophisticated. These two points alone can completely make or break your space. Homedit.com classifies color behavior in three ways: active, passive, or neutral. I couldn’t agree with this more. Think of a bright orange wall in a fitness center – this color is specifically evoking a sense of activity and movement in it’s end users that could be classified under the ‘active’ category. What’s more is, a space can easily become overwhelming or, unfortunately, underwhelming depending on color selection and placement. Consider an all-white space, this can come across quite flat and boring if designed incorrectly or a space with bright walls, bright bold patterns, and bright furniture, kind of over-kill no?
Consider how the following can set the scene for the spaces in your home:
Living room:
This is likely the space in your house that is quite active whether it be binge watching your latest Netflix obsession or doing a home workout. If these are the main functionalities of your living room, you’ll want the space to evoke that same sense of energy. Think of active colors such as yellows or oranges. Now I’m not talking about painting all of your walls bright orange – consider accents like your area rug, throw pillows, an ottoman, or even curtains that can provide that special and carefully coordinated accent to liven up your living area;
Kitchen:
Likely another active space in your home! With that said, a color like green would be a fun accent that, with the right lighting, can provide a bright sense of energy and healthy appearance to the space where most of your cooking takes place. This is a certain circumstance that pertains well to Kitchen areas. In contrast, green would not be suitable for, lets say a hospital patient room, as this often portrays a sense of ‘infection’ or ‘sickness’ in this type of environment;
Bedroom:
A relaxing respite from the rest of the spaces in our homes, we want to evoke a sense of serenity and calm here. With the right shade, green can be a great color for that while a bedroom enveloped in blue can also provide the sense of peace we all seek at the end of a long day;
Dining Room:
Dining rooms can be vastly different from one home to the next. Some may consider their dining room to be a formal space specifically used for special occasions where Grandma’s fine china comes out to play whereas, on the flip side, it’s a place where your kid likes to do their homework. If you would classify yourself on the more formal side, consider the deeper, sophisticated shades I talked about above like purple or even a navy blue. These can provide a beautiful sense of rich drama that instantly sets the stage for a formal setting. On the other hand, neutrals like white, grey, or brown can be clean and modern in an informal setting.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that color comes a long way from that swatch you picked up from your local Home Depot. Color inflicts all sorts of emotions within us while truly setting the stage for the right ambiance you want to evoke in your space. Have fun with it and add your personality where you see fit!
What is your go-to color that you think works best in your space? Let me know in the comments section below!
