Category: Colour
Colour
So many people seem reluctant to embrace the dark side...of painting, that is. We've been brainwashed into believing all of the cliches - it's too much colour, it will make the room feel tiny, it will be depressing. The excuses, sorry, the reasons, go on and on. But I, for one, love the way a room with dark walls looks and feels. I think a lot of other people would too if they could get those voices out of their head!
I've recently painted my office a beautiful, deep grey-blue called Polo by
Porters Paints and I love it! It is by no means an overwhelming colour choice. In fact, I find it the quiet, steadfast supporter of the room - the foundation that makes the furniture, artwork and accessories all the more interesting and exciting because of it. It's like your favourite pair of jeans - everything you own looks great with them, you can dress them up or down and they're the most comfortable thing in the world.
I've offset my dark walls with a crisp white on the floor and architraves and accents of fire engine red, deep fuchsia, aqua and teal blues. But, pretty much any reasonably clear, bright accent colour would work just as well - imagine lime green, tangerine orange, vibrant yellow, hot pink or even gloss black. Which means you can change up the overall look of the room easily and quickly. And, is it depressing? Not a chance! It's calming, it's welcoming and it's beautiful.
So, are you ready for the Dark Side?
There was once a time when it was common to highlight every architectural feature in a home. Every bit of cornice, every picture rail, every newel post. Then came the backlash. Stark white boxes with nothing highlighted...except maybe the leather sofa. So, the question is, what should be highlighted and what shouldn't?
As with most things design, it's not a "one size fits all" answer. The key is to consider the space as a whole and visualise how your decisions will effect other elements in the room before opening the paint can.
Without debating the choice of a kelly green feature wall, let's have a look at the room below (thank you to
Ugly House Photos). I know, I know....where do you start! So, what is the impact of painting the stair wall a dark green? Well, the dark wall contrasts strongly against the white light fixture, so now, the light becomes one of the most noticeable elements of the space - not really what you want to highlight. Have a look at the pictures on the wall. The frames don't contrast with the wall at all and therefore just disappear. This has the added effect of the burgundy mats appearing to float on the wall. Now, how about that balustrade?! Again, the contrast of colour - a mid-toned, orange wood against a dark green wall, as well as against white carpeting, only serves to highlight the balustrade - the style and colour of which don't seem to go with anything else in the space.
So, how do you determine all of this before cracking open that can of paint? A good idea is to do a small sketch and colour it in. If you're not sure of your drawing capabilities, print out a photo of the space, trace over the key elements and then colour in using colour pencils, marker or other tool. If you're handy with Photoshop, use that to recolour elements in the space. And, if you really want that kelly green feature wall, then you'll need to also change a number of other elements in the space to make it work.
White is one of the most difficult colours to get right when decorating a room yet, in the vast world of possible paint colours, almost 70% of the paint sold is a white. Many home owners think white is the right answer and/or the easy answer: using white will make a dark room feel brighter; using white will make a small room feel bigger; always paint the ceiling white. But, have a look around...these so-called "rules" don't always hold up. Using white in a dark room can end up looking grey and lifeless. A small room painted in white can look unfinished - as though the owner couldn't decide what colour to paint it so gave up at the undercoat! A stark white ceiling can seem harsh and look bland.
Creating beautiful white rooms requires two key ingredients plus a healthy dose of strong discipline. The key ingredients are great light and good bones. Take another look at all of those beautiful white rooms that you see in magazines. They are always full of wonderful light streaming in through large windows and giving the space a clean, bright, even ethereal feel. While the photos below offer a more country aesthetic the same principle holds true in a modern white space.
The other element that is necessary is good architecture and pleasing proportions. This is because white doesn't give you an opportunity to mask poor proportions through the use of tone and hue (more on this in a future post). The rooms in the images above have generous proportions, high ceilings and the final key ingredient - restraint.
The furniture and accessories in these rooms are carefully edited, the use of colour is tightly controlled and the finishes provide an intoxicating mix of textures. These elements are important in all spaces but so much more critical for creating a successful white room. And, when decorated properly, there is a no more beautiful space than wonderful white!
And, on a final note, from Coffee With an Architect:
Pantone has recently announced their colour of the year and (drum roll, please) it is...Tangerine Tango! Pantone is continuing with their choice of high chroma, strong colours that have been evident in their colour of the year selections from the past few years. Tangerine Tango sits to the red side of orange and is a great alternative to red as an accent or base colour.
Orange is considered to be the colour of conversation and socialisation. It's a lively, stimulating colour and is therefore easier to use in living spaces (lounge, dining, play) then quiet spaces (office, bedroom) but, in any room, it can be used as a fabulous accent. Consider using it on walls to create an intriguing, inviting dining space or as an accent against deep blues or in conjunction with jade greens. Have a look at these fabulous inspiration shots...(if any one is able to identify the sources, please do let me know. I downloaded these prior to blogging so don't have the source listed.)
