Posts Tagged ‘color’

Decorating Color Ideas – Choosing Unusual Colors


2010
02.09

Author: Sara S

New color palettes don’t have to be overbearing. This article helps you choose colors that you’ll be able to change inexpensively when the trends have moved onto something else.

You may know that decorating with color will change a room but you don’t know where to start. You can make almost any color work in any room, it’s just how you coordinate the space and palettes that matters. Decorating color ideas give you freedom to branch out and make bold statements in your home that you can still live with.

Orange is a bold color that shows personality and life. You may be afraid to paint your walls orange, or you just don’t have enough light in your room to handle such a bold color. Orange has many different moods. Use paint the color of orange fruit if you’re working in a modern space. Keep the color on one accent wall. Add a natural touch by pairing the wall color with teak accents which is a wood with a lot of orange in it. You will need to neutralize the rest of the room with white, taupe or brown so it doesn’t become overwhelming.

You may be afraid of decorating color ideas because it seems so permanent. You can make bold statements that are easy to change. In a teen’s room hang different colors of paper lanterns form the ceiling for a sculptural effect. Your child probably has five or six different favorite colors and you can use them all in this ceiling treatment. The shapes will still relate to each other but it will create a focal point. Look for a throw that looks like a silk sari to tie the pinks, purples, reds, and blues together.

If you have a bland kitchen, decorating color ideas can save you from a costly remodel. Kitchens are often black, white and stainless steel which might seem cold. Invest in a red mixer or microwave that will serve as a pop of color in the room. Make an elaborate drum shade in the kitchen nook with a daring color that will add warmth to the room.

Decorating color ideas can help you create a theme in your room easily. It’s important to take into account the shape of your furniture when decorating in a theme. Country style uses over sized coffee tables and rounded back kitchen chairs. Modern style focuses on straight lines. Even if you were to keep each piece white it would still have a definite design direction.

Draw color ideas from your favorite material such as stone. The key to a monochromatic color palette is to mix textures. This can help you create a master bathroom with a spa feel. Use several stone surfaces in the same color. Put a light colored concrete stone on one wall for a focal point. Pair it with a travertine marble floor and brown granite for a high end look.
Holiday & Winter Bedding at BrylaneHome

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The Psychology of Color: How To Choose Paint Colors for Your Home


2010
02.09

Author: Jeff Sanders

The color of any room in your homes affects how you feel while in that room. Choosing paint colors can be difficult and prove frustrating unless you take the time to answer some questions before going out to select your paints.

Start by considering your furnishings. Rugs, furniture, window treatments and any other fabrics that are going to remain in the room should be the starting point for your color scheme. Repainting walls and ceilings is a relatively inexpensive way to change the look of a room without starting completely over. Choose three to four colors at the most (too many colors give the room a busy and cluttered look overall) and base those colors on what will go with the room furnishings.

Take into consideration that the ceiling does not have to be white. Typically, ceilings are the lightest paint color in a room because lighter colors give the feeling of more space and darker colors tend to visually “lower” the ceiling, giving the room a smaller, more intimate and cozy feel. The same applies with darker colors on walls. Dark walls make the room seem smaller while lighter colors make the room seem larger.

Warm colors include red, yellow and orange. Cool colors include blue, green and purple. The study of colors in ancient cultures found that red stimulates the body and mind, and increases the heart rate and blood circulation. Yellow stimulates the nerves. Orange was believed to increase energy levels and heal the lungs. Blue was found to be soothing and help alleviate pain. Purple was thought to bring down the body temperature and induce rest.

Orange is a combination of red and yellow. It is attention-getting, creates a feeling of balance, brings to mind fall and Halloween, expresses energy and excitement. This is a good color for a recreation room but probably not the best choice for a main color in a living room, dining room or bedroom.

Red is definitely the color of energy. Studies show that red stimulates conversation. It makes for a dramatic first impression. It also can raise blood pressure and hear rate. It can also foster feelings of hostility or anger, so choose the colors of the red family carefully and use along with more cheery colors to compensate.

The colors of blue range anywhere from a pale, soft baby-blue to a rich, deep royal blue. They represent calm and harmony, loyalty and security. Blue can also cause depression in some people. It can bring down blood pressure and heart rate.

Black is the absence of color. In the home, it evokes sophistication and formality. When combined with animal prints, it can become a rather sexy color. It is considered part of the neutral family which also includes gray, white, brown and all its associated hues. It is a basic color and therefore very flexible but should only be used in small doses unless you really know what you’re doing.

Green is the color most easy on the eyes. It is suitable for virtually any room in the house, in the right shade. Green has a calming effect and has been cited as having healing powers, which could be why most surgeons wear green scrubs. In many cultures it represents good fortune. It is certainly the basic color of choice for Mother Nature.

Yellow is the color of happiness, sunlight and optimism. It makes a good secondary or accent color in most rooms, and is especially nice in a kitchen. However, if you have a temper issue, yellow has been known to excite tempers. Also, babies reportedly cry more in a bright yellow room. It is also a color that is more difficult on the eyes.

White is the color of purity and simplicity, cleanliness and sterility. If you wish to create a spartan, open minimalistic look, white is your color.

In conclusion, the choice of colors in your home is very personal and only you can say what works best for you. With so many places offering small, inexpensive tester cans of paint, why not try out a splash of it on a wall for just a bit and see if you like it in all the different kinds of light that it will receive throughout a day? If you change your mind, you can paint over it and move on to another color. Regardless of what you choose, refreshing your home with a new color scheme is a good investment not only in your home but in your personal happiness.

HomeDecorators.com

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