When it comes to decorating, there are no fixed rules. Naturally, everyone gravitates to different styles, different colours and live in different homes. No matter what home you live in, there
are three important things to consider when
planning to decorate.
1. The architectural features of a room.
2. Light in the space and how it affects colour.
3. Own preference of style.
Every room is different, and the choice of decoration should be directly influenced by the conditions of the space, how and when its used, its architectural details and your own preference of style.
Architecture
The colour you choose to paint your walls can appear to visually alter the perceived proportions of your room, changing the size and even shape of the space. Lighter colours are best suited to larger rooms as they can maximise space and won’t feel over-bearing. In smaller rooms, dark tones can be used to enhance the intimacy of the space and create a cosy, dramatic space.
The use of strong colour in a large room can be daunting, though may be seen as a bold statement if that is the style and aesthetic you are trying to achieve. Strong colours used in smaller spaces allow focus to be shifted from the size of the space to how stylish it is, and can be, when injected with daring shades.
Before rushing into decorating the period features in your home, it is important to familiarise yourself with the architectural peculiarities in your room - even the smallest tonal changes can enhance said features dramatically. Softer colour palettes will help you to make the most of small spaces as the greater tonal contrast there is, the smaller a room will feel. In contrast, if you opt to paint all elements in the room the same colour (both the walls and the woodwork) you can afford to go darker, though this will make features less significant within your space. One-colour rooms in strong tones create a greater feeling of space due to lack of contrast.
Light
In order to better understand the effect light and shade have on colour, it is important to monitor how the appearance of the space changes throughout the day - whether the room benefits from bright southern sunshine or indirect
northern light.
Without light there is no colour, which is why colours react to different lighting conditions. For example, changes which occur naturally throughout the day. In the morning, the light is bluer, at midday fairly neutral, and somewhat warmer come evening.
While it can be tempting to use light colours in small, dark spaces, this often makes for a dull, uninviting space. Though the use of strong colour in such a space may seem counterintuitive, the reward of choosing a more daring colour is a much more exciting and theatrical aesthetic, achieving a more stylish space that will out do any attempt to create light by choosing white walls.
Rooms which are interconnecting may benefit from a subtle, tone-on-tone approach, making use of colours with equal strength which creates a harmonious feel in any space. In spaces with little-to-no natural light, such as entrance halls, opting for darker tones can create a dramatic and glamorous feeling within the space, while giving all rooms leading off it the illusion of being bigger and brighter. This also means from the view of lighter, larger rooms, the glimpse of a dark painted space can create intrigue.
Style
While architecture and light are important factors to any pursuit of colour choosing, the choice you make should be just as much to do with your lifestyle and personal preference. While choosing colours that are in-fashion or overtly pertinent to the date which your house was built may seem most appropriate, it is most important to choose colours you will feel comfortable with.
Decide whether you want the colour of your spaces to be the central focus of your scheme or to serve purely as a backdrop to other interior pieces. For a more restful home, use the same palette of neutrals throughout used in different ways, as this will provide a perfect foundation to any style of decor. Spaces such as entrance halls and dining rooms can benefit from braver use of colour with more theatrical aesthetics, while kitchens (as the heart of most homes) are often best made as the lightest spaces. Bedrooms are the most private and personal of spaces, and so should be calming, peaceful spaces using colours you feel naturally drawn to. Try to avoid reds, as unlike greens, blues and neutrals (colours of nature), these tend to be less soothing. In spare or guest rooms, used less frequently, use of stronger colours with more impact can be afforded. In smaller spaces, such as bathrooms, do not fear of making them intimate and inviting through use of darker tones.
While it is good to be informed and historically sensitive to your home, it is most important for the colours you choose to suit the way you live your life in the present.
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