Start with Paint (1)
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Written by Worawit Pit
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
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Fresh paint, sympathetic colours and interesting decorative effects will transform the most unpromising raw material. You can create visual illusions, making ceilings appear lower or spaces larger, simply by using paint boldly and with imagination. Modern rooms are often rather box-like but clever use of colour will make all the difference between a claustrophic feeling and a feeling of space and relaxation.
BASIC COLOUR RULES
There are certain accepted principles which can help in choosing paint colours, although once they have been understood there is no compulsion to stick to them. Some very entertaining and pleasing effects can be achieved by breaking away from the rules. However, the basic principles are useful guidelines, especially for beginners.
It is usually best to choose a main colour for the walls and a secondary colour for the ceiling and woodwork (and perhaps for the floor too). White is safe as a main colour, but you may prefer one of the ‘nearly white’ pale apricot or buff colours available. If you want a more positive colour, you need to know something about the individual characteristics of particular colours.
Bold colours appear to come ‘forward’ and pale colours tend to recede. Small rooms generally ask for fairly pale colour schemes to make the walls seem farther apart but richer, brighter colours can liven up box-like spaces, particularly kitchens or children’s rooms. In these rooms, the paint colours will not be at odds with the furniture, and a feeling of warmth and cosiness may be more important than one of space.
Reds tend to come forward, making a room seem smaller, while blues recede, giving the impression of space. A deep red on all four walls of a small room would probably be too overpowering but one red wall can be cheering, although even then it should be hung with paintings or kitchen equipment so that it acts as a background rather than dominating the room. It could be echoed by splashes of red in the rest of the room to give a unifying effect.
Blues are inclined to make a room feel cool. Rooms which face north or east get little sunlight and always seem chillier than rooms facing south or west, so in the 18th century it was common to paint or paper north-facing rooms in yellows and reds to make them seem warmer, choose a warm red, not bluey red.
Yellow will bring an impression of sunlight into a dark room, but choose an orange-yellow and avoid the greeny tones. Of all colors, yellows can be particularly deceptive; a lovely bright eggyolk color in the shop may turn a sickly green when you get it home, so choose with care.
Colors can alter depending on the light, the extent of the wall area and the colors they are next to. All colors will appear to change in different circumstances, particularly reds. What seems to be a pale and interesting color on the color chart can become oppressive and unpleasant when painted on a large wall, and a color which appears quite pale on a small area can look much darker over a larger surface. Look at the color in the natural light from the window as well as under artificial light, and place it next to other colors to see what happens. The eye sees things differently depending on what is next to them. Before going for something really bold, do a test piece first. Be flexible in your thinking and don’t expect to get the exact result you want first time. It takes practice and mistakes to become adept, but even if the result is not what you intended you may find you prefer it to your original idea!
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Last Updated ( Monday, 25 February 2008 )
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