Your home should be a place where you can relax and show your creativity. When it comes to decorating your interior, nothing quite says bold and confident like a splash of colour. But before you start slapping on the layers, there are some tips you should keep in mind to ensure you end up with a home that looks like a piece of art rather than a funfair ride.
Colour Your Mood
Colours have a profound effect on the mood of a room and a person. According to research, almost 90% of the sensory information a person can absorb is due to colour. So, when choosing colours for your home, think carefully about the effect you want it to create. For example, avoid warm, vibrant shades like red and orange for bedrooms and rooms where you want to create a relaxing feel. Warm colours are useful in high-traffic areas like kitchens and entertainment zones, where having an energised mood will come in useful.
Be Playful with Patterns
If you don’t want to go overboard with bright, fully coloured walls, you can always look to your furnishings to bring you a pop of colour. Bold, colourful patterns on rugs, throws, and lampshades can help create excitement and vibrancy in otherwise bland rooms. Try to pick pieces with at least one colour in common with your room to help create synergy and balance. Check out our Home Page for a look at some of our favourite collections to help you lift the mood and breathe new life into stale spaces.
The Secret to Not Going Overboard with Colour
When using colour, it can be easy to go overboard. That is why designers try to stick to the 60-30-10 rule. This rule says you should never have more than 60% of a room in a single colour. This includes your walls and your big furniture like beds and built-in cupboards. The next 30% of your room should be in the secondary colour of your choice. The last 10% of your room includes accessories, decorative items, throw pillows, and other soft furnishings. These should feature an accent colour that is used sparingly to create pops of interest.
The Right Amount of Contrast
When picking your colours to fit into your 60-30-10 palette, you have a few different options. Your secondary shade could simply be a lighter or darker variant of your main colour. Or you could embrace some contrast by choosing a complementary colour. Contrast adds interest to a space, so accent pieces in a complementary tone can help make a room feel more deliberate and dynamic. They can also be used to guide a person’s eye and focus their attention on specific parts of a room.
Colour is an important tool in an interior designer’s toolbox. It is also one that can easily be used by amateur decorators. Remember to read up on colour theory and use a colour wheel when choosing which hues to put in your room to create the effect you want.
