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Part 4 The Inside Story
of a room or house. When designing a
room, choose colors that you like seeing
together.Thechosencolorsprobablylook
good together because they conform to
an established color harmony.
A well-planned color scheme will
use color harmonies to blend and unify
the design of the home as you transition
from one room to another. It will also
consider the function of the room. As you
will see, even if you love red, it may be a
poor choice for a bedroom because of its
intensity. By following important guide-
lines, you can create a color scheme that
will enhance the near environment and
increase the enjoyment of a home, 11-15.
Choosing the Right Colors
The color harmonies you choose for
the color scheme of a home depend on
several factors. They include what mood
or style a person wants, the lifestyle of
the family members, the function or the
way the occupants will use the room,
the items in the room, and the room’s
location.
Moods and Styles
You can create a variety of moods
in a room through the use of color. For
example, you may want a room to feel
restful, or you may want it to appear
exciting. Choosing cool colors that have
similar values will create a restful mood
in the room, such as in 11-16. Choosing
warm colors with contrasting values
will make the room feel exciting.
You can also choose colors that will
create a certain style in a room. Different
styles, such as southwestern or country,
often suggest the use of specific colors. fi
You can use these colors in different
color harmonies to achieve the style you
want.
In a southwestern-style room, for
example, you may choose warm desert
colors, such as rust, sunset orange, brick,
and sand. In a country-style room, you
may choose low-intensity shades of
reds, blues, oranges, and yellows.
Lifestyles
Some people have active lifestyles
whileothersleadquieterlives.Thecolors
you choose depend on the lifestyles of
household members. For instance, with
small children, give consideration to
darker colors and shades that do not
show dirt easily. In contrast, a house-
hold of adults may choose lighter colors
for the walls and upholstery because
upkeep is less of a concern.
The colors you choose for each room
also depend upon how they are used.
Primary and secondary colors of normal
intensity are fi ne for a child’s room, such
as in 11-17. If you use the same hues in
an adult’s bedroom, however, softer
tints or tones at lower intensity levels
are preferable.
11-14
Combinations of
black, gray, and
white create neutral
color schemes.
Small splashes of
accent colors can
add interest.
11-15
Colors found in
nature were the
inspiration for the
earthy color scheme
in this bedroom.