Chapter 11 Using Color Effectively
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a color harmony that uses warm colors.
A southern exposure receives the most
sunlight and generally makes colors
appear bright and warm. Sometimes
cool colors are preferred for rooms with
southern exposures, 11-20.
You cannot assume, however, the
quality of light entering a room from a
specifi direction is always the same. The fic
light entering a bedroom with a north-
ern exposure will change signifi ficantly,
for example, if it reflects off a bright
white house next door. Also, a room
with a southern exposure will not be
sunny if a covered porch overhangs the
windows and doors. Even the light that
fi lters through trees outside a window fi
can change the quality of sunlight enter-
ing the room. Consequently, the best rule
of thumb is to view a color sample in the
actual room at different times of day and
night to examine all lighting factors.
When considering location, you also
need to think about the colors used in
adjoining rooms. The new colors you
choose should blend with those used in
adjoining rooms. In general, color should
not change abruptly from room to room.
Instead it should make a gradual transi-
tion from one space to another.
If the location of a dining room is next
to the living room, you can use the same
base color in both rooms. You might use
an analogous color harmony with yellow
as the base color of the color scheme in
both rooms. In the living room, consider
selecting yellow as the dominant color
with the other analogous hues play-
ing secondary roles. Then use the same
analogous color harmony in the dining
room but expand the harmony from
three to fi ve hues and add interest by fi fi
changing the tints or shades of the hues
selected. You might also choose to have
yellow play a less-dominant role in the
dining room than it did in the living
room. Introducing a color in the split-
complementary color harmony with
yellow as an accent will add excitement
to the room. Since yellow is the base
color of all the harmonies in both rooms,
it provides a smooth transition.
There is an exception to the rule of
blending colors in adjoining rooms. In
homes using contemporary design, the
walls of adjoining rooms may intention-
ally have different, bold colors. Devote
special care, however, to applying the
basic rules of color harmonies so the
abrupt transitions result in good design.
Using Color Correctly
As you work with color, the following
guidelines will help you use color well:
• Applying colors to large areas makes
them appear to gain intensity. Because
of this, a color you select from a paint
chip may appear too intense or dark
when painted on all four walls of a
room. At other times, a paint chip that
appears soft and easy on the eye will
fade to nothing when you apply it to
the four walls of a room. It is advisable
to paint a large swatch of the color on
the wall or piece of foam board to
help visualize how a paint color will
appear on a wall.
• Using contrasting colors draws atten-
tion. For example, a white sofa against
a dark wall will draw more attention
than a white sofa against a white wall,
11-20
Because this
bedroom has
a southern
exposure, the
designer chose
cool colors to
decorate the room.
These colors keep
this room looking
serene, light, and
airy.