The importance of colour selection in your home
Colours have long been established to have a significant impact on the mind, mood, and body. Cool colours evoke a sense of tranquility and melancholy, while warm colours provoke an array of emotions including hostility and cordiality. It is of paramount importance to not only select the right colours for your house, but also to ensure a harmonious and seamless blend of the different hues.
The 60-30-10 Rule
This rule helps to create a balanced combination of colours. Different colours speak different languages of moods. A dash of blue streaks in the living room area, in front of a plush rocking chair, offers the inhabitants a calming retreat. Too much blue on the other hand and the space breathes pessimism, passiveness, and lethargy.
It is henceforth important to carefully consider the allocation of colours in your home. 60% of your home should consist of one colour tone, and this should form the scaffolding on which the remaining colours frame upon. This 60% should be a more conservative, safe, and inconspicuous choice. Choose a colour which evokes moods and characters that you can identify with largely.
The 30% should consist of décor colours which help to complement and accentuate the main body. It should serve as a supporting role, for example, to plaster a partition of salmon pink beside a white wall.
Lastly, 10% will be your distinctive and accent colours. It could be a hot-pink throw laid across the bed or sofa, lending passion and charisma to an otherwise regular set-up.
Figure 1: Example of a 60-30-10 combination
Warm vs Dark Colours
Colours can be broadly distinguished into warm and dark ones.
Warm colours include red, orange, and yellow. They tend to exhibit boldness, energy, and excitement. Introducing such colours into your home tend to intensify feelings of passion and desire. In bite-sized amounts, it dishes out energy to a room; in excess, it exacerbates anxiety and restlessness.
Whereas, for darker colours, it will tend to have a more built up, confined and a cozy space. These colours tend to "fall back" instead of "protruding" out of the walls. It can easily build up feelings of claustrophobia especially if it is used wrongly or used at a space that is already small.
Figure 2: Example of dark colours
The Complementary colour scheme
Earlier on, the importance of the 60-30-10 ratio was discussed – this combination of colouring provides the best distribution of colours and emotions. The 30% in this context can, but is not limited to, function as the complementary colours. For example, in a room with lots of red, blue can be used to soften any jarring effects that the former evokes.
Good combinations:
Red and Green
Yellow and Purple
Green and magenta
Blue and orange
Finding the right combination is simple, but not easy. To get inspired, pay attention to how colour combinations occur in nature. A red cherry hanging from a green vine. Orange leaves against a backdrop of blue skies in autumn.
Figure 3: Example of how different colours can complement each other
In summary, it saves you money in the long run to establish solid colour schemes in your home. Here is where an artsy designer will be able to instinctively pick out a suitable medley of colours to attribute your home with. Too often do we step into a house and feel that something is off-putting but cannot describe the cause. Invest in a designer to get these colours right from the outset, and never have to worry about it again.
