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"Color
is to the eye as music to the ear", said Louis C. Tiffany.
Choosing the Right Color
No other decorating component has more power and greater effect at such little cost than color. It can fill a
space and make tired old furnishings look fresh and new. Color can also show off fine architectural details or
downplay a room's structural flaws. A particular color can make a cold room cozy, while another hue can cool
down a sunny cooker. And color comes cheap, giving a tremendous impact for your decorating dollar: elbow grease,
supplies, prep work, and paint will all cost pretty much the same if you choose a gorgeous hue over plain white.
But finding the color -- the right color -- isn't easy. The right color is worth the trial and effort it
takes to find it, but where do you begin to look?
The color wheel is a tool decorators use to see the relationship of one color to another. The primary colors
(yellow, blue, and red) are combined in the remaining hues (orange, green, and purple). Neighboring colors
harmonize and blend into one another, just as voices do in harmony. Complementary colors -- those opposite
one another on the color wheel -- offer contrast and enhance one another. Colors that are not complementary
make each other less true -- blue and green become teal, for example.
For the past 200 years, white has been the most popular choice for American home exteriors. And it still is,
followed by tan, brown, and beige. You can play it safe and follow the leader. But you should also think about
the architecture of your house and where you live when you're considering exterior color. For example,
traditional Colonials have a color-combination range of about two that look appropriate: white with black or
green shutters and gray with white trim. Mediterranean-style houses typically pick up the colors of terra-cotta
and the tile that are indigenous to the regions that developed the architecture -- France, Italy, and Spain. A
ranch-style house shouldn't be overdone -- it is, after all, usually a modest structure. On the other hand, I
think a cottage can be fanciful but not daring -- unlike the houses in Miami's South Beach. Even there, softer,
more livable bright hues are replacing the early outrageous colors of the Art Deco revival movement. Whimsical
colors look charming on Victorian houses in San Francisco, too, but they would be out of place in conservative
Scarsdale, New York, where you must check with the local building board when you want to change the exterior color
of your house. That regulation came into effect after someone decide to paint a prominent house in town electric
blue. Which points out the need to reference your immediate neighbours' houses when choosing an exterior color.
Like exteriors, interiors often take their color cues from their environs and local traditions. In the rainy
and often chilly Pacific Northwest, cozy blanket plaids in strong reds and black abound. In the hot-and-arid
climate of the West, indigo or brown ticking-stripes and faded denim look appropriately casual and cool. Subtle
grays and neutrals, reflecting steel, limestone, and cement, look apropos for sophisticated city life.
In very warm southern climates, the brilliant sun bleaches out color. That explains the popularity of strong
hues in tropical, sun-drenched locales. Think of the saturated colors of Provence -- Sunflower Yellow, Grape
Hyacinth, Azure Blue, and Poppy Red. Imagine the calypso pinks and oranges and the tangy greens and blues of the
Caribbean Islands. Neutrals and whites work well in these hot spots, too, because they don't compete with the
sun. They're cool, quiet and tranquil, and they remind me of the crisp white linen worn on safari.
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