Colors have different characteristics. Follow the 7 following tips for choosing the colors of the house to give all its brilliance to your interior.
1. Understand how colors are formed
Primary colors (red, blue and yellow) form the base of the chromatic circle.
- The secondary (green, orange and violet) resulting from the mixture of two primary.
- The tertiaries are obtained by mixing a primary color and a secondary color (orange-yellow, orange-red, purplish red).
2. The role of complementary colors
The complementary ones are diametrically opposite on the chromatic circle; Although they are very contrasted, they harmonize.
- Those that follow each other (like colors) are also considered harmonious.
- Finally, those which appear together in nature generally agree, whatever their place in the chromatic circle.
- To succeed in decorating a room, it is not enough to choose the color of the walls and the ceiling. Furniture, household linen and accessories must fit in the same chromatic harmony.
3. Enlarge or shrink a room
A judicious choice of colors makes it possible to enlarge a piece or to give it an impression of height. Conversely, some shades can help create a more warm and intimate atmosphere in a very large or high ceiling space.
- To give more generous proportions to a small room, choose bright colors.
- Dark, warm colors — dark red, for example — create a cozy atmosphere in a large room.
4. A higher or lower ceiling
- The ceiling will appear higher if it is darker than the walls. Be sure to follow the line between the walls and the ceiling!
- To give the impression that a ceiling is less high, paint it with a dark color. The lower part of the walls can remain clear, with a gradient increasingly darker upwards. On the other hand, if the color clears from bottom to top, the piece will look higher.
5. Make a room less or more closely
- A narrow room will look wider if you paint long walls with light colors.
- Conversely, a wide room will look narrower if the long walls are painted with dark colors.
6. Energy saving
- Walls painted in light, warm colors require less lighting, which saves energy.
7. Choose color of furniture and accessories
- Start by choosing a base color, adapted to both your tastes and the vocation of the room, which you can decline in all tones according to the walls, carpets and curtains.
- For furniture and accessories, stay in matching colors, unless you prefer an additional shade that punctuates the piece of color keys.
- You can also play the card of elegance with tone on tone (several shades of the same color).
- It is also possible to combine two matching colors which are side by side in the chromatic circle.
- Do you want to combine colors of different intensities? Caution! A sustained color next to a pastel color obliges the eye to adapt each time it passes from light to dark. This can create an optical discomfort and make the room feel less pleasant.
- If you choose white or gray as your base color, add a few red, green, blue or even pink touches, such as a couch, cushions, vases, paintings or other accessories.
If you hesitate, ask advice in a specialized store, to avoid decoration either too monotonous or too flashy.