How to match hues to your mood & the function of a room
By Kristin McClellan
2008-01-04
If you’re thinking about starting off the New Year with a fresh look in your home, what better time to analyze your decision about how color will work throughout your house? I know I’ve mentioned before the importance of color selection, but I would like to go into detail about different colors, what they are saying about you and how they will make others feel in your home.
Red — Red is a color used often in countries with very warm climates. Symbolically it expresses the vitality of the people in a certain area. It is a passionate color with strength, character and energy. If you decide to paint your bedroom walls red, it may be a little bit hard to wind down in there, where it should be calm and relaxing. Maybe a family room with much activity would be a better choice. My husband and I have a band room with bright red walls and dark grey flooring — this revs us up for practice and keeps us moving.
Orange — While orange is close to red in energy, it evokes a different feeling. It has the optimism of red and yellow and can be very cheerful, harmonious and warm. I love the pumpkin-ish terra cotta walls in my living room. It is so warm and inviting and when I see the color from the street as I am walking the dog, I get a wonderful feeling inside and I can’t wait to come in from the cold and sit with my family by the fireplace and talk about the day’s events.
Yellow — Yellow is a very bright and cheerful color, sometimes easy to tire of because of its high intensity. A too-bright yellow can be harsh, but a muted soft yellow can be very inviting and warm — good to use in bedrooms for children, kitchens and bathrooms. Since we just moved into our home at the end of October, we have not gotten to do everything we’ve wanted to yet. The bathroom on the main floor is one of the rooms still waiting for change, but I do love the color in there — a very cheerful yellow tiled sink countertop and bathtub area — and I chose a light yellow cotton shower curtain and fluffy yellow rug — very “yummy.”
Green — Oh how I used to be a green addict! I have toned down my green usage, even though I do still like it a lot. Green is very evocative of nature and can always bring an organic and natural feeling to a home, especially one with a lot of wood. It can be used over and over again in accessories like pillows, curtains and rugs. It is a lovely neutral that, depending on the tone, can be just the right pick for a certain room.
Blue — My new green! Blue is magical. I can feel the effects of certain blues instantly as I am looking at a paint wheel. It has to be just the right tone for a specific place — but I think you know it when you see it! Blue is serene and soothing, associated with water and sky. It can be used with many other colors and my favorite is violet right now. Blue is not just the blue of yesterday (think country-crafty). Take a look at it again and get creative!
Happy New Year to all of you. This is the year for all your design dreams to come to fruition!
Red — Red is a color used often in countries with very warm climates. Symbolically it expresses the vitality of the people in a certain area. It is a passionate color with strength, character and energy. If you decide to paint your bedroom walls red, it may be a little bit hard to wind down in there, where it should be calm and relaxing. Maybe a family room with much activity would be a better choice. My husband and I have a band room with bright red walls and dark grey flooring — this revs us up for practice and keeps us moving.
Orange — While orange is close to red in energy, it evokes a different feeling. It has the optimism of red and yellow and can be very cheerful, harmonious and warm. I love the pumpkin-ish terra cotta walls in my living room. It is so warm and inviting and when I see the color from the street as I am walking the dog, I get a wonderful feeling inside and I can’t wait to come in from the cold and sit with my family by the fireplace and talk about the day’s events.
Yellow — Yellow is a very bright and cheerful color, sometimes easy to tire of because of its high intensity. A too-bright yellow can be harsh, but a muted soft yellow can be very inviting and warm — good to use in bedrooms for children, kitchens and bathrooms. Since we just moved into our home at the end of October, we have not gotten to do everything we’ve wanted to yet. The bathroom on the main floor is one of the rooms still waiting for change, but I do love the color in there — a very cheerful yellow tiled sink countertop and bathtub area — and I chose a light yellow cotton shower curtain and fluffy yellow rug — very “yummy.”
Green — Oh how I used to be a green addict! I have toned down my green usage, even though I do still like it a lot. Green is very evocative of nature and can always bring an organic and natural feeling to a home, especially one with a lot of wood. It can be used over and over again in accessories like pillows, curtains and rugs. It is a lovely neutral that, depending on the tone, can be just the right pick for a certain room.
Blue — My new green! Blue is magical. I can feel the effects of certain blues instantly as I am looking at a paint wheel. It has to be just the right tone for a specific place — but I think you know it when you see it! Blue is serene and soothing, associated with water and sky. It can be used with many other colors and my favorite is violet right now. Blue is not just the blue of yesterday (think country-crafty). Take a look at it again and get creative!
Happy New Year to all of you. This is the year for all your design dreams to come to fruition!
Kristin McClellan is a professional home stager and redesigner who runs her business, HomeCharmers, with her husband, Nathaniel, a flooring expert and furniture craftsman. They work together to make people’s homes more buyer-friendly and help homeowners who are staying enjoy it more. You can reach her at 899-1239 or www.homecharmers.net.