Choosing Colour Schemes for Your Home
Your home reflects your personality in many ways. Whether through colour (or lack of it), or design and furnishings, every area of your home makes a statement about you and your family. A scary thought, right?
Colour is what brings life to an otherwise drab room. The colour choices you make for each room will greatly depend on the room’s purpose and how it will be used in everyday life. For example, a room where guests are entertained often might reflect more bold colours for a cheerful atmosphere. A room where you and your family retrieve for reading a book, taking a nap or for praying might contain soothing, peaceful shades of neutral colours. A room where the family dines might be a combination of both. Every room has its own statement to make, and you can create the atmosphere you want for any room of your home.
Colour Schemes and Statements
To make a bold colour statement, reds mixed with light green or bright green mixed with yellows and oranges are a great way to make a room really stand out. Black and white also make a bold statement. Never hesitate to use solid white blended with bright colours to create a bright, fun atmosphere in a room. Bold colours can be used in rooms where there is entertainment or family games. Bold colours also work well for kids rooms or sun rooms. Bright colours can be used to set a mood or draw attention. Perhaps you’d like to draw attention to a certain area of a room. Dazzling colours will draw attention.
For a more relaxing room, use neutral colours with a hint of light colour here and there to create a pleasant, calm ambiance. If you have heavy oak furniture for example, which is dark in colour, lighten it up with home accessories. A dark coloured couch can be enlightened by a lovely throw rug or pillows. Use a table cloth or runner to brighten a dark wooden table. A dark headboard of a bed can be complimented by a neutral coloured drape or cloth to soften its appearance and create a calmer, more neutral look.
There are many accessories you can use to reform an otherwise dark or dull room. Other decor items that are inexpensive and can beautify a room are lamps, flowers, figurines, portraits, sculptures, tables, stools and drapes.
Textures and Color
If you’re using neutral colours to maintain a peaceful aura in a room, textures keep the room simple, but interesting. Textures are created using decorative pieces that your guests will want to reach out and touch. Examples of pieces with rich textures can be soft, shaggy pillows, a velvet table cloth, a fruit basket that looks very real with fuzzy peaches, a canvas painting, etc. Textured pieces add to the decor of a room, but don’t necessarily make bold statements unless they’re very bright in colour. You can blend these types of items into a room of neutral color.
Colours for Bathrooms, Utility Rooms and Home Offices
Smaller rooms of the home are sometimes difficult to decorate. Limited space tends to result in limited imagination for many people. You shouldn’t ignore these rooms, however. They are very important in your home, and can leave an impression also. For smaller rooms, light colours can make the rooms appear more spacious. Even though these rooms are limited in space, you can still be creative with the space that you have available.
Your bathroom colours should be relaxing because this is where you spend time bathing and preparing for the busy day ahead. Wouldn’t in be nice to have a lovely bathroom all to yourself for at least a “few” moments each morning?
If you have a home office, you can blend bright colours to create a busy, fun atmosphere. Boredom and fatigue often hinders people who work at home (especially while operating a computer). Give your home office personality and excitement with a bright-coloured decor. It may keep you awake and alert on those tiresome afternoons!
A utility room, although not frequently visited by guests, should be decorated for convenience, not just beauty. Organisation is the key, and adding a splash of colour will give the room an energetic atmosphere.
Every room makes a difference. Choose colour schemes that you and your family will enjoy, and turn your home into a paradise!
