IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR IN INTERIOR DESIGN

Why is colour so important in Interior Design? Colour is one of the biggest influences on someones mindset, colours relate to emotions and feelings: ‘red being anger’, ‘blue with cold’ and ‘green with envy’, according to psychology, colour can affect the way in which we behave and this has influenced design in a way where colour is taken into account everywhere it is used.

There are so many different spaces which are important to take into account when colour is used, some places such as hospitals would need a different colour to what a restaurant would, this is because these two spaces need to have different moods which affect how the people feel. Colour is used to draw attention and encourage you to pick it up, being a object on the shelf in a supermarket, to a cover of a book, however some people don’t like using colour in their home, how can you create a homely feel to your home by using just white and black? You can’t.

COLOUR SCHEME INFLUENCED BY VENICE

Colour can be inspired by anything. Colours are known to help create atmosphere, because they do create moods they need to be used in a clever manner, red would usually be found in dining rooms because it is known to stimulate your appetite, blue and green are calm and relaxing colours, these could be a good choice for bedrooms or lounges. Because colours such as yellow and orange have such an energetic feel to them, they would be well situated in a room where lots goes on, such as a kitchen or a reception area. Some tones of colours can be too intense, this is why the hue is then toned down to help create a less bold colour, for example, orange can be toned down to a more terracotta orange which is less intense, yet still energetic, this would be good for a home space such as a small office, it isn’t too intense but its just right.

The three key questions which get asked while working with colours in interior spaces are:

• WHAT ?
• WHO ?
• WHERE ?

WHAT is the function/purpose/use of the space you are choosing the colour for?

•  Colours used for home interiors can be chosen to a personal choice, depending on the clients taste or theme throughout their home. Where as like I mentioned before hospitals would need a different mood, usually they use blue as this is a calm colour which can suggest the mood of quietness or cleanliness, contrasted against restaurants which usually have bright colours, more or less always including red to help stimulate the appetite. The function of the space is important for when considering the colour as you base your choice on the preferences which the clients have asked for as well as taking into account what kind of atmosphere is desired to create a certain mood or emotion in which you are wanting to achieve.

WHO is the end user of the space you are choosing colour for?

•  Before you start deciding a colour scheme for the interior space which you are designing, it is very important to find out all the uses for it and their desired needs, good questions to know the answers to are, what is the age group, children, youth or elderly? Do the clients who are going to be using the space have any special needs which would be needed to take into consideration?   The colour would vary depending on the age group, for instance, young children are more attracted to colours than they are to shapes and they also prefer colours like red and blues. For elderly people because they may suffer from bad eye site, the colours around them may appear paler, this then means the colour you choose for the space will need to be brighter and contrast.

WHERE is the colour for the space you are choosing going to be located?

• Colour schemes may change depending on if you are in a hot and bright climate, contrasted to a cold and dull climate, this affects the use of colour. Choosing where to locate the colour within a room can be optional, however it can also be used to create illusions of a small space seeming bigger, or vice versa.

JASON MEAD- LOUNGE CONCEPT SKETCH- IDEA OF SHOWING COLOUR PLACEMENT

COLOUR YOUR PERSONALITY

When designing an interior space for a clients home, etc. you need to take into account their personality as well as what they are asking for, personalities can be a huge give away as to what a certain person likes or find aesthetically pleasing, this can help you when doing furnishings for a room or even to just give you a head start when it comes to creating a mood board for colours/décor.

Elsie de Wolfe, the doyenne of American decorating, believed in exploiting the impact of color. When choosing a color scheme, she paid as much attention to a homeowner’s personality as she did to the furnishings that were to go into a room. In her 1913 book, The House in Good Taste, she wrote “we must consider the effect of color on our nerves, our eyes, our moods, everything.” Valuable and timeless advice.

Linda Rosen interiors- http://lindaroseninteriors.com/blog/importance-of-color-interior-design/ 2015- ACCESSED 26TH OCT 2015

LOVE THE COLOUR YOU LIVE IN

My opinion on colour is enjoy it, be expressive with it, show off your personality and create a mood you want to always feel. Trends are not always a good idea to follow, they are never the same, trends are forever changing and this is why you need to create a space which you enjoy being in, whether it makes you feel at home, or just generally happy, love the colour you live in.