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Since
color is the basis for all decorating schemes, becoming "color
smart" is vital! Understanding what color is, how colors affect
you and how they relate to each other builds confidence in
your ability to make wise decorating choices.
Explained
scientifically, color is light, which is carried on wavelengths
that the eye perceives and transmits to the brain. The brain
processes this information so that you "see colors".
Objects
are "colored" because of their pigments. Pigments absorb some
light colors and reflect other light colors. An object that
you see as blue in fact absorbs all the other light colors
but blue light. This unabsorbed light is reflected onto the
eye, and the brain "sees" it as blue.
Every
discussion of color and the relationship of one color to another
begins with the color wheel, an arrangement of 12 colors in
a circle in the order of the spectrum. (A rainbow in the sky
exhibits the colors of the spectrum; so does light passing
through a prism.) The color wheel sets related colors close
to each other and complementary colors opposite each other,
making the color wheel an important reference point when selecting
a color scheme. Colors that fall opposite each other on the
wheel (red and green; blue and orange; yellow and purple)
are called complementary colors. When two complementary colors
are viewed side by side, they intensify each other so that,
for instance, red appears redder and green greener. For this
reason, a decorating scheme based on complementary colors
is bold and exciting.
Adjoining
colors (also called analogous colors) are those that exist
next to each other on the color wheel. Decorating with adjoining
colors produces a relaxing and welcoming ambience.
Triad
colors-three colors equidistant from each other on the color
wheel-produce high-impact decorating schemes, particularly
if one of the three colors is used predominantly and the other
two play subordinate roles as accents.
Colors
are said to be "warm" or "cool". If you like to live in a
cozy setting, wrapped in an ambience reminiscent of a summer
day, you'd be wise to select a decorating scheme based on
warm colors. If you prefer the calm that prevails in colors
that lack sun-drenched touches, you'll be happiest in rooms
decorated with cool colors.
Look
again at the color wheel. Draw an imaginary line vertically
through the middle. The cool receding colors fall to the left
of this line. The warm advancing colors fall to the right.
However, these are not absolutes: for there are "warm" reds
and "cool" reds, depending on the amount of yellow the red
contains (making it a "warm red") or the amount of blue it
contains (making it a "cool" red). Any color can be made warmer
by increasing its yellow content, while any color can be made
cooler by increasing its blue content!
Colors
look different in different lights. When contemplating a color
to use in decorating, the light in which it is seen will greatly
affect the way you perceive it. This is important to remember
when picking wallcoverings in a store lit by fluorescent bulbs.
Be sure to view samples of wallcoverings (or paints) in the
rooms in which they will be used -both during the day and
with the lights on at night, so that you get a true sense
of how they will appear.
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Colors
have a real impact on how we behave and feel. This is partly a result
of automatic behavioral responses to color. It is also partly due
to learned responses influenced by age, sex, cultural background and
other factors. This means your choice of colors will affect how comfortable
you will be in your surroundings. For example; green encourages feelings
of emotional well-being; one feels tranquil and refreshed in green
surroundings. Pale green tones are particularly soothing; they are
an excellent color choice in a bedroom. Green's popularity is so universal,
it is often considered a "neutral" color. |
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Red
is a passionate color, perceived as aggressive, strong
and vital. Because it stimulates the appetite, red is
a favorite color for decorating dining rooms. Yellow's
popularity is easy to understand, for it reminds us of
sunshine and warmth and is always uplifting and cheery.
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Though
viewed as utilitarian and earthy, brown has a subtle richness
and is associated with comfort and warmth, making it a
favorite decorating color. Blue is a calming color you
can enjoy forever without tiring of it. Blue is sometimes
considered a "neutral" because of its enduring qualities
and ability to partner with so many other colors. |
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Universally
feminine and soothing, pink suggests innocence, softness
and good health. Purple, sophisticated, mysterious and
perceived as "expensive", is known to settle emotions
and suppress appetites, but it is a difficult color to
live with in large amounts over long periods of time.
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Easy-living
white, associated with purity and truthfulness, comes
in many shades, both "cool" and "warm", depending on its
blue or yellow content. Black, a distinctive, bold and
classic color, is a great background shade for layering
on other colors, though it can be oppressive in large
amounts. |
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Your
personality, your favorite "look", favorite colors and your
individual rooms will all help you target the color family
you will select for decorating.
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