Picking the colours to paint or accent the areas of a home is a small part of the work a designer puts into planning your home, but what you choose can make a world of difference to how your home looks and makes you feel.
Sarah Gallop, owner and director of design at Sarah Gallop Design Inc. sheds some light on the use and application of colour. For Gallop, it should be approached holistically.
“There are certainly areas where more or less colour can be applied based on usage of the space, but to achieve a professional design esthetic, the entire colour scheme of a house should be considered early in the planning.”
A look and a feel
When you have a blank slate to work with, such as with a new home, Gallop suggests looking at the things you love and consider how you want the house to feel.
“Colours inspire moods – tranquil neutrals will bring serenity, cool hues may lend a fresh beachy energy, deep earth tones a more intense romantic or moody vibe. If you are timid about using colour, visit a paint store and collect some chips that you like. You aren’t committing to anything by taking these home and allowing them to grow on you. They can also travel with you as you contemplate other elements and plan your palette.”
Connecting the spaces
For a seamless flow and continuity to be realized, designers will often use a main colour and carry this throughout many areas of the home. It can be used as a baseline to which other hues and shades can be added, and considered your accents that may be applied in the form of paint, wall coverings, draperies, or furnishings.
“Often, repeating accent colours in a few different rooms helps with connecting spaces and achieving an overall flow,” explains Gallop. “For example, if you wanted a soft, serene scheme, you may choose to accent with pastel blues and greens. Perhaps the main paint is an off-white or soft taupe. You may add some drapery in your living room that has some soft green, while your dining chairs are a soft blue to bring it all together.”
She suggests looking for something that ties the accents to one another. Patterned throw pillows on a sofa or a rug in the living room with some of the main shade and some of the accent colours, can pull it all together. Also consider ceilings and trims (window, doors and crown mouldings) and doors. These are often painted white, although they don’t have to be. If white is used, be as consistent with it as possible.
Bringing it all together
Gallop points out that interior and exterior colours should also tie together. “You don’t have to use the exact same colours inside that you used outside, but they should certainly complement each other for a well put together home.”
Professionally designed spaces are identifiable by their inclusion of everything that is present in the space — tones of wood and architectural details such as beams, mantels, window frames and brick carried throughout. These permanent aspects should be taken into consideration from the start, as they won’t be replaced as often as accessories.
To explore holistically designed colour themes in award-winning custom built and renovated homes, head to havan.ca/awards
