Colour

Colour is a very important part of my designs, as my client wants the colour schemes to coordinate with the furnishings that she is taking with her. So I have researched colour and found an online book by Cameron Chapman about the theory of colour and the meanings behind them.

To begin with, she explains how colour can create different reactions in different people, which can either be a result of personal preference, or a result of cultural background. Different hues and saturations of a colour can change its evoked feeling completely. The diagram below shows the different colours that are explored in her book.

Warm colours

Warm colours are reds, oranges and yellows, the colours of fire, autumn leaves and sunsets. They are typically energizing, passionate and positive. They are all warm colours because yellow and red are primary colours and orange is created by mixing them. These colours used in design create feelings of happiness, enthusiasm and energy. 

RED

Red can be linked with fire, violence, war as well as love and passion. It can create a sense of importance, e.g. the red carpet at events, but also danger, e.g. traffic lights. In design aspects, red can be a very strong accent, and overpowering if used too much. Brighter reds can be energetic, whereas darker reds can be powerful and elegant. 

I think for my project, red will be too overpowering for a home of an 80 year old woman, and it doesn't match her tastes, but I will look into pinks as they are softer and paler, particularly as there are pink tones in the bedcovers she is taking.

ORANGE

Orange is also a very vibrant and energizing colour. It is linked with earth and autumn, and change and movement. It is also a fruit, which can be linked with health and is less overpowering than red.

As orange is linked to health, I think it would be good to use this colour in my client's kitchen, especially as she has been ill recently, so it will be a colour to help lift her feelings healthwise. However, I think it will need to be toned down as it is a strong colour.

YELLOW

Yellow is the brightest warm colour and is linked with happiness and summer. It can represent hope and courage, and in designs, it can display cheerfulness. Softer yellows, often used for children's decor, are calmer than brighter ones, and darker yellows can be used with antiques. 

My client hasn't expressed an interest in yellow at all, so I will be careful where I use it if I choose to use it. There are no children in the house and she doesn't like antiques particularly, so I will see how my designs develop.

Cool Colours

These are greens, blues and purples, colours of water, night, and nature. They represent feelings of calmness, relaxing and reserved. Cool colours in design can give a sense of calm and professionalism.

GREEN

Green represents growth and new beginnings, but also envy and jealousy. Brighter greens in design can be vibrant but darker greens can be more nature inspired and represent wealth.

Green would be good for my client as it notes the new beginning, but she is not an envious or jealous person, so it would be inappropriate for that reason. So green will not be included in any of my designs.

BLUE

Blue can be linked to sadness but also calmness. Light blues are relaxing, bright blues are refreshing and dark blues show strength. It can also create a cold atmosphere in a room.

Because blue can represent sadness and feel cold, I will try to avoid using blue in my designs. 

PURPLE

Purple is linked to royalty and creativity. Darker purples create a sense of wealth and luxury whereas lighter purples are more romantic.


Purple will fit in well with my colour scheme for the bedroom, which is a palette of pinks and purples. I will use darker purples as these will appear more luxurious, perfect for a new home.

Neutral colours

These colours are typically used for backgrounds. In design, they are usually combined with brighter colours, and are sophisticated. 

BLACK

Black is the strongest of these colours and can be linked with power, formality and elegance, but also evil and death. In designs, it can be elegant, sophisticated, modern, traditional and conservative, depending what other others it is mixed with. 

For my client, I think black will be too modern, and maybe create an unhappy atmosphere, which is the opposite to what she needs after being ill. I will avoid using black, unless for small items, particularly as my client likes rooms to be bright. As the rooms are fairly small in size, using black will make the rooms feel even smaller.

WHITE
White can also work together with most other colours, and different moods can be created depending on what colours are teamed with white. White is typically associated with purity, cleanliness and health. In design, white is usually used as a background colour for accents, and can make a room feel lighter and more spacious.

White will be a good colour to use for my client’s home because it will make the rooms feel bigger and will bounce more light around the small rooms. It is also associated with cleaniness and health, so a good place to use the colour will be in the bathroom or the kitchen.

GRAY

Grey is considered to be a dull colour and can create a low or depressing feeling. Light grays can be used instead of whites and darker grays can be used instead of black to soften the design. For designs, gray is often used for formality and professionalism and is quite common to use for backgrounds.

Again, in my client’s home, gray will be too depressing if she falls ill again and her mood needs lifting. So I will try to avoid this colour as much as possible in my designs.

BROWN
Brown is an earth colour, connected with wood and nature. It is a warmer colour and represents reliability, steadfastness and also dullness. In design, it is typically used as a background colour and in wood and stone textures. It can be used like gray as a replacement for black.

My client likes wood kitchen units, so to use a brown colour palette would tie the kitchen units in with the rest of the room. As it is a warm colour, it will create a cozier atmosphere to the small room.

BEIGE and TAN
These colours can be warm or cool, depending on what colours they are teamed with. They can often be seen as dull, and in design it is usually the other colours with them that create the atmosphere. 

I could use these colours with other brighter ones in the bathroom and kitchen as they will be lighter to use than darker browns, which will fit in well with my colour schemes.

CREAM and IVORY
These colours are often seen as sophisticated and are quiet colours with a sense of history. They are a bit warmer than pure white, and are calm colours. In design, they can create elegance and can be earthy when mixed with browns. They often lighten darker colours too.

These colours will be good to use in my design, particularly on the walls as they will lighten up the small rooms and work well with darker accent colours. As they work well with any colour, it will be a good background colour for the rooms in case my client wants to change colour schemes in the future.

In summary, colour theory is about the feeling and the mood a colour can create. Below are the common feelings for each colour.

• Red: Passion, Love, Anger
• Orange: Energy, Happiness, Vitality
• Yellow: Happiness, Hope, Deceit
• Green: New Beginnings, Abundance, Nature
• Blue: Calm, Responsible, Sadness
• Purple: Creativity, Royalty, Wealth
• Black: Mystery, Elegance, Evil
• Gray: Moody, Conservative, Formality
• White: Purity, Cleanliness, Virtue
• Brown: Nature, Wholesomeness, Dependability
• Tan or Beige: Conservative, Piety, Dull
• Cream or Ivory: Calm, Elegant, Purity

So the colours I will be looking to use in my designs are reds(pinks), purples, whites, browns, tans and creams.




Bibliography

Book: Colour theory for designers Part 1: The meaning of colour
Author: Cameron Chapman
Available at: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/ (viewed 14th October 2011)