Lesson 1: The Five Basic Factors
Color
We are surrounded by vibrant colors in nature, and we enjoy bringing the same effects into our interiors. There are other sources for the color in our homes as well, such as the machinery of our daily lives: plumbing, cables, wire, plastics, glass, metals, and other man-made products which make up our tools and appliances, transportation and buildings.
Have you given thought to the way color affects you as you stand in your project room? Does it have four white walls, a white ceiling, and a pale floor covering? Is it eye-popping with high-contrast colors? Are you soothed, or energized, or bored when you are in this room? If it is open to the nearest room (no walls in between), do the two rooms seem to flow together, or do they have a demarcation line created by two different wall colors?
None of these responses is wrong. What is important is whether you like the feeling you get when standing in the room. If you enjoy the spare backdrop of white walls, against which your artwork or fabrics stand out pleasantly, then you should keep that color.
Standing in the center of the room, analyze its size – not by measuring, but by "feel". Do you feel as if the ceiling is pressing down on you? Do you feel the room is too long, or too short, for your comfort level?
Color can change the way a room "feels" without changing its dimensions in the least. In general, light and cool colors will expand a room or raise a ceiling. Warm, darker colors will make a room seem cozier, and lower a ceiling. You can enhance a feature by painting it a contrasting color, and hide it by painting it the same color as surrounding areas. Contrasting trim and molding "shrinks" a space, while minimal contrasts "expand" the space.
There are fashion trends in the interior design/home furnishings industry, just as there are in clothing or cars. Whether or not you choose the "trendy" color schemes for your home depends on whether you enjoy repainting and replacing the fabrics every few years. If not, it's wiser to stick to a classic theme or palette, which can be updated with a change of accessories or artwork when you wish. My first real "home" was a co-op built in 1975. In 1995, there were still orange counters, yellow cabinets, and olive green appliances completing the "1970's" look. I could not change these fixtures – and believe me, after 20 years I was heartily sick of the oh-so-trendy interior décor! (Yes, I'd painted the walls and changed the accessories countless times!)
How have you identified the "feel" of the room you will be remodeling? Are you satisfied with its effect on you? Do you envision it a different way? How can color change your perception of the room's size, function, or comfort?
