Using Color Effectively In Your Home

Using Color Effectively in Your Home

Color plays a key role in creating an atmosphere and feel for our living and work spaces. Unless we are particularly aware of color and pay attention to it, we may find ourselves surrounded by bland and nondescript beige, off white and white. For people renting apartments, the requisite tan carpet and white walls are the norm in order to work with a variety of furnishings and not offend the basic renter’s taste.

In helping clients select paint colors for their home interiors, finding a neutral range to satisfy a couple’s taste and not compete with existing furniture and finishes is key. I often work in the off whites, gray tones, taupes and other neutrals since they can accommodate a variety of furnishings and work as a neutral background for more bold splashes of color in artwork and decor. When I help clients with exterior colors, again often neutral palettes are preferred especially if the house is located in a conservative neighborhood, for maximizing resell value or if there is an HOA to consider for color approval.

Things to consider when choosing colors for your home:

1. Be aware of the light reflective value (LRV) of the colors you are choosing. What this means is that the more white a color has, the higher its reflection of light off its surface and conversely, the darker the tone, the more the light is absorbed.
2. For the interior, what is the orientation of the home? Is there adequate light in the space? Is the home situated towards northern exposure and leaves rooms and hallways dark or dimly lit? This is where paying attention to the LRV is key so the room, if already dark, doesn’t become darker. And if the room gets flooded with sun from strong western/southern exposure, a bright white or very light colors, will add to the light bouncing even more so over the space.
3. Pay attention to hardwood flooring, stone/brick details, existing furniture so the colors your choose work with and not against those components. This goes for exterior colors as well with stone walkways, stone walls, brick fireplaces, colored rain gutters, roofing finishes and vinyl windows. All these are considerations so the paint works to create a unified look.
4. While most people will stick within a neutral color scheme, don’t be afraid to find places to inject a spot of color that can bring excitement and energy to space without having to commit to painting a whole room in a out-of-the-box color.
5. Some colors are tricky. Be careful when working with taupe, mauve, peach and gray. Taupes have a variety of undertones that if you’re not savvy to, will catch you off guard once painted. Taupe can have purple/lavender undertones, as well as tan and brown. Grays, very popular in recent years, have undertones of green and blue, peach can move toward pink or orange and mauve can skew purple or lavender.

Colors affect our mood and can set the tone for a space so it’s paramount to know the right colors and shades to pick. If you find yourself at a loss, call Steve at Creative Space Organizing & Design at 510.501.1213 for help.