How to work with colour?

As Cliff & De Chabaneix (2008, p.8) state “In the fashion industry …[a] consultant can tell you what colour suits your skin tone, your hair, your personality, and so on”; however, in interiors, which reflect the lifestyle choices, colours are not usually matched based on any of the above, and should be selected even more carefully, as they directly affect people and can evoke a range of emotions and trigger different behaviours.

Designers use a colour wheel to illustrate the colours of the visible spectrum. Using the colour wheel can be particularly helpful when selecting a colour scheme for any space

The RGB colour model is split into two halves, a warm half and a cool half. The warm half runs from red through orange and yellow, until green. The cool half runs from green through red and violet. This colour wheel represents the primary colours, i.e., yellow, blue and red, and secondary colours, i.e., orange, green and violet. The primary colours take their name from the fact that they cannot be produced by mixing other hues. The secondary ones are made by intermixing primary colours. The colors in opposite positions on a colour wheel are said to be complementary colors, because they work well together. For example, red and green are opposite each other on the wheel, so they are complementary colors. Though they remind most people of Christmas, that need not always be the case.

Here, by painting the walls olive green and cabinets bright red, a successful complementary scheme has been achieved.

Orange and blue also are at opposite points. In using them, an instant complementary color scheme can be achieved.

Here, tinted orange has been surrounded by delicate tones of light blue and turquoise.

A colour scheme that combines three colours equally spaced on a colour wheel is called a triad. The simplest triad is red, yellow and blue, formed of the primary colours. An interesting variation of the triad is the split complement. The latter uses one of the primary colours, for example green. Directly opposite green on the wheel is red. But if we veer to the right and to the left of green we get orange and purple. Green, orange and purple are a split complement.

For a successful triad scheme, one colour should be dominant, and two others should be used for accent. The split-complimentary colour scheme offers the same strong contrast as the complementary colour scheme, but has less tension.

Combining different colours is not always necessary to achieve a successful colour scheme. If one decides to use just one colour, and any of its shade, tint or tone, it is important to use different finishes, such as high gloss or matt, and different textures, to ensure a successful, interesting monochromatic scheme. Shade refers to a hue (colour), achieved by mixing a pure colour with black. How dark the hue is depends on the amount of black used. Tint describes a hue which is a result of mixing pure color and white, while tone refers to how light or dark it is after adding grey.

A monochromatic, scheme has been chosen for this bedroom. We can see different shades, tints and tones of blue.

Here more successful examples of monochromatic colour schemes for a mysterious and elegant living room and a child's bedroom.

By using colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel, a harmonious, known as well as analogous colour scheme can be achieved. By using two hues similar in tonal values, one can prevent one colour from dominating and disturbing the balance in any space.

The picture above shows how well turquoise and purple match and create a comfortable design.

Below, serene, pleasing to the eye schemes using different tints and shades of green and blue, often found in nature, are presented.

Colour Coding in Architecture and Interior Design

Whether you're looking to change completely or just update your existing colour scheme, using 'codes' could be both practical and inspirational.

**Where practicality meets creativity**

My research starts in Paris, city of love... for art and design. Believed to be the largest museum for modern art in Europe, the Pompidou Centre, is the home to the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe as well as to major exhibitions.  What attracts an average of 16,000 visitors per day is its unique appearance. Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, originally, all of the building's functional structural elements were colour-coded; green pipes were plumbing, blue ducts were for climate control, electrical wires were yellow and circulation elements and safety devices were encased in red. 

Using colour-coding is not only eye-catching but also creates an uplifting visual experience which can be also used in interior spaces. 

As a designer, I use a colour wheel to illustrate the colours of the visible spectrum. Although it's a simplified model, knowing how to use the colour wheel takes some of the mystery out of selecting a colour scheme and to learn about the relationships between colours.

You can use warmer colours to draw in a room and make it feel smaller. If you're deciding on a paint scheme and there are elements in a room that you want to draw closer, point them in a warmer colour. If you have a small room that you want to expand rather than make more intimate and close,  choose cool colours such as green, blue or violet-red. You can also mix and match warm and cool colours with purpose to advance your design goals and make a room more interesting.

What is really important is to choose and use colour in an informed way. By informed I mean exploiting its associations to communicate unspoken ideas and emotions. Every colour you chose, should come from somewhere, be connected to a thing or a place. You can draw your inspiration from a photo, a pottery set or a work of art. 

My colour-coding inspiration for a living room I've designed came from this painting.

Bright mid-red hue, similar to 'Signal Red' but with the addition of black has been used as an accent colour to change the entire feel of a room. Red pieces feel very fresh, bold, exciting and timeless. When using red, think accent pieces, such as picture frames, vases, cushions or a bouquet of red roses in a white vase.

Neutral greys, perfect complement to more intense shades, have been paired with red to render it softer and more lively.

Ultrawhite, although the coolest, can be also used positively. Here, white functions as a colour code for all the suspended pieces of furniture, 'boxes', and apart from illuminating and emphasising interesting forms, sharpens up every other colour in this scheme, especially red. If you are keen on a more dramatic effect in a contemporary white space, try adding one or two bolder hues that you like. 

The interior is unified by **purest black**, colour code for seating pieces. This also allows for black and white to complement each other in furniture arrangement.

For inspirational colour schemes visit www.design-seeds.com 

For inspiring furniture pieces in funky colours visit http://www.tononitalia.com/tonon