Colour my world!

Choosing the right colour scheme plays a key role in creating a sense of comfort and well-being in your home. Your choice of colour can be a highly subjective matter, but there are certain objective factors associated with colour and how it influences your mood and generally just the way you feel.

If colour is what sets the mood and tone in an interior, it is light that carries this colour around. Colour cannot be seen without light. Therefore, when choosing the perfect colour scheme for a room it is important to consider issues like:

 1) How much light does the room get?
 2) Is natural light available?
 3)  Which direction does the room face?

A south facing room with decent sized windows gets maximum sunlight whereas, north facing rooms get limited natural light.

Although the choice of colour can be a highly subjective issue as it concerns personal preference, the objectivity surrounding it comes into play when you have to consider the specific attributes and qualities associated to each colour. In short, all colours have certain psychological effects on our minds like cool blues are relaxing, calming and soothing and are perfect for west facing rooms that get maximum sunlight in the afternoon and evening. Reds are invigorating and highly stimulating and hence can be avoided in kids’ bedrooms for sure.

In the picture above, you can see the same grey on the sofa, background wall and curtains which creates an illusion space. Your choice of colour is going to influence the visual perception of a room. It will make a room appear smaller if you choose darker shades or larger if you choose lighter colour tones. But sometimes when you use them together you will be surprised by the amazing effects that can be created. Like, if the ceiling of a room is too high and you want to cozy up the ambience, try painting the ceiling in a darker colour. Similarly, the right colours can also be used to highlight you furniture and accent pieces by using contrasting effects or you can go completely monochromatic with the colour scheme, wall, accessories, furniture and all, to make the space feel large and clutter free.

Setting the mood in a space is another aspect associated with colour choice. Yellow promotes creativity and optimism, it also helps with strong analytical thinking. Hence, subtle lighter tones of yellow are a good choice for study rooms or workspaces at home. Lighter yellows also create a happy, light and fresh mood. Complex neutrals in greens and blues create calm, cool and relaxing interiors perfect for living rooms and bedrooms.

Tip: Do consider eco-friendly zero-VOC paints because they don’t emit any harmful chemicals into the air you breathe at home and hence create a healthier environment.