Color Characteristics

Color, color everywhere!  We are bombarded with color – advertising, store displays, packaging, cars, buildings, clothing, menus and book jackets, and don’t forget Mother Nature.  The colors used in advertising and packaging are selected very carefully with an eye to the subliminal emotional response shoppers will have.  Certain colors have immediate connotations:  pink = girly; red = romantic and passionate; yellow = young and energetic; blue = safe and reliable, etc. 

I know many designers whose own homes are decorated in neutrals of whites and tans because they need a place to get away from the volume of colors they work with every day.  Not me!  As I look around at the vast range of colors available in every area of home decor, I sometimes have a hard time reining myself in because I want a little of all of it.  I guess I need a couple more homes!

(photo sources ROW1: Grace pillow, ZGallerie $50; Coral Blossom pillow by Thomas Paul, CottageAndBungalow.com; Regent wide band dinnerware, CrateAndBarrel.com; Teal rug, BurkeDecor.com $65; Mod orange frames, BurkeDecor.com $47/pr; ROW2: Palm Beach pillow collection, Ankasa.com; Emeline chair, InMod.com $545; Lacquer table, JonathanAdler.com $495; Babi mirror, ConranUSA.com $3400;  ROW3: Zambia aubergine throw, ZGallerie $100; Lithe vase, ZGallerie $15-20; Garden stool, InsideAvenue.com $750; Wallpaper, Anthropologie $195 dbl roll; Paprika vase, CrateAndBarrel.com $25; Print chair, RealSimple.com)

• ORANGE: adding yellow to red makes shades of orange; it’s like the sunny cousin to red. From pumpkin orange to soft sherbet shades, it’s a color that can be firey like its parent color red or spicy like cinnamon or pastel like coral.  At full intensity it is best used in small doses.

From my photo archives I found this before/after use of orange...at full strength. It's not for everyone, but it does make a statement.

The same room with the addition of a 'little' color.

The tiny touch of orange in the artwork is continued down to the floor for just the right amount of accent color. (via BHG.com)

• PURPLE:  created by combining blue and red, the color can take on the undertones of either.  When imagining the variety of purples available, consider the garden:  lilac trees heavy with blooms, fields of lavender swaying in the breeze, dainty violets, lovely lisianthus and the many shades of hydrangea; or eggplant, cabbage, the deep purple of grapes or plums all bring to mind the range of purple.  While some of these purples may be too dark for walls, they translate beautifully to upholstered pieces like sofas or accent chairs to anchor a room.

I love these greyed down purple walls and tan furnishings. Not too bright, not too light, but just right. (via MariaKillam.com, Color & Design)

• TEAL:  a cool color, it’s a vivid blue/green that evokes the tropics.  In the 80’s teal was strongly identified with Florida home design.  Now it’s making a comeback (Pantone has identified it as THE color for 2010) in less vibrant tones. Use it’s chilly properties to cool down an otherwise warm room and offer a good counterpoint to a collection in warm colors.  It’s softer cousin, aqua, is used in restful environments.

Shades of teal make for a comfortable room. (via freshome.com)

Classic chairs are given new life with a coat of aqua paint. (via EddieRoss.com)

• PINK:  another color based in red, pink is a tint (white added) of the bolder color.  Usually considered the epitome of feminine colors, it ranges from the barest softest of tints to the hot pink of fuchsia.

Fun and lively hot pink balanced by lighter pink bedding. (designer Suzanne Kasler)

Set a Mood

If you are bold enough to break out of the neutral shell, these colors can create a definite mood in a room.  Orange is a commanding color that stimulates appetite and conversation.  Purple in its darkest shade will create a feeling of richness and elegance (think royalty); in its lightest tint of lavender it can be as soothing as the plant itself.  Pink is a soothing color that promotes affability and affection (maybe that’s why it’s considered a feminine color?).  If your mood is lighthearted and whimsical or if you want to embrace a Caribbean/tropical theme, teal is your color.

The Best Place for Bright Color

Orange is seen most often as a ‘modern’ color and used to be dashing and surprising.  It’s intensity makes it great for an entryway or brightly lit room where it can hold it’s own.  Pink is showing up in unlikely places:  hot pink lamp bases, flokati rugs, brightly upholstered chairs.  Whether gentle or bold, a touch of pink will bring your home into the current design culture. 

This eclectic mix proves how a dash of pink can work. Designer Vanessa deVargas (via Houzz.com)

Frank Roop designed this room with teal becoming the perfect accent color. (via HouseBeautiful.com)

Go bold! Deftly balanced with the liberal use of black, white and wood tones the strong color is made livable. (via HouseToHome.co.uk)

 As shown above, teal can be used liberally covering a whole room, or conservatively with a few well chosen accents.  Wouldn’t this color be great outside too?  Pink works well in bedrooms because it’s soothing and flattering (most skin tones look great with a little pink reflected on them).  If your man feels it’s too feminine a color then use it sparingly with gray or chocolate to boost the male tolerance.  To create something unexpected, use fuchsia in a powder room tempered with lots of white - a small room can tolerate the boldness.

Colors to Use With:

• ORANGE:  the complement of orange is blue and that creates a strong vibrancy in a room.  Orange will work with other citrus colors like shades of yellow or green (lime for the bold).  If your taste is more in the earth tones, use a greyed down orange (rusty) with shades of brown and tan.

A splash of orange throughout this otherwise neutral room is invigorating. Designed by Massucco Warner Miller (via Houzz.com)

Citrus colors make an inviting breakfast room (via Coastal Living)

This vintage bath blends a soft coral with crisp white and an unexpected lime floor. (designed by Margaret Carter via Washington Post)

• PURPLE:  one of the best companions for purple is green – it works beautifully in nature and will work in your home.  Yellow is the complementary color to purple (opposites on the color wheel) so will be a lively combination – mute it a little and use deep purple with gold for a regal, formal setting.  Combine purple with pinks for a lively twist on a feminine scheme.

Light lavender walls, purple cushions and that vivid pink rug are balanced by lots of white. Feminine but not sweet. (photo Skonahem.com via CasaSugar.com)

Purple and green are a classic combo. (via Beautiful New Homes magazine)

Soft purple paired with equally soft blue makes a relaxing bedroom. (via BHG.com)

• TEAL:  teal is an excellent accent color and will work well with most color schemes.  To use it more boldly, pair it with other strong tropical colors like bright orange or hot pink.  Teal will really sparkle against chocolate brown or charcoal gray.

This unusual color combo by designer Kimberly Ayres pairs teal with a golden orange. (photo via AllTheBest.com)

• PINK:  a classic and favorite combination with pink is chocolate brown.  Pink is pretty with crisp white (what isn’t?), purples, and grey for a sophisticated look.

This yummy brown wall is the perfect complement to the creamy furnishings and plump pink pillows. (via Southern Accents on Color by Frances MacDougall)

Not my favorite use of pink, the color scheme is developed from the toile pillows and carried through the rest of the furnishings. (via designer Alessandra Branca, Southern Accents on Color by Frances MacDougall)

Bold and beautiful, fuchsia is a fun color. (via digsdigs.com)

Rosy pink paired with dove gray is sophisticated and elegant. (via Traditional Home)

Feng Shui

• ORANGE:  In its muted, dulled tones like rust, orange  provides a grounding, stabilizing energy.   In its brightest tones orange becomes closely allied with red and creates an active energy and encourages change.  It’s also associated with enthusiasm and optimism. 
• PURPLE:  The effect of purple depends on whether it has red or blue undertones.  Blue undertones share similarities with blue and are linked to the water element bringing calmness to a room and encourage self-discovery.  Red undertones (violet) are stronger and reflect passion.  The softer tones of lavender are perfect in creating a quiet, relaxing, reflective space.
• PINK:  A calming and nuturing color, pink can be great in a bedroom where you want serenity.  It has healing qualities so is good to use with children’s spaces and it also helps release anger.

Color Series Preview

Next Monday check back because I’ll be sharing lots of information about black, white and gray.  The following week is all about neutrals and then I’ll be wrapping up this series with some general information about how to develop a color scheme successfully.  To make sure you don’t miss a word, a sentence, a paragraph, we hope you’ll subscribe (at the top of the page).