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There are various examples of colors and finishes to help you select the right combinations in your color schemes, from color paint cards to sample pots of paint. There are also certain visual tricks that it is worth being aware of, as they can help you make the most of your available space and maximize its potential.
Color cards and sample pots
One of your first steps in selecting colors for your home decorating will be to consult a brand manufacturer's color chart or card - but this may not be the best way to choose paint. The coloured rectangles on the card, while being as accurate as possible, may not be exact.
They are very small and are positioned on a white background, which gives a slightly false impression of brightness. Remember, too, that the light reflected and absorbed by a tiny square or rectangle of color will differ immeasurably from that reflected or absorbed by an entire wall of that color. Yellows, for example, will seem much more powerful, because they reflect more light. Blues will appear darker because they absorb more light.
In response, paint-makers have introduced small sample pots of their colors. These provide an ideal way to experiment with your chosen scheme on the wall itself.
Small pots of paint, swatches of curtain or furniture fabrics, carpet samples, wood off-cuts and wall covering samples can all be used together to give a first impression of what the finished room will look like.
Visual trick color schemes
Combining wall colors of different reflective qualities will allow you to play visual tricks with the size and proportions of the rooms and their interconnecting areas. Paint one wall red, for example, in an otherwise white room and that wall will appear to advance towards you, shortening the room.
Conversely, painting one wall in a cool blue in an otherwise darker room will result in that wall receding visually and appearing to lengthen the room. If the ceiling is too high, paint it in a darker color. You can lower it further still by painting the top part of the wall (above the picture rail, if there is one) the same color as the ceiling. The opposite effect is achieved by painting a ceiling white to heighten it.
Walls can be made to appear higher if you paint the skirting boards the same color as the walls. When all the walls and the ceiling are the same light color, as in monochromatic schemes, the natural angles of the room are much less noticeable. This gives a feeling of increased space, almost as if the room were open plan.
If your rooms are linked by narrow corridors, as in many older properties, light colors will appear to increase the width. A darker color at the end of a corridor will make it seem shorter. The most dramatic change in small or narrow linking areas occurs when the floor covering is dark and the ceiling is painted in an advancing color, which compresses the space vertically. To expand the horizontals, paint the walls white or use a receding color. Using the same technique in all interlinking areas has a unifying effect throughout the property. |