Photo by RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash
Just beyond the all-white or all-grey house lies a wonderful place. It’s bright, it’s joyous and it’s full of colour. We all have different and personal connections with colour; some we love, some we can’t get away from quickly enough but it’s undisputable that colour can alter our mood and create a specific atmosphere.
Whether you’re using colour on walls, floors, furniture or accessories these emotional associates might help you in choosing the right hues for your space.
White
Not technically a colour but very common in interiors. It's pure, it's clean, it's bright. Use it as a neutral backdrop for a room or a contrast piece in a dark space. White has a high LRV (light reflectance value) meaning it reflects a large amount of the light that hits it, making it ideal for small or dark spaces. When working with white pay special attention to the "undertones" which can be warm or cool. Most spaces work best with a white that leans ever so slightly into the warm undertones; check out Dulux "Natural White" or "Antique White"
Black/Grey
Again not technically a colour but blacks and dark grey's will have an undertone that can be warm or cool. Blue-based blacks can be refreshing and soothing whilst warm green or even red-based blacks can have energy and cosiness baked into them. Black tones also act as a neutral, just like white and offer a perfect platform for contrast and as a way to direct attention. Some might feel black is too "confronting" but there are plenty of cosy and soft spaces that use black and dark greys. Don't be afraid of it but my hot tip is to go all in, don't just do a "feature wall" in black, go hard, especially in smaller spaces, painting the whole thing will actually create continuity and make the room feel larger.
Blue
Fun fact, blue is the most universally liked colour across the world. It can be cool, it can be warm but either way, it's calming, soothing and reminds of nature (the sky, the sea). Different hues of blue give off different vibes, pastel blue is very soft and nurturing whilst royal or azure blues can be dominating and hold a lot of strength. When using bold blues you have the opportunity to create great contrast with it's complimentary cousin; Orange or triadic buddies Red and Yellow (think Bauhaus). The devil is in the detail with blue, choose the hue for the atmosphere you're creating; are you going fresh, youthful, calming, energizing or powerful because different tones of blue will create all and any of these vibes.
Green
Green is all around us in nature so we gravitate towards it easily. Green in interiors was out of vogue for a while (perhaps trauma from the '70s) but in the late 2010's it made a comeback with a more natural feel and since the start of COVID we've only seen it go from strength to strength as people seek to connect more with the natural world. In 2024 we're doing more organic hues of green; olive, eucalyptus and sage, a far cry from the neon green of the 1970's. Dark greens can be moody and cosy, perfect for reading rooms, powder rooms and even bedrooms. Light pastel greens can be refreshing and easy to live with. Darker greens pair especially well with timbers and blacks to continue the organic vibe.
Yellow
Hello Sunshine! Yellow is friendly, energizing and warm. This colour can be a little divisive depending on the hue you choose with some people finding very bright and primary yellow tones too stimulating and intense for some interior spaces. Fear not because there are so many wonderfully earthy yellows to choose from; think dark mustard or even ochre that will lend themselves to almost any space. Great in spaces for work or activity but maybe use yellow sparingly in bedroom and quiet spaces where you want to maintain a lower vibrational spirit. Yellows contrast very well with blacks and blues and can pair with their neighbours of green and orange.
Orange
What rhymes with orange? Well, yellow? Not in name but in spirit. Orange has many of the same energizing qualities as yellow does but with a little more elevation and intrigue. Again another colour we saw so much of in the last quarter of the 1900's (yes that felt weird to write) that still has some trauma attached to it (I for one loved my childhood 1980's orange corduroy sectional sofa). In 2024 orange represents a slightly more serious option to yellow without the worry of going all in on red. Pair Orange with Azure Blue for the most stunning contrasting combo since Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat.
Red
Passion, Rage, Love, Anger, Fire! There's no question that Red is a very energetic and provocative colour, it's intense and commands attention. Use Red in its true form as a focal point in furniture and accessories. If you want to go bigger and paint a whole room I would look long and hard at your options or either adding white and go the pink route or adding grey and black to go the burgundy path. A little goes a long way with red and I'd suggest taking your time to ensure you get the right hue and the right percentage of red in a space so you don't overwhelm yourself.
Violet
An interesting choice right? Violet isn't a colour we see as much of in interiors, I put this down to it not being very prolific in nature. We see it in flowers and berries but not much else so it's somewhat a rare gem. Violets can have a royal, mystical or magical feel to them and have a background energy to them thanks to the red undertones. You might see violets used in historical spaces or in commercial environments to transport occupants to another time and place. Use with restraint and pick your moment when using this hue and please I beg of you, no hot magenta/violets from the early 2000s are to return!
You might have made it this far and I haven’t talked about your favourite colour yet. Well, there are so many tints, tones and hues in our big colourful world that I could spend the term of my natural life writing about them. Hues like Browns and Greys are built from other colours so if you can identify the undertones you can come back and match it to its primary hue. A seemingly infinite list of intermediate colours sits between larger primary colours. Take “Seafoam”; it’s not quite blue, it’s not quite green; in fact, it’s Blue-Green. The same goes for “Olive-Green”; it’s technically a Yellow-Green.
You can use the guide above to narrow down the feeling and vibration of the space you want to curate then start to explore neighbouring hues and even contrasting ones that will make them pop even more.
Still not sure which colours to choose? Why not book a professional colour consultation session with DISKO Designs where we create a cohesive colour palette for your next interior design project.
