Masters Home Improvement

Colour is a powerful tool that can completely transform your home.

Whether you want a room to feel intimate or spacious, breezy or cosy, a colour scheme is the foundation of your interior.  And when a palette really works, it will make you feel good any time of the day.

Mood board

Colour offers mood and atmosphere in your home.

Various elements - such as flooring, furniture and accessories – all need to be considered when designing a colour scheme.

In the early stage, it’s worth creating a mood board – also known as an inspiration board – by placing all the swatches of paint, fabric, wallpaper, timber, stone and other elements on cardboard. This is an easy way of ensuring the mix of palettes is pleasing to the eye.

While it’s easy to compile these swatches, it’s worth exploring your own personal colour journey – consider what colours generally make you feel good.

When you think of travel, are you always attracted to the blues and greens of beach holidays?

Look at your own fashion collection – do you prefer pastels or vivid tones?

It’s also worth looking at your favourite objects and artwork plus magazines, photos, colour swatches, etc – by collecting these snippets, you can start compiling your most personalised palette.

Different spectrums

Consider how you want to feel in the space, choosing colours that have the right effect on mood, behaviour and emotion.

A bedroom or living space requires tones that evoke tranquility and relaxation, but a busy, functional area, such as a kitchen or playroom, needs energetic and uplifting tones.

Strong energy is present in moody, warm tones; that’s why chocolate brown, sumptuous maroon and vivid pink bring vibrancy and sumptuousness to a room.

Associated with passion, ambition and optimism, red is a favourite option in the kitchen. This brilliant hue actually stimulates appetite, so many colour-backed splashbacks and polyurethane-painted cupboard doors look stunning in fire-engine red.

At the other end of the spectrum, icy blues and eggshell white provide less intensity and less depth, so they create a perfect palette for a spa-style bathroom, where rejuvenation and relaxation are beckoning.

Colour wheel

To put together a scheme, do you prefer a harmonious feel or a striking effect in a room?

Compare these options to find your favourite theme:

• Complementary colours are opposite each other on the natural colour wheel, such as blue and orange, or yellow and purple.  These days, pure contrasting colours are seen in homes as accents on accessories or as features in neutral rooms.

• Analogous colours are those that are next to each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and green, or red and orange.  They can be more subtle, depending on their tonal levels.  People find analogous colours easier to live with, so they are more popular in virtually any room.

Trick of the light

Colour is a mix of tone (light to dark), hue and saturation but all of these elements are altered by light, so it’s important to be aware of the dimension of a room before choosing a scheme.

Cool colours: Pale blues and greens and all tones of white not only create a peaceful environment, but they can also make a compact room appear more spacious. That’s why soft white or cool pastel can look stunning in a cosy kitchen or small bathroom.

These hues also look best in a room with a sunny exposure, taking away any feeling of coldness. In small areas, if you use the same colour on the wall and ceiling, it creates illusion of space.

Warm colours: Warm colours, such as reds and browns, close in the walls of a space, so they work a treat in an intimate dining room or a studious home office.

To make sure the space doesn’t seem overwhelming or even ‘dirty’, an abundance of natural light makes the room more inviting during the day, while at night, well-positioned wall lights and standing lights add a touch of glamour and drama to the sumptuous room.

For more ideas and inspiration, and to see the latest product ranges, visit your local Masters Home Improvement store.