Low Sheen or Gloss
Choose your finish on the basis of
the ambience you wish to create and with maintenance in mind.
Lightly glossed finishes are very attractive, but you should know
that they are not suited to a child's room where finger marks are
liable to show up everywhere. You should use an low sheen finish
which washes more easily.
A coloured ceiling
The ceiling colour doesn't always
have to default to white; in fact, it can be an important asset in
home décor. To negate the boundaries between ceiling and
walls, paint them in the same colour.
To heighten a room, apply a paler or cooler colour to the ceiling.
For a cozy feel in a grand room, darken the ceiling slightly, or
use a warm hue.
A good rule of thumb? For a more unified look, try a failsafe,
monochromatic approach: apply ceiling colour that is only one or
two shades lighter or darker than the wall colour.
Art as inspiration in decorating
Did you ever think of using
paintings and other visual works of art as inspiration for a colour
scheme?
If there's a painting you
especially like, chances are that colours are partly responsible
for your attraction to it. That's the first reason art can be a
great inspiration for your decorating projects.
And here's another reason. If the artist has put different colours
together with harmonious results, you too should be able to
successfully use them in your décor.
Tips for choosing colours from artwork
Work with few colours. As a general
rule, you should assign 60% of the available space to one colour,
called dominant; 30% to another, called intermediate, and 10% to an
accent colour. Using too many colours in the same room is likely to
create confusion rather than harmony.
Keep in mind the potential effects colours may have on your moods.
This will help you in deciding what colour should be used as
dominant, intermediate and accent. To learn about the effects of
colours moods, please refer to the Colour Psychology section.
Consider the elements of your décor that you don't intend to
change, like the floor, for example. Be sure their colours will
blend nicely in your scheme.
Choosing wall colours to hang artwork
There are many ways to hang artwork. If you have just moved into
a new house that needs repainting, it is possible for you to take
into account the artwork you want to hang before choosing wall
colours.
To do that, you may wish to
inspire yourself from the way designers hang artwork in the great
museums.
- In museums, designers will, from
time to time, choose to paint walls in colours that were popular at
the time the featured artist lived. For example, works by a
nineteenth century artist might hang over a red wall.
- They may also choose shades that
are reminiscent of an era or place with a link to the exhibition.
For example, an exhibition of Italian renaissance works could be
presented in a décor that reminds of Sienna brownish orange
clay.
- If they can find the information,
designers may choose the same colours the painter had requested be
used on the walls of the museum where he or she had exhibited work
while alive.
- Another way of proceeding in
museums is to choose a colour that is found in small quantities in
most of the works exhibited in a same room.
- If there does not exist enough
similarities between the pieces, it is better to choose a neutral
colour, in tones of cream, sand or in gray.
- If you wish to hang paintings or
reproductions in a room that you do not want to repaint, you can
choose those pieces that would best suit the room. For example, you
could select those pieces in which the colour of the wall is found
in small quantities.
- Another way to proceed is to
choose works that are brighter to decorate a room with dark walls
and pieces that are darker for a brighter room.
- Black and white pieces, such as
photographs, blend in well with practically all colours.