Licking a brightly coloured popsicle on a hot summer day, gardens dappled with pinks and purples and lush greens. Cool, deep navy coloured lakes and fresh white muskoka chairs. It's easy to get excited about colour in the summertime. And many people are taking on DIY projects, or looking at ways to freshen up and lighten up for the summer or prepare for those glorious, crisp sunny days of early fall. For that reason, I thought I would dedicate this newsletter to the topic of colour: how to choose it, when to choose it and pitfalls to avoid.
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So what is colour?
When it comes to decorating their homes, most people think colour is just what comes from a can of paint. When clients buy a new home they often come to me searching for just the right colour to paint the walls, before they have even considered what they will put in each room. They want to start with the paint colour and then think about the rugs and furnishings and artwork after. I understand why--we want our new place to feel clean and fresh and new. And paint companies put a lot of advertising dollars behind making us believe that all we need to do is paint (hmmm, I wonder why). But colour is about more than just paint. Colour is found in all of the permanent fixtures in a space and all of the big ticket items too. Your palette can, and should, come from those fixed elements that won't be changing any time soon.
Build your scheme starting with the look and feel you want and then take into consideration the permanent elements (like flooring, tiles or woodwork). Next, find the fabrics and rugs and furnishings (woods and metals have colour too!) you love and then pick your wall colour after and you will find choosing the paint colour a much simpler decision. After all, there are literally thousands of paint colours out there and no matter the colour they all cost about the same. Not so for all the other elements you will be buying.
If one of your fixed elements happens to be a family heirloom or antique, be sure to study its style and colour as you consider your scheme.
 | | www.houseandhome.com |
In the photo above, a vintage-looking chest feels right at home with creamy walls and a green-grey accent door. Notice how the chest works nicely with the tones in the wood floor as well. All the colours here are subtle and warm, creating a cohesive feel.
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How to Choose Your Colour Palette
Colour and pattern are very personal things--like scents they can conjure up different feelings and emotions and memories for different people. Those feelings shouldn't be ignored--in many ways you should use your gut as your guide when deciding on a colour scheme and palette. If it doesn't feel good to you then why are you using it? But sometimes gut is hard to hear, especially when there is a chorus of "shoulds" playing in your ear. So here are a few tips if you are feeling overwhelmed about where to start.
Bedrooms
Start with bedding or a fabric you love and build your scheme around it. Since the bed is the main focal point of the room, it's a great starting point to achieve the look and feel you're after whether calm and cool or romantic and intimate. Blue and white linens are crisp yet calming in the bedroom below, and the colours are repeated in the wall, trim and side table.
 | | www.marthastewart.com |
Kitchens and Bathrooms
There are so many fixed elements in these rooms (that are big investments) that you definitely don't want to be starting with the paint colour. If you are stuck for inspiration or direction find a beautiful mosaic tile for a backsplash or amazing slab of marble for a vanity top and take direction from those pieces as to your palette.
Here, a beautiful penny-tile/mosaic backsplash becomes a focal point, and the cabinets pick up the putty tones of the marble. But it wouldn't work as well with bright white cabinets, the contrast would be too stark.
 | | www.saltillo.com |
Living Rooms and Family Rooms
These spaces typically have a lot of upholstered elements so fabrics are a natural jumping-off point. Area rugs are also great for colour inspiration--find one you love and then pull out the colours within it to create your scheme.
In this photo, the lush purple and grey rug sets the tone for the rest of the colours in the space.
 | | www.decorpad.com |
Dining Rooms and Powder Rooms
Wallpaper is back and it is a great way to add personality, colour and atmosphere in these kinds of intimate spaces. If you have a more formal, separate space for your dining room and you use it primarily for entertaining in the evening, choose a special wallpaper to enhance the drama of that space. Likewise for powder rooms.
Below, a traditional damask by Thibault provides colour, texture and pattern for this fresh and elegant room. The darker tones of the wallpaper are reflected in the darker green distressed table, while the throw cushions pull out the lighter watery tones of the pattern.
 | | www.thibault.com |
How To Choose Your Paint Colour--4 Important Lessons So you've finally got your major elements decided, the mood and feel you'd like to create are clear to you, and you've even chosen fabrics or furniture? Congratulations! You are finally ready to start choosing a paint colour. So how do you do it? Here are a few important tips to keep in mind:
Pay Attention to Undertones I spent most of my summers in University and a few in highschool, knee-deep in paint and turpentine working as a student painter. Most of the time we didn't think much about the colours we were painting--we just knew that the "garage door is supposed to be white", or "the trim is beige". Until one of the guys would holler out "they gave us the wrong colour, this isn't white, it's blue!". This happened more than once, and it was really just a can of white paint that hadn't been stirred in a while and the tints had risen to the top of the can. To make exterior whites appear crisp and bright, blue tints are often part of the formula (fabric detergents use the same trick--check out the colour of your liquid Tide). You see the same tints applied whenever you go to the hardware store and order a can of paint. All this is to say that every colour of paint, and every colour of marble, tile, wood, fabric, leather, etc. has an undertone. Once you have a good grasp of undertones, and can see them in the materials you are working with, those that work well together will start to be more obvious and your colour choices easier.
Notice the orange undertones in the wood desk/table below? The photo stylist has even played up the undertone by draping the chair with an orange blanket and placing an orange ribbon and books on the shelves beyond the desk. The green painted shelves make it all pop, and those tones are repeated in the traditional area rug. Hits of black ground the composition and add sophistication.  | | www.styleathome.com |
Colour always has context, and this makes all the difference. Colours never live in a vacuum--they are always affected by the light in a space, and the other elements and colours around them. The perfect creamy white in your friend's house might look like a garish yellow in your own kitchen. A rug that appears neutral in the store may suddenly seem a murky green when laid against your red-toned hardwood floor. Always get samples, test your paint colours and view the elements you are considering in your actual space whenever possible.
There's nothing wrong with you, paint chips are too small! A 1" x 1" square is absolutely not sufficient enough to help you decide if the colour you're considering is right for your space! And it can be frustrating if you think it should (and waste your time and money when you have to repaint because the colour didn't work). Use the small chip to help you narrow down your options and then get yourself a test pot of paint in the same colours and test test test! If you aren't ready to mess up your actual walls you can paint a piece of white bristol board, or an artist's canvas to help you get a better look at the colour. As a designer, I am equipped with a full kit of paint colours with larger strips and I still recommend that clients test the colours first. It's worth your time.
Consider Hiring a Pro I realize I'm biased, but I really do think that it can be worth your time and money to hire a professional designer to help you with colour. A 2 hour consultation may be all you need to kickstart a project or get one you've already started yourself back on track. If you are buying a new home, starting a renovation or just anxious to finally pull your space together, a designer can work with you to help you focus, select materials and give you confidence in your choices. A design consultation makes a great wedding or special occasion gift too--ask about my new gift certificates. If you'd like to love your home or office space, give me a call or email and let's start working together! |
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Jennifer Simon Design is a full-service interior decorating and design consulting business. My business has been built on referrals from satisfied clients. If you know of someone who might need the help of a designer please let them know about Jennifer Simon Design and feel free to pass along this email.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Simon
www.jennifersimondesign.com jennifersimon@sympatico.ca 
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Fresh Ideas for your space.
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2011 Chair Affair
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Join me at this year's Chair Affair in September. Click here for more information!
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