The Sunday Mail
Not considering light
LIGHTING has a huge impact on the way a colour looks and feels in a room.
If you do not consider how a room’s lighting looks with a colour that you picked, there is a good chance that you could end up living with a very different colour shade than you originally intended.
This mistake can be easily avoided with a little preparatory work.
Before you choose a paint colour, find a few different samples that you like, and place them in various corners of the room.
Watch how the light affects the samples throughout the day.
You may notice that the sample colours turn out to be lighter or darker than what you want for that room. At this point, it is much easier to just switch out your sample colours for other options than to redo the whole room from scratch.
Forgetting about balance
When dealing with multiple colours in a room, finding the proper balance among them is key. There is a place for bold colours to stand out. At the same time, there is also a place for neutral colours to provide an opportunity for the eyes to rest. If you have too much of either one, you run the risk of the room becoming either too overstimulating or too dull.
You just need to find that happy middle ground. Luckily, there is an easy trick to help you out. Say hello to the 10/30/60 rule.
This rule dictates what percentage of the room should be taken up by each shade in your colour scheme. The 60 percent is your base colour and is usually a neutral shade.
The next 30 percent is your secondary colour (also known as that happy middle ground). The final 10 percent is your accent colour, which is your bolder shade.
Designing each room separately
At first, it may seem to make sense to treat each room in your home as its own separate entity.
After all, each room has its own individual uses, right? It turns out, it is actually a much better idea to think of your home — or at least each level — as one cohesive unit, and design your home with unity in mind.
If you have ever wondered why model homes and professionally designed spaces always seem so well put together, it is because of cohesion. Every room in those spaces shares a similar colour palette. As a result, they all flow together seamlessly. Try to do the same thing in your own home. Start by establishing a sort of colour harmony between adjacent rooms.
Leaving out contrast
The right amount of colour contrast in a room can help certain room features stand out more, especially the little things. When you have too little contrast, you run the risk of the room becoming too dull and matching. Colours that are too similar to one another start to become boring to the eye and none of the design elements really stand out.
It is not a big deal though — it is an easy fix. Simply add a little contrast to give the room a little more visual interest. Try adding an eye-catching accent colour through the room’s accessories or throw a bold print or pattern into the mix.
Not considering the feel of the room
Reading the room is not just exclusive to social situations. It is important to know exactly how you want a room to feel before you start adding new paint or furniture. You will most likely be in or near that room on a daily basis, so be sure to choose colours that set the tone you want for that room.
Take a moment to sit down in the room and think about what kind of vibe you want the space to give off. If it is an entertaining room, such as a living room or dining room, consider how you want the space to make your guests feel, as well. — freshome
