You want to redesign a space in your home but you don’t want to hire a professional. One place to start is with color. A good trick that professional designers use is to build sample themes based on an existing piece of artwork or fabric. Why agonize over colors when someone else has done the hard work for you?
But where do you start? I am not an interior designer. But as an artist I can offer one idea of how you might choose a color theme for your project. If your inspiration is from a well defined digital image like the one below, use your computer to get started.
This is a Japanese wood block print. A beautiful work of art created somewhere between 120 and 250 years ago. I prefer such images as they are from a time when colors for inks and dyes were limited to natural pigments. I believe such colors probably do work best for interior design.
I also prefer oriental artwork. Usually it is straightforward with good balance and well defined colors.
Since color calibration varies from monitor to monitor it is impossible to match color from a computer screen to paint and other items. You can’t take an image file to a paint store for example. It will look different on their computer than yours. But you can narrow your preferences from nothing to something and go on from there. If you are working with tangible objects like fabric you will have an easier go of it.
For now let’s investigate our inspiration image. Notice how it has a predominantly “cool” color theme. The underlying color is blue not orange. There is a very slight yellow cast to the cream colored background. That is likely due to the age of the artwork. My guess is that the original background was white. But this cream color still works very well for our purposes.
When using an image I suggest you go with a fine work of art or a professionally created photograph. The reason is because a good image can suggest how to effectively design your living space. Professional artists and photographers know how to balance a composition. A well balanced composition is a great starting point. And part of that balance is color ratio, which is the size ratio of one color to the other.
In our sample image black and cream are the largest areas of expression. You would probably want to reflect that in your room. There is nothing to say you can’t rotate the colors within the ratios. Be aware that rotating does not always yield good results. Be sure to change all of the colors to proportional sizes. And unless you really know what you are doing, be careful when designating large areas of color to something like a neon orange or electric blue.
As for utilizing the color ratio in this image, I would consider the possibility of a living room with a black sofa and easy chair. And I would never use pure black. I would use a very dark gray because pure black tends to look rather severe. If you do go with gray it is important to figure out if it is a cool or warm gray as gray often has other color mixed in with it. Sometimes a room looks odd with something gray in it because it has a clashing undertone. Or that same room can look very attractive with the right undertone.
I would also make the walls a cream color. I prefer a hardwood floor instead of carpeting, but if there had to be carpet I would chose a light to medium taupe. True taupe is nicely adaptable.
How about elegant drapes in muted forest green? (Keep it blue green, not yellow green.) This red is peculiar. It is a dark tomato or brick color. It prevents this image from looking cold and washed out. So you would definitely want it somewhere in the room. I think a small to medium sized red lacquer coffee table or hutch in this hue would add a needed punch of color. See how I am keeping proportion in mind while building my room?
A large framed print with some of this grayish lavender would really look great. Perhaps a Monet or a nice watercolor.
One final consideration is what to do with that highly defined buttery yellow in her hair and in the object she is holding. A pair of ceramic or enamel floor vases would be nice. Put white flowers in those vases. Or you could use a light colored hardwood chair. Position whatever you use near the couch where the dark color will make it stand out.
Couch pillows and other small items could do for some of these remaining colors like cream and /or melon pink. And add small doses of the larger colors too. If you study your inspiration image a lot of small ideas will probably come to you.
See how using artwork (or even a swatch of fabric) can create a pathway for your project? Look for an image that reflects what you want to convey. Is it warmth, humor, tranquility? Is it for a nursery, a family room or spare bedroom? Is it for a kitchen or bath? A nursery will need soft baby colors whereas a kitchen probably would not. Thinking those things through will also help you.
Above is a very quick pallet I grabbed from our photograph. It shows a variety of colors and tones. It helps you visualize what your room could look like, but what good is it when planning how much color to use? Instead of working from a color pallet like this, I recommend you find your well proportioned inspiration image and print it onto good quality photo paper. If you are happy with the color results take it to your local paint and fabric store and narrow down color choices for your project.
At the paint store, find paint chips that mirror your photo and work well together. That is a great way to figure out your final color scheme. Use your image to plan color proportions for your room when you shop for furnishings and accessories. If you want additional assistance, you will probably need to hire a professional designer.
Like I said, I am not an interior designer. But I do have one good tip that my mother told me. If your room faces south, decorate in cool colors. If it faces north, use warm colors. East or west can go either way. That will keep your rooms more comfortable feeling in summer and winter. I think her idea has merit. But, of course, the decision on how to decorate is entirely your own.
Thanks. I hope this is useful information you can tuck away for a day when you might really need it.
The image used is in the public domain. It is from the Library of Congress online. I have adapted it for my own use. Not all images from the LOC are in the public domain. Only select collections, so one ought to do good research prior to using images from the LOC website.
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