COLOUR IN THE HOME :

COLOUR IN THE HOME :

There are many variations of the basic colours. The paler versions, which are sometimes more appropriate for covering the walls within our homes, give us the same qualities as the bold colour but in a gentler way. When decorating an area - the complementary colours, and their variations, should be remembered and combined with our main choice of colour by way of soft furnishings perhaps, pictures taken are also helpful to take in to account the aspect of a room. For example, whether we require a comfortable atmosphere in a north facing room or it may even be any other colder rooms in our house, then we should use some warm colours (i.e. variations of the warm colours of yellow, orange and red) to avoid the room feeling colder.

Colours Effects Suggested Areas of Use Violet Calming for body and mind. Good for meditation and prayer. Enhances purpose and dignity. Heightens our awareness and helps us to give of our very best. Purifying. Places of worship, entry areas to clinics and hospitals, festival areas. Pale violet in bedrooms Indigo Sedative. Helps to open up our intuition. The colour of divine knowledge and the higher mind. Not suitable for areas for entertainment but for more 'quiet' places. Bedrooms, treatment rooms. Some people find indigo is helpful for studying so this colour could be used as part of the decor of a library or study. Blue Calming, relaxing and healing. Not as sedating as indigo. Also the colour of communication. Any rooms except those used for physical activity or play. Green Balancing, harmonizing and encourages tolerance and understanding. Depending upon the shade, can be used for most areas. Use with other colours/colour as well to avoid the balance and harmony becoming more like total inactivity and indecision. Yellow Stimulates mental activity, promotes feeling of confidence. Helpful for study as it helps us to stay alert. Activity rooms, entrance halls. Not for bedrooms as yellow can interfere with sleep since it tends to keep our minds "switched on". Not ideal for areas of possible stress. Orange Warming and energizing. Can stimulate creativity. Orange is the colour of fun and sociability Any activity area and creative areas. Not ideal for bedrooms or areas of possible stress. Red Energizing, exciting the emotions, Stimulates appetite. Any activity area but red needs careful choice of tone and depth and the space in which it is to be used as it can make a space look smaller and can be claustrophobic or oppressive. However, used well, red and its variations can make a space feel warm and cozy. Often used in restaurants. Magenta Magenta is the eighth colour in the colour spectrum and is a combination of red and violet, thus it combines our earthly self and spiritual self, thus balancing spirit and matter. It is uplifting and helps us to gain a feeling of completeness and fulfillment. Lecture spaces, chapels, halls etc. Not ideal for play rooms or activity rooms. Turquoise Cool and calming and good for the nervous system and immune system. Any room except it is not ideal for activity areas. Pink This colour soothes and nurtures. It helps to dissolve anger and encourages unconditional love. Ideal for a baby's or child's bedroom. Black Black used with another colour enhances the energy of that second colour. Black gives us the space for reflection and inner searching. Not ideal as a single colour, but when used with care, can enhance and complement other colours in almost any situation. White White contains all the colours. It emphasizes purity and illuminates our thoughts, giving us clarity. Any room, but it can be a little intimidating to some. Needs to be broken up with another colour or with plants/ornaments/pictures etc.