Color and Design Principles

Color and Design Principles

• Color is a frequently used element of design that can stand alone, act as a background, or be applied with lines, shapes, or textures
• Interior design involves selecting interior design elements like color and arranging them within a spatial enclosure to meet functional and aesthetic needs
• Arrangements should follow design principles

Color Harmony

• Color harmony refers to a color combination that is nice for the eye
• Colors close on the color wheel tend to be harmonious
• Other colors can achieve harmony if used according to color schemes and in a pleasant ratio

Color Proportion and Balance

• When designing interior colors, it is best to use the strongest or most dominant colors in small amounts
• Large of strong colors can overpower the space and make it oppressive
• Smaller amount of stronger colors will serve as accents and enliven muted or neutral colors

Hue Dominance

• Some hues are naturally more dominant than others, even when used in the same proportions
• Shifts in the proportions of selected colors also impact the color that dominates
• It helps to know which color will dominate different color combinations

Color and Perceptions

• Warm colors seem to advance, while cool colors seem to recede
• Warmer colors trigger a different physiological response in the eye, making them appear to be in the foreground
• Changing the Chroma or value of colors or hues can create a more dim version, so it justifies using it in larger areas
• Neutral colors or Achromatic colors can reduce the dominant color used in a space and allows them to be uses as an accent color

Color Contrast

• Combining colors effectively involves using different contrasts where clear distinction exists between two or more colors
• These contrasts include:
  • Light-dark
  • Chromatic-achromatic
  • Chromatic
  • Complementary
  • Intensity
  • Quantity
  • Flicker
  • Cold-warm

Unity and Rhythm using Colors

• Using unity and rhythm with colors involves arranging shapes to create an underlying beat
• Similar to a rhythm of music, except colors are used as opposed to notes and sound

Color Context

• Colors must be selected with consideration for adjacent colors and materials because they can have strong effects
• Therefore the interaction needs to be controlled and predicted

Simultaneous Contrast

• Simultaneous contrast happens when the eye generates a color complementary hue and projects it as an afterimage on adjacent colors
• Complementary colors side-by-side will heightened saturation and brilliance without apparent change in hue
• When two colors are not complementary, each will change with its own complement and shift toward that hue.
• This will result will increase the difference between colors in hue

General Notes

• A small color swatch ends up being deceptive
• Results are more difficult to visualize in a larger area because the swatch only measures a few square inches
• The larger the area, the stronger the color
• Lavender in a small chip, may look like sickly purple when covering an entire room
• When in doubt, use the more muted color
• Always work from the largest color samples and test them in a small area

Color and Space

• Spatial elements, the relationship and interplay of colors and space, are all part of creating effective color designs
• Color design fulfills its purpose when all the elements of interior design harmonize and complement each other
• It should consider how color affects the perception of form and its dimensions and qualities

Hues and Brightness

• Passive colors like green and blue-green feel lighter in weight
• Active colors like red feel more heavier

Color in Space

• Color can add perceived weight to surfaces and can either calm or excite

Approaches to Using Color in a Space

• Volumetric
• Changing the Proportions of a Room
• Planar
• Emphasizing Design Elements

Color and Proportion

• There are elements that can change the perception of the space without moving any walls
• Adding different materials, applying coatings, and/or painting surfaces are great ways to adjust visual perspectives
• Lighter and cooler colors make the space appear larger and darker rooms will appear smaller and more closed-off
• Darker roof appears lower