Wednesday 20 January 2010

Colour and Feng Shui

Welcome to Alchemy of Design’s monthly blog. I shall be writing each month to keep you in touch with current design and colour trends and tell you about new products out on the market that we are working with.

Our Christmas break was somewhat extended due to the snow, but we are now looking forward to an exciting year ahead, and for many it is the time when our thoughts turn to re-decorating and revamping our homes. In this cold grey January light we want to surround ourselves with colours that are uplifting and cosy as this really is the time of year when our homes are our refuge from the outside world.

So, the decorator is booked and you have made various trips to the diy shops buying sample pots, have numerous colour samples on the walls but just can’t imagine what the colour will look like or if it will work in the space?

There are many rules about colour – throw them all out! Dark colours can be used in small spaces and don’t always make them look smaller, contrast painted woodwork really can work well if the correct tone is selected and ceilings do not always have to be white!

When we are called into a home to help with the selection the first thing we consider is what else we are working with; are we co-ordinating with existing furnishings or are new ones being sourced. If the whole room is being re-done our advice will always be to choose the fabrics first. It is far easier to choose paint colour to work with fabric than the other way round, even if the scheme is going to be neutral. There are so many shades of white these days, some yellow based, some pink based etc that it really can be an expensive mistake to ask your decorator to paint in a neutral tone before you have made decisions on everything else in the room.

Another great misconception is that neutral colours will always make the space seem calmer, or larger. Based on the principles of Feng Shui that we incorporate into our design process it is proven that it is not the pale shade of the colour that gives the effect but the base colour that is chosen. Through using these principles you can still create a calming scheme but with colours that will feed and nurture you rather than drain the room or its inhabitants!

Wallpaper has massively increased in popularity over the past couple of years. We started seeing the return of big bold patterns used for one feature wall. Now we are all getting brave again and, with the right choice, wallpapers can offer a fantastic backdrop to really pull together a whole room scheme, whilst at the same time not overpowering the room. There are some really exciting new designs coming out; just call us and tell us the kind of thing you are looking for and we will happily send you samples.