Von Löwen Designs

“The colour of my soul is iron-grey and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams.”

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)

Colour – wow, were to begin? When I think of colour I think of many things: art, design, textiles, nature, and even music – especially music actually – but that’s another story. The impact of colour seems impossible to define, some people get it, some people fear it, and some people are in need of some serious help (sorry).

Colour can be a powerful design tool with the ability to affect a room’s appearance and even transform your mood and feelings. It surrounds us, intrigues us and excites us on many levels. We find ourselves hypnotized by sunsets, at peace in the forest, inspired by fine art, and plan for its use in our homes and workplaces. Planning colours for our living environment begins with an understanding of colour. What is colour? How does it affect us? The answer will vary greatly and depend on whether you are viewing colour through the eyes of a psychologist, physicist, chemist, artist or designer.

Colour is caused by physical qualities (wavelengths) but the effects are in the mind. Red only looks red in your mind. “Colour is seen by the eye but perceived by the brain.” – Wassily Kandinsky.

The sensation of colour does not exist without light. White light such as sunlight is a mixture of all colours as seen through a prism when the the various wavelengths are bent (refracted) by differing amounts. When refracted the light spreads out to form a multicoloured spectrum. The order of the colours is always the same violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and red. This was first done by Isaac Newton in the 1660s. In the retina, at the back of the eye, there are two different kinds of receptor cells which respond to the light focused on them by the eye’s lens. These are rods and cones. The rods are responsible for colourless vision in dim illumination, while the cones operate at higher light levels and are responsible for colour perception. The colours you see correspond to the different wavelengths of visible light. Violet is the shortest and red the longest of the visible wavelengths. Light from the sun contains all these wavelengths, but just appears white to us.

When light strikes an object, the particles of energy may be reflected or absorbed. The eye sees the colour of an object by the light reflected. If light falls on an object that absorbs cool colours, such as green, the object will reflect the complement or warm colours, such as red. Black absorbs and white reflects nearly all the light waves.

Before you embark on remodeling, redecorating, or simply repainting any space in your home, it’s important to first become aware of all the colours that surround you. First off, take note of the variety of colours you already have existing in your home, even if your home appears all neutral. Be sure to not just focus on only the large things; look too, at details and accents – you might just be surprised at what you start to see. Next, take some time to look through your closet. It may seem a little silly, but we typically wear colours we are the most comfortable with. Lastly, get the heck out of the house. Personally, I find nothing more alluring than what Mother Nature has provided – pure inspiration. Take your time, get dirty, and record your thoughts and ideas. Once you’ve identified your favorites, try to think about how they make you feel and why you find yourself drawn to them. Typically these are the colours and feelings you likely want to convey in your home.

Colour is considered by many as the most important element in interior design, but there are so many variables with the things that influence the colour we see, including light, pattern, texture, and other colours that may be nearby.

Our vision is dependent on the presence of light. Together the eye and the brain distinguish the different wavelengths of radiant energy and translate light into colour. The amount of light, in addition to the kind of light, whether natural or artificial, will change how a colour is perceived and ultimately what that colour says about you and your home.

Almost everyone has some amount of naturally occurring light in their home. If you’re lucky enough to have large windows and subsequently lots of natural light, you are probably seeing colour at its best. The most evenly balanced light occurs during midday, but daylight is ever changing thus affecting the appearance and characteristics of colours continuously. Inside the home, where we usually have a combination of both natural and artificial light, absolute control of colour can be challenging, if not near impossible at times.

Natural light also changes with geographical location, the weather and the seasons. It also varies based upon how your home is oriented on the land and where the sun is at certain times of the day. If you would like to read more about this kind of stuff be sure to check out my post on Daylighting. But the point to remember here is that light quality differs from state to state and from yard to yard, with your immediate landscape and vegetation always having some sort of impact on your perception, so an awareness of your overall environment and how these elements can influence your canvass; i.e. just because a colour looks great in your best friends house doesn’t necessarily mean it will work or even look the same in yours, is critical.

As I just spoke about a couple of weeks ago with my post Let There Be Light, artificial lighting is essential for comfort and convenience. Artificial lighting can be used to accentuate and emphasize certain colours and architectural details, balance the colour and light in the room, create a mood and overall vibe, and even change the colour and perceived size of objects and décor.

Light bulbs too, play a huge role on the impact of colour in a room. Incandescent light is known to cast a warm soft glow, but lack colours from the blue end of the spectrum having the ability to make a blue room turn green.

Fluorescent light tends to enhance blues and greens, with many of today’s bulbs improved to include the full colour spectrum range. That said, fluorescents still tend to dull reds, oranges, and yellows. Beware that many paint and home stores use fluorescent lighting, so use caution when selecting paint colours in these conditions.

Halogens provide very clear, white light that is most similar to daylight. These bulbs have the ability to enhance most colour schemes. Candlelight on the other hand, the warmest of all lighting, enhances only reds, oranges, and yellows, and makes cool colours like blues and greens dull.

When selecting fabrics and finishes for your home, it’s important to realize that all materials have characteristics, texture, and pattern that modify the way colour will be seen. For example, a high gloss finish on walls tends to weaken colour, making them appear lighter due to the reflected light. Furthermore, adjacent surfaces, like a floor, reflecting that same wall can change a colour’s hue, and tint the wall with its own colour.

The texture of a surface can alter its perceived colour due to shadows at the microscopic level. Highly textured fabrics such as velvets, suedes, and chenille and pile may change colour when observed at different angles because these textures absorb light, resulting in darker and lighter areas of colour. Metallic surfaces, which are technically textured, reflect colour in different ways. White metals that are polished, such as chrome, silver, and stainless steel, reflect colours like a mirror, changing colour very little. But warm, polished metals such as brass and copper can tint colours with their own colour. Tinted, coloured mirrored walls also change the reflection of the room, often with confusing results.

Small-scale patterns on fabrics, rugs, or walls can change the overriding colour of a room based on how the patterns are viewed. When viewed up close, small-scale, multi-coloured patterns separate the colours so that each colour is distinct. But when viewed from a distance, the colours become mixed and the end result may be an unexpected and possibly unappealing third colour. This third colour is known as partitive colour, or visual mix, and can be compared to the Impressionism and Pointillism painting techniques of using small dots of colour, knowing that the eye will mix the colours together and see them as a different colour. In interior design, it’s important to view small-scale multi-coloured patterns from a distance so that you have an accurate picture of the colours your room conveys.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.