d35 COLOUR
quieter and more tranquil, which has a soothing effect on stress levels.”
CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOUR But as Starmer points out, the range of colour choices on offer today is vast, and identifying the ones that work for us can be complicated. So how can we ensure that we make the right colour choices?
THE LITTLE BOOK OF COLOUR
In Karen Haller’s debut book, The Little Book of Colour, she explores the concept of using the psychology of colour to transform our lives. The applied colour and design psychology specialist has over 20 years’ experience in the field which she uses to provide practical solutions to improve our happiness, wellbeing and confidence. This book offers advice on creating a home that reflects your personality, growing your confidence in using colour and finding your unique colour palette & design compatibility.
The Little Book of Colour /
thelittlebookofcolour.com
Karen Haller, an applied colour psychology expert and author of the Little Book of Colour, says: “The simplest way to do this is to look at how you want to feel in any given space. What are the positive behaviours you want to see? Then create a colour palette that will encourage this. “For example, if you are looking to create a bathroom that wakes you up in the morning ready for the working day ahead, using turquoise might be just the energy you need. But it might not be what you feel like at the end of the day when you are tired and wanting to have a quiet, soothing, relaxed bath.”
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT Certain colours are therefore better suited to specific rooms in our home depending on the function and purpose of that room. “In general, bold and bright shades of any colour work best in rooms where you want to promote a dynamic activity like eating together as a family, entertaining, working or playing,” says Shillingford.
“Warm colours like red, pink, terracotta, orange, gold and yellow create cosy intimate interiors and are perfect for north facing rooms,” she continues. “Cooler shades like blue, teal, green, violet and grey create a more tranquil look and in paler tones they make smaller spaces appear larger. Cool colours are great for south facing rooms too. Really deep colours calm everything down and are perfect for grown up relaxed spaces like bedrooms and dining rooms. They also surprisingly make small spaces like bathrooms and cloakrooms look stunning.”
There are some strong colour trends that are making themselves felt in the kitchen and bathroom sector this year. O’Donnell says that white bathrooms are perennial as they exude that clean and bright look, but he sees soft pinks with a hint of brown becoming very popular as they feel restful and welcoming. He also sees a lot of blue-green tones being used in bathrooms which strike a balance between clean and soothing.
When it comes to kitchens, O’Donnell adds: “People are being more adventurous and playing with more than one colour in the space. We’re seeing a lot of schemes where the island unit is picked out in a bold contrasting tone, or where the wall cupboards are painted two tones lighter than the base units. Popular colours right now are deep, inky blues and strong, smoky greens.”
Shillingford believes that these colour trends will extend further than the kitchen and bathroom and will be the most popular colours going into 2020. “The colours of nature will become more and more popular,” she says. “We return to the familiar in times of uncertainty and our growing desire to reconnect with nature, protect our most precious resource and seek tranquillity in a fast-paced world will see the rise of blues, greens and earth hues.”
However, Karen Haller warns against the dangers of following colour trends and says that such choices may not be the best for our wellbeing in the long term. “If you love the colour and it resonates with you and your personality, great. If you’re only using it because everyone else has it, that colour is not going to support you in a positive way and intuitively you’ll sense this. Often our need to be on trend, to belong, is greater than picking colours that positively support our wellbeing in our own home. It’s not a sustainable way to live and for me this is the ugly side of colour.”
designer kitchen & bathroom
designerkbmag.co.uk
SEP 2019
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