Color in Interior Design - Essay Example

Color in Interior Design Introduction Color is a very important and essential part of our life and is omnipresent. In interior design, color plays an extremely important role and its role extends beyond just aesthetic appeal. The power of color to impact and influence the psyche and mood of the audience is well-documented. For example, being the color of nature, Green has a tranquil effect on human psyche and mood. Similarly red color has a stimulating effect whereas the blue color is perceived as deep and cold, since it brings water into imagination. Even different shades of the same color have different effects on human psyche and mood. For example, while orange color is energetic, it becomes more relaxing and warming as it veers toward shades that are more earthier like terracotta. Another problem commonly encountered with the use of color is to decide what goes best with what. If the colors selected for interior designing do not contrast or coordinate within the home, it becomes almost impossible to let the inhabitants and visitors have the feel of elegance and luxury, and the senses are assaulted by the jarring effect. Leaving the psychology impact of color aside, another factor that imparts the need to be very prudent in selecting the right color scheme for the house is that the selected shades and tones can tremendously impact the perception about the room’s size. Two identical rooms having same size appear to be of different proportions in terms of size because of being painted with different colors. While considering color’s use in the interior design, it is extremely vital to think of color in terms of practicality. For example, it is advisable to steer a room meant for keeping pets or little children clear of the upholstery fabric of such light shades as white or cream. Nevertheless, all practical aspects of the lifestyle of the inhabitants need to be considered in the design of color scheme. Meanings of Colors Blue Blue color has a sedate and calm effect on psyche and mood and has the tendency to lower the blood pressure. Blue color instills a sense of cooling, enhances intuition, builds confidence, and is perceived to be the most productive color in the interior designing. Use of the same color in rooms of different sizes can lead to the development of different concepts. Blue is typically the choice of boys and is a suitable color for use in boys’ rooms. Red Red color increases enthusiasm and boosts stimulation, passion, energy level, and emotional response. Red color elevates confidence, action, and appetite. It lends a feeling of protection from the anxiety and fears. In certain cultures, red is even thought of as a color that represents fortune. Red color is one of the most advisable colors for use in a dining area because it is a stimulant of appetite. Green Green color has a restful effect on the eye. Green is relaxing physically as well as mentally. Green color helps reduce anxiety, nervousness, and depression, and instills a sense of self-control, harmony, and renewal. Green color needs not be built in the design wall to wall in order to generate its effects; even a touch of green can have a very overwhelming effect on mood. Orange Orange color’s specialty is that it stimulates feelings about summer. Orange color increases enthusiasm and hunger. This color has huge significance in meditation and development of greater self-esteem. Orange color is also known to boost creativity which is one reason why orange color is frequently used in the classrooms for kindergarten children. Brown Brown is one of those colors that are timeless and classic, and thus are never out of fashion. Brown color lends a feeling of practicality and wholesomeness, and reliability and stability. Owing to its intrinsic connection with Earth, Brown color generates a sense of nature and reality. Brown color can be used as a base and can always be trusted for use in any feature of interior design. Purple Purple is a very unique color. It is uplifting and has a soothing effect on human psychology. Purple color lends a sense of wisdom and spirituality. Purple is a dreamy color. Pink Pink color is typically associated with girls. Pink is very popular among women in general and teen girls in particular. Many girls have an obsession for pink color and like to have everything in and about their room, pink. Pink is a light color and compliments other features and colors used in a room. While there are many shades of pink, light pink or rose pink is a very popular color for use in interior designing. Yellow Yellow color brings a very lively feel to the environment. Yellow is traditionally associated with lemon and is accordingly a symbol of freshness and rejuvenation wherever it is used. When used in interior designing, yellow stimulates the nervous system of the inhabitants and has an activating effect on the memory. While yellow color has the tendency to encourage communication, it might cause eye strain (interiordesignipedia.com, n.d.). Golden Golden color has a huge significance for special events. Golden color brings a lot of shimmer and spark to the environment which is why, it is a perfect color for use in weddings, birthday parties, and ball rooms. Owing to its tendency to make the environment extra-special, golden color is more suitable for use in public places like wedding halls and hotels than in residential areas. Silver Silver color is just as important, if not more, as Golden color. Silver color also brings a lot of shine and adds special effects to the environment. Silver color is also typically used in halls meant for partying and public places. Silver is a very sophisticated color and brings a lot of light and shimmer to the place without making it look excessively overwhelming or dramatic. White White is one of the super elegant colors and is also one of the safest colors to use in interior designing not only because it brings a lot of light in the environment, but also because it enhances the space, thus making the room look wider and larger in size. White color adds to mental clarity and has spiritual significance. White is a color that is almost necessarily used in any kind of interior designing and mostly as a base. White color is also very important because it enhances the definition of other colors used with it as they become more prominent against a white background. Black Black is an extremely sophisticated color. However, it requires a great deal of prudence and planning in its use because if used inappropriately, it might look the room look smaller and excessively dark. Black is a very dramatic color and is particularly used to create special effects in interior designing. Black color brings inconspicuous feeling, sophistication, and a restful emptiness. Black color is particularly akin to art deco and classic French interior design. Definition of good interior design A good interior design is not necessarily one that is praised by the people. Good interior design is actually what cannot be commented upon in a negative way. In order to achieve good interior design, it is imperative that the journey from the point of entry to exit from the place is well-planned, harmonious, and balanced. Some of the skills and qualities required to achieve that include good vision and skills. While the choice of favorite colors and patterns of interior designing vary from one individual to another, when right colors are used in right proportions at right places, the interior design essentially appeals to people of all tastes. Examples of good interior design Burj-al-Arab Burj-al-Arab provides an example of excellent and extremely sophisticated interior designing. Standing on the sea-shore as the emblem of the UAE, Burj-al-Arab has interior designing that is one of its kind. While all sorts of colors are used in its interior, they have been used so appropriately that the place appeals to the visitors in all the rights ways. Shimmering golden pillars compliment the rainbow colors used in the different stories. Colors used in the suites are bright, dramatic, and vibrant. Mostly, each suite has been defined with a particular color. The interiors of Burj-al-Arab hotel help the contemporary Arabian fantasy materialize. Its interior designing was done by Khuan Chew who used ornate grandeur to create an environment beautifully exploding with color. In Burj-al-Arab, the London-based interior designer used color very thoughtfully and appropriately and worked with as many as 11 shades of White color. “She believes in being true to the longevity of the building designing more for posterity than following fashion – she believes fashion is too ephemeral to feature in the design of hotel interiors. Of course this results in her setting fashions for others with less integrity” (Goff, n.d.). Interior designing all over the UAE in general and in Dubai in particular has reached the apogee of innovation and success. Best interior designing has helped Dubai become a city of dreams all over the world. “Some of the hotels have become bland and the new generation of operators are pushing boundaries in taste and delivery…The essence will be open space, wet and dry areas in the bathrooms, more compromise and flexibility on privacy with screens inside and outside. More and more sophistication in technology of lighting – no aggressive lighting. The five senses will be fully utilised – smell, touch, sound, with sound systems following you, so that music can follow you up to your room” (Chevy cited in Scott, 2014). Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace is a magnificent building also known as the residence of the Royal Family of England. Since it is an old building, it has been renovated a number of times in the past to enhance its space and décor. Two people who have been awarded the responsibility of renovating Buckingham Palace are Edward Blore and John Nash (World Visits, 2013). The interior designing of the Buckingham Palace is a typical manifestation of the English style and culture. Being one of the central buildings located in England, the luxury and grandeur of the Buckingham Palace is extremely elite. Since it is a palace, Golden color has been frequently used in many rooms and halls inside the Buckingham Palace mainly to highlight the different features as shown in the pictures below: Buckingham Palace inside view (World Visits, 2013). Buckingham Palace inside view (World Visits, 2013). As it reflects from these pictures, Golden color not only makes the place look very special, but it also enhances the definition of other colors used in the space. Golden color is typically used for Royalty. Conclusion Interior designing is fundamentally about appropriate use of colors. Colors enhance the definition and appearance of different architectural features. Different colors have different meanings and significance. Generally, colors that contain shimmer like Golden and Silver are typically used for special occasions like celebrations and wedding ceremonies whereas other colors are generally used in all kinds of structures. Colors can make the space look larger or smaller than it actually is. Generally, White color adds to the space whereas dark colors like Black and Red make the space look smaller. Certain colors like Blue and Pink are associated with the male and female gender respectively. Right use of colors makes a place special and wrong use of colors destroys the aesthetic appeal of an otherwise very beautiful structure. References: Goff, P. (n.d.). KCA International & Khuan Chew; Interior Designer. Retrieved from http://www.hoteldesigns.net/profiles/news_406.html. Interiordesignipedia.com. (n.d.). Color meanings. Retrieved from http://www.interiordesignipedia.com/color-meanings.html. Scott, A. (2014, March 26). Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace interior designer knows how to do luxury. The National. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/business/the-life/abu-dhabi-presidential-palace-interior-designer-knows-how-to-do-luxury. World Visits. (2013). Buckingham Palace beautiful architects design. Retrieved from http://world-visits.blogspot.com/2013/04/buckingham-palace-beautiful-architects.html. Read More