How to decorate - Part II

Every room should be seen as a fantastic opportunity to use colour. Whether your choice of scheme has been spontaneous and instinctive, or heartfelt and studied, it is only the beginning of your journey towards making the most of your particular space.

When faced with a room made up of seemingly complicated architectural elements, it can be a little overwhelming choosing where each colour should go. Your first decision is whether the woodwork should be highlighted or not. This will probably be influenced by the style of your room. Most people default to the classic preference of using a clean white trim in traditional rooms, where there has always been a presumption that woodwork should be painted lighter than the walls. In contemporary room, on the other hand, where the trim is usually less decorative, it is often thought best to paint everything in one colour to create a backdrop that is more conducive to minimal living. Although it may feel as if the possibilities are endless, it is comforting to remember that there are three basic ways of decorating: light on dark; dark on light; and one colour throughout.

Light on dark

The first method of decorating, and the most traditional, is to use a colour on the walls and a white on the woodwork. Using white gloss became almost standard for many years, before its perceived austerity made it fall out of favour. Things have become full circle, though, and it is extremely popular once more, beloved for its freshness, crisp contrast, and simplicity. Used throughout a house, it also unifies and connects all rooms.

A bright white, however, can totally destroy a room when there are muted, subtle colours on the walls. But no need to worry - for every colour, there is a sympathetic white. There is a lot to be gained by using a white that is more sympathetic to the wall colour, as this creates a softer, more airy atmosphere. If the contrast between your walls and woordwork is strong, your eye will be drawn to that line of contrast and you will become very aware of each architectural element. When you are conscious of where the skirting/baseboard, doors and windows are, it makes the room feel smaller by defining the space. If these features are all softened by a white that sits tonally with the colour of the wall, you will notice them less and the room will feel bigger and calmer. These tone-on-tone schemes create quieter, more seamless rooms.

Dark on light

The second method of decorating is to make your trim darker than the walls. Most people want to create as much light and space in a room as they can, and using a lighter colour on the walls, which is the biggest space, with a darker tone on the woodwork, is the easiest way to achieve this. The dark trim instantly makes the walls feel lighter and adds decorative element to your scheme. Using a strong colour on woodwork with pale walls has had a great resurgence in popularity. It creates drama and is ideal if you wish to make a bold statement on a smaller scale. However, it can create a barrier betweens rooms, as it has the effect of drawing a frame around each space. These dark architectural elements draw the eye to them, changing both the room's focal point and its sense of scale, so you should be careful not to let them become overwhelming.

One colour

The third method of decorating is to use one colour on both the walls and the woodwork. Rooms painted in this way are both tranquil and extremely chick, which is why it has become a firm favourite with many contemporary decorators nowadays.

Panelling, traditionally picked out in three colours, becomes elegant and simple when painted in only one. When a single colour is used, a room suddenly feels bigger, because having no contrast means that you are less aware of the confines of the space. This creates a feeling of openness and simplicity, and makes the perfect backdrop for displaying art.

Many people, including me, have always been scared of using dark colours on woodwork, particularly windows, but it is amazing how natural it feels, even if the colour is strong. Another bonus of using one colour is that it connects the interior with the exterior, blending the outside and room together. If your window woodwork is the same colour as the walls, the eye does not stop to register a second colour and glides straight out to the view.

The wall colour is certainly the most important choice and will always dominate the room, but you also need to decide whether to hide or highlight the trim. Remember, there are three ways, as described above, to tackle this age-old problem.

Still cannot decide on how to paint your room to make your personal interior dreams come true? Feel free to reach out and request a personal consultation service here.

Happy Sunday everyone!