Fundamentals of Art and Design 3(1+2)

Lesson 05 :Application of principles of design using colors.

Utility and color scheme for different rooms.

The use of a room decides in a way its color scheme. Color can help to emphasize the purpose of a room in addition to actually contributing to its efficiency. The time of day when a room is occupied most should be a factor in its color scheme selection,

The entrance hall often has much the same type of coloring as the living room, although in larger houses it is frequently more impersonal and dignified in color than the living room. In an apartment or small house where an entrance hall is only a passage-way, it should be decidedly decorative and colorful.

A living room should express cheer and hospitality along with restfulness and relaxation Therefore its color scheme needs to be cheerful but not over stimulating, fairly light, warm colors are usually the most desirable for living rooms. In a living room, it is desirable to keep the color interest and contrast on the general level of the occupants and furnishings, and not on the floor, walls, or ceiling.

The dining room in a formal home is naturally in the same character as the house so its color scheme is conservative and dignified. Most dining rooms are informal. A novel colorful decorative scheme does not become tiresome

in the dining room because the occupants do not remain there for long.

Colors such as lettuce green, shrimp pink, butter yellow, lemon yellow, watermelon rose, or tomato red have refreshing and delicious implications.

A kitchen color scheme should be cheerful, light, and bright. Cool colors are thought in kitchen to counteract the heat of cooking. The color of the sink, range, and refrigerator, which should all be alike, must be the basis for the color scheme.

One vital color, such as a pure primary or secondary color, may be used in interiors of cupboards, for furniture, in curtains, and possibly on the floor, ceiling, one wall, or on the wood trim. Other colors should be supplied by dishes, pots, and plants. The colors used in the kitchen should be stimulating enough to make the cook feel creative.

A bedroom color scheme is usually more personal than any other; its dominating color might well be the favorite color of the occupant.

A master bedroom used by both husband and wife should contain colors expressive of both.

A man's room or a boy's room should be masculine, with rich character full colors, possibly combined with natural wood. A woman's room or a girl's room should be bright and feminine and harmonious with her own coloring. A pretty, colorful room helps to develop a girl's personality.

A guest room should be decorated in rather impersonal colors since it needs to please occupants of either sex of any age.

Children's rooms are often finished with playful warm colorful decorations placed at the children's eye level.

Closet color schemes should be cheery. The colors may be the same as the color of the bedroom ceiling or walls or in pleasing contrast to them.

Bathroom walls and fixtures should usually be of white color, for hygienic as well as aesthetic reasons. One bright clear positive color is needed in a bathroom; it should be used on the floor or on the upper walls and ceiling and in towels, mats, curtains, and shower curtains. Bathrooms are often decorated in colors that suggest water, like green, blue, violet, or grey.

Game-room color schemes should be bold and vigorous. The whole effect should be amus­ing, with colorful backgrounds. The walls might be painted in a warm, bright, solid color such as coral or lemon yellow, or two walls might be painted in stripes, checks, or plaids. Mural paintings and decorations suggesting a circus, a ship, or a garden might be effective.

The following point’s can help a person to organize and decide the color schemes for their rooms:

1. A safe color scheme consists of tints and shades of one color.
2. Definite color schemes, such as complementary, adjacent, or triad are recommended.
3. An easy color scheme consists of white or off-white plus one or two clear colors.
4. Three colors and their variations in value are sufficient for any scheme, but needs careful plan.
5. A color scheme should be definitely dark or light.
6. Either warm or cool colors should predominate.
7. A color scheme is often begun with a tertiary color.
8. A neutralized color is generally best for large areas.
9. A more definite color is suitable for medium areas.
10. One or two brighter colors sometimes complementary to the dominant color are often used in small areas for accents.
11. If a scheme lacks sparkle, bright contrasting color note or white may be added.
12. Equal areas of different colors are monotonous.
13. Every color scheme should have a dominating color and a secondary color.

So, to summarize the general rule; use bright, vivid colors to pick out any surface that y like and that projects forward into the room and use deeper hues on surfaces which are to be recessed. This magnifies the natural light and shade effect of both daylight and artificial light.