The Basics – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colours

Red, Blue and Yellow are the primary colours and we will remember this from our early years at school.  These colours are so important as they cannot be achieved by mixing other colours – in their purest form they stand alone. 

Secondary colours are made by combining two of these colours. Orange is created by mixing red with yellow, green is made by combining yellow and blue and purple comes about by mixing red and blue. 

The decorator colours come next.  These are the tertiary colours which as they are more complex become more interesting and muted.  The Olive and Caramel range of colours is created by combing orange and green.  The Terracotta and Rust range which is so natural is achieved by combining purple and orange and the slate range, the most contemporary of the tertiary colour range comes about by mixing green and purple together.

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The Spiritual Colour

Lovers of the colour purple are often artists and are quite often cultured, sensitive and tasteful people.  A colour union between red an blue, a true mid purple reads as quite a cool colour and it causes a similar physiological effect as the colour blue which lowers blood pressure and pulse rates and acts as an appetite suppressant.  Purple certainly has links with the mystical world, lovers of the occult are drawn to the colour purple and when used in interior decorating purple can create quite a spiritual feel. In the western world, purple is also the colour of nobility.

Purple works extremely well with green chartreuse which is definitely a colour of the moment.  Chartreuse is almost yellow but close to lime green which makes it icy cool.  This coolness offsets the heaviness of the colour purple which makes this a very contemporary colour palette.  Yellow also looks very good with purple as it is its complementary colour in the spectrum.  It is important to ensure that with these colour pairings, one colour remains the dominant of the two and an 80/20 mix is a good ratio to work with.  Purple also works well with warm magenta and cerise which sit alongside it in the colour spectrum.  Partner these colours with crisp white to make a real statement.

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Art for colour scheme inspiration

Significant artworks are often an excellent starting point to use when developing a colour palette and a style or theme for your decorating project.  Look carefully at a favourite artwork and extract some of the more dominant colours and you have a ready made colour palette.  If you are drawn to and love a particular piece of artwork it is quite likely due to the colours used and the mood that it creates and it therefore follows that this mood will work well for the space you are decorating.  For example if you have an original Aboriginal artwork which features many tones of blue, try extracting one of the darkest and greyest of those hues and match your paint colour to this.  Place the artwork on this painted wall and the effect will be quite stunning.  Ensure that you choose one of the darker and greyer hues though as otherwise the effect will be overpowering and will detract from the artwork.  The following original Aboriginal artworks have been commissioned by Gundooee.

Artworks to complete a decorating scheme

You can also work the other way around when putting together a decorating scheme.  You may have your colour palette but just need a statement piece of artwork to complete the look.  Many artists now offer a custom colour service so that you can select an artwork that you love and then have it coloured in the exact hues of your palette.  So, for example, you can take your bedspread, cushions, wall and floor colours and the artist will use these exact hues for the painting.  Wall Candy Art and Paint Finishes offer this service.

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The colour green is without doubt the most serene of all the hues.  Placed right in the middle of the colour spectrum, our eye doesn’t need to adjust to see green which makes it a great colour for meditation purposes.    Green comes in many guises from Chartreuse which is teetering right on the edge of yellow through to Teal which contains a large degree of blue.  Whichever guise it comes in, it is without doubt the coolest of all the hues.  The colour green is an excellent choice for bedrooms and is also a great choice for north or west facing living areas as it is relaxing. Opt for greens that contain a fair degree of grey as these are also very sophisticated colours.

Emerald Green is right in the middle of the green spectrum, a true rich green without too much yellow or blue.  The fabrics and wallpapers shown here are from Osborne & Little.   Soft pale greens are beautiful paired with pink or soft blue and white.  For inspiration when using greens, simply look outside at the garden or nature reserve to see the wide range of green palettes from the soft grey greens of eucalypt trees to the rich glossy greens of a Camelia hedge and see how they work so effortlessly with floral accents.

Psychology of the Colour Green

Green is symbolic of nature, balance and normality.  Colour Psychologist, Faber Birren, found that people who like green are generally socially well adjusted, civilised and conventional.  They are often members of clubs and suburban dwellers.  Lovers of green are also energetic, solid citizens who are not given to sudden impulses, unlike lovers of the colour red.

Clear, bright green is the colour of the moment as many of us strive to be eco conscious.  Eco sustainability is the modern buzzword and marketers of many types of products are using the colour green in their packaging.

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Overview

Lighting was the star of the 2010 Design & Decoration Fair in Melbourne.  Table lamps, pendants and standard lamps were displayed everywhere, many in beautiful organic shapes.  The theme was natural with some companies producing lamp bases with twigs and driftwood.  Colour was also evident with plenty of muted palettes of duck egg blue and soft green grey.  Bedspreads, quilts and bedlinen were in beautiful silks and fine cottons and again, the colours were soft and understated.

The Vintage Trend

The Vintage trend has been popular in fashion for sometime and in these days of sustainable living we appreciate the merit in reusing items rather than simply throwing them away.  Ruby Star Traders has stunning furnishings and accessories in highly saturated palettes of all the colours in the spectrum.  Their Vintage range re-uses saris from India to cover sofas and armchairs and the result is a beautiful bespoke piece of furniture that has history and integrity.  For lovers of colour Ruby Star Traders is the answer.

Tigger Hall from Armadale in Melbourne is importing beautiful Ikats and Suzannis from Turkey, hand picked on her travels and used in her interior decorating projects.  Fabrics are also available to purchase and the designs are again, beautiful, individual and highly saturated.

Fabrics & Wallpapers

Altamira European Linen and Textiles had some high quality linens from Belgium and beautiful English fabrics and wallpapers by Vanessa Arbuthnot of the UK were also on show.  The bespoke theme continued with hand screened fabrics and wallpapers from Tinker by Print Studio in Melbourne.

The main point to take away from Design & Decoration in Melbourne 2010 was that it is good to be individual.  All tastes were catered for as there were palettes of both muted and highly saturated colours.  Screen printing offered the ability to have decorating items custom made and the beautiful fabrics on display can be made into cushions, bedspreads and even hanging pendant lights, you are only limited by your imagination.  Recycled timbers were evident in furnishings and vintage fabrics were one of the stars of the show.

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Provencal Colour Inspiration

Provence is a beautiful area in the south east of France, next to Italy and encompassing the French Riviera.  The palette of colours derived from this region is simply stunning and many painters including Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse and Auguste Renoir visited and lived in the region and found much of their inspiration there.  Envisage fields of bright yellow sunflowers, gracefully nodding to the sun, rolling fields of lavender, fields of bright red poppies, azure blue seas and green grey olive groves and you are well on your way to putting together a palette evocative of this region.

These images illustrate perfectly the beauty of the area and why so many people use this colour palette for the basis of their interior decorating.  Provencal colour palettes and decorating should not be confused with French Provincial decorating which is simply a french country decorating style.  The Provencal region has a colour palette that is quite unique.

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Psychology of the Colour Blue

A Pantone study in the United States found that 70% of people polled indicated blue was their favourite colour.  Blue certainly is one of the most serene of the colours in the spectrum and it has the opposite physiological effect on the human body to the colour red.  Blue suppresses the appetite, hence there are very few blue foods and if you want to diet, try serving food on a blue plate.  Blue slows down the pulse rate, lowers blood pressure and cools the temperature of the body.  Faber Birren, a famous American writer, studied the effects of colour on the human psyche and was an early exponent of the power of colour to create and maintain a heathly mind.  His findings indicated that people who have a preference for mid blue are often conservative in their outlook, accomplished, well connected and wealthy.  They are generally rational and cautious individuals.  Colour psychologists generally agree that children prefer the brighter colours in the spectrum, red, yellow, pink and orange and Faber Birren found that those children who do like blue are often less spontaneous than their peers and are more likely to conform.  Although blue is a very calm and tranquil colour it can make people feel cold, particularly if used in a south or east facing room.  Another downside to the colour is that it can lead to feelings of depression in some people.

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Porters have a wide range of beautiful wallpapers

The re-emergence of wallpaper

A few years ago, wallpaper was a decorating trend that was embraced by just a few who loved the retro appeal that this design element afforded.  Wallpapers were making great statements in commercial environments and some people were using wallpapers as decorator panels or feature walls but many preferred to simply use paint to adorn their walls.  Thankfully, the wallpaper trend has gained ground and home decorators are now appreciating the stunning designs that are flooding the market and enjoying the fabulous impact that the use of them can make in a decorating scheme. 

Textural wallpapers

Wallpaper does make a fantastic feature wall but the more adventurous are now using them on all walls in a space.  Remember that many wallpapers have very simple designs and many are simply plain with just a hint of texture which can bring great interest to a monochromatic palette.  Below are some examples of textural wallpapers from the Eijffinger range by Verve Designer Collections.

Monochromatic wallpapers

Monochromatic wallpapers work very well as they bring a beautiful design element into a decorating scheme without overloading the space with lots of colour.  Colour palettes of black and white have been very popular in recent times as people appreciate the fantastic design element of pairing colours that are at either end of the tonal scale.  It follows therefore that wallpapers in black and white will work well and bring a dramatic element to the room.  Of course, any colour can be treated in the same way, for example take an olive green and use darker and lighter tones of the colour in a decorating scheme for a very pleasing effect.  The following black and white wallpapers from Ferm Living are great examples of beautiful designs in a simple colour palette.

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Colour Psychology of Red

Red is without doubt the most dramatic of all the colours in the spectrum.  It has been scientifically proven that when you look at red you have an increased pulse rate, you perspire more and your appetite is stimulated.  Red has a powerful physiological impact on the body and it is therefore a colour that should be embraced but perhaps with a little restraint.  Red is also the first colour that the eye sees which is why stop signs and stop signals on traffic lights are red.  As the colour red is an appetite stimulant it is often used in dining rooms and restaurants however red also increases brainwave activity and makes us want to speed up, hence its liberal use in fast food restaurants.

The best way to use red in a decorating scheme

There are a number of things to consider when using red in a decorating scheme:

• The aspect of the room and the amount of natural light.  In a Sydney decorating scheme, if the space faces west or north then the colour red should be used as an accent only.  If the room is south or east facing, or is a dining room that is usually only used in the evening then a deep red can be used more liberally.
• A deep red is a good way to manipulate a space, for example a room will become more enclosed if red is used on all the walls or a space can be made to look less elongated by using the deep rich colour on one wall only.
• Offset the richness of red with a crisp clean white.  This will really define the colour and make it more intense.
• Finally, remember that the eye is always drawn to red first so if you are using red as an accent in a decorating scheme ensure that you do not use it all around the room as this will create a spotted effect.  Also, consider the view from your window as this may be the best feature of the room and you should not detract the eye from it with a strong feature colour.

Red Living Room in Melbourne

The Natural Palette

Have you ever wondered how trends are set?  Where colour palettes of the day originate and how designers come up with and then set these trends that we, whether we like it or not, then adhere to?  The majority of trends are set by the mood of the moment, the zeitgeist of our times and this is just as applicable to colour and decorating trends as to current affairs and news.  Eco sustainability is the latest buzzword.  We all feel we should be taking part as our environment is so important to us.  And, because we all want to embrace the environment, the natural palette is a current decorating favourite.  The term eco conjures up images of fresh green and certainly, eco friendly products use this in their product marketing but another great natural palette and one that translates so beautifully into a modern, relaxed decorating scheme is the natural beach scheme.

Inspiration

Conjure up images of a winter’s day on a pristine NSW beach.  These images evoke the natural colours of sand, driftwood, white bleached shells, soft smooth grey pebbles, cool grey seas with white crested waves, outcrops of rugged sandstone and chalky cliffs.   This imagery translates into a beautiful understated simple palette of decorating colours.

Putting it into practice

Murobond’s Natural Flat paint is a natural, breathable water based interior paint, formulated without petrochemicals.  Below are some great examples of off whites and neutrals that would be perfect for a scheme based on the natural palette.  Monochrome palettes work well with this look to keep the scheme simple and relaxed.  This means choosing one colour and using varying tones to build up your scheme.

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