Colours and pattern combinations in interior designing and decoration

COLLECTING IDEAS •

To collect ideas for colour and pattern combinations, keep a file of samples from magazines and swatches of colour and pattern of your existing and proposed decor. Pay attention to any bold- coloured items that need to match, and take all the samples with you when shopping for fabrics and papers.  Remember that the predominant colours in a pattern influence mood. Reds have a warm, welcoming quality; blues are restful and calming; browns and oranges are warm; yellows are bright and reflective; greens have a natural, cool, and spacious feel. Patterns in pale, neutral tones of these colours act like texture to add depth and interest rather than explicit mood. Si ze and scale he scale of patterns that you incorporate into your decorating scheme can vary from enormous repeats that dominate a room to minuscule mini-prints that are hardly visible from a distance.

Generally, large patterns have much the same effects and use as vivid colours while small patterns function like muted colours. It is easier to have a great variety of colour and pattern if the patterns are detailed and of a fairly similar small size.

PATTERN FOR EFFECT •

Bold, vertically striped wallpaper increases the apparent height of either small or larger rooms. • Horizontal stripes make the walls appear longer and lower. • One way to incorporate a large-scale design into a fairly small room is to choose a pattern with muted colours on a background that does not form toO vivid a contrast. large patterns Large-scale patterns require careful planning. If the design contrasts highly with its background, it will create a basic colour scheme around which the rest of the decor must revolve. Usually, large, bold patterns emphasise form and movement. They look most attractive when used on large areas such as a stairwell, where the design can be seen in its entirety without the interruption of furnishings. Like dark colours, they can also be effective on a single wall of a large room, as a focal point below left Big areas of large-scale patterns, such a, the ones ill this living room, ill vivid primary colour dominate a room, The effect will be overpowering unless the room is well proportioned and balanced with more muted decorative elements, such as a comparatively plain carpet and ceiling. Below A very limited range of colours has been used here, from the blue-purple part of the spectrum. Note that although the patterning is bold, it i. all of a consistent size and the background is plain. Right Apart from the full-length drapes, this dining room is without the pattern. The expanse of red of the walls, ceiling, and the carpet is effectively alleviated by the high-gloss white woodwork. or backdrop to plain furnishings. Large patterns tend to make a small room look smaller, and are less suitable for rooms with lots of windows, doors, or alcoves since the motifs will be constantly interrupted.