CHAPTER ONE
COLOR: THE FLAVOR IN EVERY RECIPE
Sweet success with decorative painting comes from a mix of many ingredients, but none is more important than color. It's easy to see why. Color can transform the character of a finish, taking it from subtle to bold, traditional to contemporary formal to casual.
In the introduction to this book, there are a host of ideas on how to use painted finishes with today's most popular decorating styles. The key to doing this is knowing which hues can help you capture the look and feel of a style.
That's how the colors for the finishes in this book were chosen -- based on current design trends, In these pages, you can find the same looks you love in stores and magazines, and then use the color suggestions and guidance supplied to achieve these looks much more affordably.
Don't forget that you can also use the "mix-and-match" principle: Maybe a finish you like isn't shown in colors that suit your decor; but another finish is. You can take the formulas for the other finish to the paint store, and have its colors made up for you. Be sure, however, to follow "paint-system" and "paint-consistency" requirements for the recipe you'll execute. (For more on paint systems and consistency, see Chapter Two, Paints and Tools.)
There is, of course, no reason to limit yourself to colors pictured here. In fact, the best way to think of all the recipes is as "serving suggestions" much like the recipes you might find on a box of pasta. There are so many variations; we have only scratched the surface of the great array of colors and patterns decorative painting makes available to us.
Sometimes, so much choice can be a little unnerving. You're probably well acquainted with the challenge it can be just to pick standard paint colors for a room -- coordinating with elements already in place, dealing with the pressure of knowing you'll have to live with your choice for some time. And even if you narrow your options to safe-and-neutral white, there are all the subtle shades that fall under that heading.
With decorative painting, it can be even more challenging. You must pick more than one color for each surface and make sure those colors work well together.
To better your odds of successful selection -- whether you plan to buy your paint and glaze ready-mixed or mix them yourself -- it pays to know something about color: the way colors work together, the interior design rules governing them, even how they influence the way you feel. The best place to begin is with a quick look at the concepts known as "color theory" and how they work in interior design.
UNDERSTANDING COLOR
When it comes to identifying pleasing color schemes, our earliest paint-box lessons still apply: Any hue can be made by combining the three primary colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- plus varying amounts of black and white. By mixing pairs of primaries, you form the three secondary colors: red and yellow make orange; yellow and blue make green; blue and red make violet. Then, by blending the secondaries, you get the tertiaries: olive, for one, which comes from mixing green with violet.
Today, however, thanks to technology, we should probably qualify the basic rule to say that almost any color can be created from the primaries. In reality, the more colors you combine, the less vibrant your result will be. So manufacturers now produce a wide range of colors whose brilliance would be hard to match by starting with the primaries.
COLOR, HARMONY
To grasp the relationships among colors, you can use the color wheel, pictured here. Like the face of a clock, it has 12 parts. You'll find the primary colors at 12 o'clock (yellow), four o'clock (red), and eight o'clock (blue). The secondary colors are at two o'clock (orange), six o'clock (violet), and 10 o'clock (green). In the remaining six spaces are the intermediate colors, so called because they lie between the primary and secondary colors.
From the position of colors on the wheel, you can identify harmonious blends. Among recommended combinations are similar colors, such as orange and yellow, which appear near each other on the wheel. Other options are complementary colors, such as red and green, which appear opposite each other. Complementaries serve a special purpose in decorating: They tone each other down to help balance a scheme.
A color also blends well with the colors flanking its complementary -- orange with either blue-green or blue-violet, for instance. This arrangement is called split-complementary.
You'll also discover that triads -- any three colors equidistant on the wheel (the primaries, for example) -- will harmonize.
COLOR CHARACTERISTICS
Even though the categories mentioned might be unfamiliar to you, you'll probably find many of your favorite combinations fit into them naturally. You may not recognize them at first, however, because on the color wheel they are in "pure" form, and this isn't often the form in which they are used in decorating, of course.
A color has three main characteristics: its hue, the color family to which it belongs; its intensity, how dull or vivid it is; and its value, how dark or light it is. By varying the intensity and value of pure color, we derive a multitude of others.
For example, by altering the value of pure red, we can get both rose and pink, which belong to the same color family and, thus, share the same position on the color wheel. To change the value of a color, you mix black and/or white into it. Mixing in white creates a tint; adding black gives a shade; blending in gray makes a tone.
CLASSIC COLOR SCHEMES
Based on these principles, we can devise color schemes that are pleasing and easily achieved. Using different values of the same color -- cream, taupe, and deep brown, for instance -- will give you a monochromatic arrangement. The scheme can be enhanced by decorative painting's two-tone effect. Try taupe walls sponge-painted over with cream glaze to subtly add design interest to a subdued setting. Sometimes, the simplest schemes provide a dramatic effect.
You can also create a harmonious setting with different colors that have the same value: three deep jewel tones, for example. The contrast between, say, a rich red, gold, and green brings vibrance to the scene, while the similarity in values ties them together and prevents one color from dominating and throwing the scheme off balance.
Because you may not be used to thinking of colors in terms of value, identifying different colors with the same value may take practice. To get a feel for values, imagine looking at a black-and-white photo of a room of your house. Or, better yet, take an actual black-and-white photo of it. In the photo, all the colors that have the same value will be the same shade of gray. By diminishing obvious differences in hues, you can more easily spot those of similar value. (You may also be able to get a sense of similar values by looking at a room and squinting your eyes.)
Keep in mind that simplicity can be trusted when it comes to color schemes. Consider using just a range of neutrals -- whites, beiges, grays. A subtle scheme like that makes a fine showcase for intricate painted finishes that might look busy or take a back seat in a more intensely colored setting.
Another option is to link your favorite hue with white or a pale neutral. In fact, using your preferred color as an accent will produce a scheme that is notable for its flexibility. As styles or your tastes change, you can just switch the accent color to give your neutral scheme a new look. Choosing a light accent color that contrasts less with your pale neutral background is a great way to give your interior a calming, relaxed air. Remember, too, that some of the most pleasing color combinations -- and, some of the most unexpected -- occur in nature; so keep your eyes open for inspiration.
CREATING A COLOR SCHEME
Interior designers have many methods for developing color schemes. A simple and effective one is to select the drapery or upholstery fabric first, and then create a custom look by matching walls, floors, and furnishings in coordinating hues.
If you're going to be mixing your own paints, picking your fabric beforehand is a safer bet. You can undoubtedly create a hue to match your fabric, but you might not as easily find a fabric to go with a distinctive color you've specially blended. If you'll be using premixed paints based on formulas given for the recipes in this book, you'll probably be safe picking your paint color first. The colors chosen for the finishes here were specially devised to coordinate with many of today's most popular decorating styles and home furnishings available at retail.
When decorating based on a fabric, professionals often advise that the background color of a print fabric and the base coat of your walls be the same. Then you can "pull out" other hues in the fabric pattern for coordinated accents; for a more sophisticated effect, you might want to skip the hue that appears in largest quantities in the pattern and bring out other colors instead.
Another method is to select three colors you like and apply them in varying quantities. Make one color dominant. Use the second color about half as much, and include the third as an accent.
A third way is to base your color scheme on a favorite object -- a painting, a piece of pottery, an antique chair, a kilim rug. Its colors don't have to be the main ones in your room. You can create a neutral backdrop, then use the colors in your object as an accent.
COLOR CAN CREATE MOODS
Don't underestimate the power of color to establish a tone for your interiors. After a long day at the office, want to come home to a cool, peaceful oasis? Color can arrange it. Live in a space that gets little light, but long for a bright, eye-opening spot to have breakfast? Color has what it takes to create that too.
Color can help you give your home a single all-over ambience, or let you change the look from room to room. For instance, you can use soft hues that create a relaxed look for private spaces like bedrooms, then turn to deeper, more formal colors for areas in which you entertain.
COLORS HAVE TEMPERATURE
Red and yellow aren't the only "warm" colors; nor are blue and green the only "cool" ones. There are "warm" and "cool" versions of all colors. It depends on what other hues a color contains. Green with more blue in it will seem "cooler" than a green with more yellow.
Often, "more" might be just a few drops of a cool or warm color. Nowhere can this be better seen than in the great variety of "white" paints. Cool whites have the slightest bluish or purplish cast, while warm whites might carry a tinge of pink, yellow, red, or orange.
These little differences in quantity can make a big difference in the way a color is perceived in a room. For instance, warm whites appear to advance, while cool whites seem to recede.
Many people seem to favor warm whites for their living spaces, but cool whites also have a place. While a warm white might be welcome in a room that gets little sun, a cool one can be appreciated in a space consumed with warmth.
COLOR TRANSFORMS SPACES
Besides imparting your personal stamp and establishing a mood, color can visually alter a room. Consider these questions for each room you plan to paint, to determine the kind of "color therapy" you need. What size is the room? Remember that painting a room a light color will make it seem larger; applying a dark hue will give it a cozy feel. What do you want the focus of the room to be -- walls, woodwork, flooring, furnishings? Varying the intensity of colors -- that is, combining light or vivid hues with dark or dull ones -- lets you place the emphasis where you want it. What is the room used for, and how often is it used? A hallway, for example, might be better suited to an especially stimulating color scheme because you pass through it, rather than spend a lot of time there. What are the color preferences of those who will use the room most? For happiest results, review your choices with those who share the room. Which direction does the room face? A room that gets cooler north or east light might best be served by bright colors. How much natural and artificial light does the room get? Prepare paint samples of your colors and see how they look in the lighting conditions most common to the room. Examine how they look at different times of day. Will spaces adjacent to the room also display painted finishes? If you can see one room from another, you might link their color schemes by employing a common hue -- the main color in one room could be an accent in the next, for example.
Copyright © 1995 by Packaged Goods Incorporated
