Lighting And Colour

Lighting and Colour when Decorating a Home.

Natural or artificial light will affect the colour and the final look of freshly painted homes.
Colour in a space should not be chosen until the volume of lighting is examined. Where the light comes from makes a big difference. Natural light from a big south facing window is not the same as light from a small light bulb. Furthermore, a light fixture is more important than it’s main function of lighting up a space. It is one of the important elements that needs to look good in a decorated space.

When planning a project, a designer will consider issues such as energy efficiency and cost. A colour consultant will have other questions:

• What is the purpose of lighting in the space?
• Can existing light be used to highlight important decorating elements?
• Can colour be used to brighten up a room without changing any lighting?
• Is painting a large surface like a ceiling solve other lighting problems?
• Will a smart colour choice turn a previously plain wall into a focus wall?

The important thing to remember is that light itself is not visible. It helps us see other things. In the case of interior decorating, it helps us see things differently. In the last few years our painters must have painted hundreds of rooms in homes in Benjamin Moore’s “Chantilly Lace”. This is a very bright white that can instantly brighten up a space.

How to Choose Colour when faced with Different Lighting Situations

After spending hours, driving from paint store to paint store, sorting through hundreds of colour chips, you have finally made your choice. The paint is mixed and you are now ready to paint. You apply the colour, only to find out it is not the same as it was on that colour swatch in the paint store. Before you go back to the store and complain to the clerk, the culprit may be the light that your room is receiving.

• South facing rooms receive the most natural light. Walls across the windows can be painted with darker colours. Dark colour will absorb more light and can be used to dull the effect of a very bright room. For the same reason, a light colour can look almost white. It may be a good idea to use a shade darker than the intended colour.

• North facing rooms receive considerably less light. Using lighter and warmer colours will compensate for that. White can look grey, especially on the window walls. Using a creamier white can help “warm it up”. If a darker colour has to be used, it will have less of an effect when used on a window wall.
• A room facing east will look brighter during the day when it gets a lot of sunlight.
• A west facing room will look dull in the morning but warm and bright in the afternoon.
• The architecture of a home, will affect the influence natural light has on colour. A bright, open space home can take advantage of the effect that natural lighting has on a colour scheme. At the same time, smaller homes with small windows will rely more on artificial lighting.
• Different types of artificial lighting have a different colours and their interaction with the painted walls have to be carefully considered. Incandescent lights have a warmer yellow effect. Fluorescent light produces a slightly blue colour. Halogen lighting is the closest to natural and it looks white.

After narrowing your choice to two or three colours, it’s a good idea to buy a litre of each colour and paint some “test patches” in the areas that they will be used in. Test areas should be on two or three walls in each room for a more real representation of the final result. Make sure to check these colours during different times if you light source is a window. Your painting contractor should be able to provide sample service for a nominal charge.

To engage the services of a Colour Consultant in the Greater Toronto Area book a consultation with Ecopainting and we will connect you to an expert.

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Colour Psychology

The Psychology of Colour (as told by your Painter)

It might be too much to ask house painters to know about colour and colour psychology. Yet we deal with colour daily. We sample it, buy it, apply it, cover it, change it, and depending on the customer, answer for it! We don’t need a psychology degree, but we witness the psychological effects a colour change can have.

When describing a colour, a colour consultant might use such terms as “sophisticated”, “soothing”, “happy”. At the very least the terms “warm” or “cool” will be used when describing a colour for a home or room. The reason we use designers or colour consultants is because we trust their knowledge. They studied the theory and psychology of colour. They can tell us what colour works with that big sofa, or what to do with that ugly bathroom. When it’s time to sell a home, they know how to create favourable first impressions. In a work space the right colour can increase productivity and employee morale.

Our perception of color is influenced by our personal associations. Colours are seen as warm or cool mainly because of those associations. Yellow and orange are associated with heat and fire. The sea, forests and trees make us feel cool. When grey skies and rain surround us, we tend to draw in. Bright blue skies, a colourful garden, flowers and green forests have the opposite effect.

There is a lot of scientific research recognizing that there is a distinct relationship between colour, mood and behaviour.

The following facts demonstrate the psychological effects of colour.

• People actually gamble more and make riskier bets when under a red light as opposed to a blue light. That’s why Las Vegas is the city of red neon.
• A recent survey in England found that red is the least favourite of colours for front doors. It suggested that if you are selling your house, a green door will help sell it faster.
• London England’s Blackfriar bridge reduced its suicides by 33% when it was painted from black to green.
• It is found that women were more likely than men to have a favourite colour. The same study found women to prefer soft colours while men prefer bright ones.

Cultural Influences, beliefs and Upbringing Have an Effect on the Way We See Colour.

In most Asian cultures, yellow is the imperial colour and has very similar cultural associations as purple has in the western world. In China, red is associated with luck and prosperity. White in China is symbolic of death and mourning.

In Europe colours are strongly associated with political parties and social movements. Blue is mostly synonymous with conservatism, black with anarchism and red with socialism.

Green has always been used by organizations and groups concerned with the state of the environment because of its abundance in nature and its association with it.

At times of political and economic uncertainty, the safe comforting colours like beiges and browns are more popular. At times of rampant optimism, bright greens, aquas, even yellow greens are the colours of choice.

Colour marketing groups are able to capture the mood of the consumer and capitalize on it by directing their members marketing campaigns based on their findings. The popular colours of today are usually the forecast colours of a few years ago.

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