De-Clutter Your Color By R. Kang | DEC.21.07 Keep these factors in mind and don't leave anything to chance to minimize renovation problems.

The power of color is a key point that people often ignore when designing their homes. Our eyes recognize letters and word combinations so that our brain can interpret them into thoughts, so are colors registered in the same way to evoke specific thoughts and feelings. Color Overload On the opposite end of the spectrum from those who fear color are those who cannot seem to control their love for it. People seem to find comfort in using way too many color combinations in their homes.  From the mismatched furniture pieces collected along various stages of life, to the multi-colored walls with the frantic stenciling from floor to ceiling, some homes come closer to resembling a Rubik's cube than a relaxing retreat. You don't have to memorize the color wheel to be able to choose the right combinations of colors; just be sensitive to the relationships between the colors in your space. One of the most important factors to consider is the powerful influence colors have on each other. Consider the relationship between colors, when struck with the impulse to include too many colors in your space. Use splashes of contrasting colors in key accessories, such as throw pillows, instead of slapping them all over the place. The purpose is to focus on using key accessories, which can be swapped, over using a multitude of more permanent surfaces to establish color in your environment. The appropriate dose of color in the proper spots will add the right amount of color you need to get the right feel. Effects of Color Too many colors can unknowingly lead to anxiety, stress, and suppression of appetite. Certain colors can make you feel warm or cold; energetic or passive; motivated or uninspired. Some colors leave your home looking chaotic rather than inviting.

"From the mismatched furniture pieces collected along various stages of life, to the multi-colored walls with the frantic stenciling from floor to ceiling, some homes come closer to resembling a Rubik's cube than a relaxing retreat." "Color has been known to have tremendous effect on both human psychology and physiology. It is important to keep these effects in mind to give your space the balance it needs to protect you from sensory overload."

Over stimulating the senses will result in chaos of the mind. Color has been known to have tremendous effect on both human psychology and physiology. It is important to keep these effects in mind to give your space the balance it needs to protect you from sensory overload. You can find additional information regarding the effects of color on the body at Color Matters. Color Harmony Color harmony is the combination of colors that is pleasing to the eye. The properties of color harmony help attain the balance between over-stimulation and under-stimulation by presenting colors in an organized way for the eye to process. Color has temperature properties, warm versus cool colors, which need to be considered when trying to achieve color harmony. Warm colors are associated with daylight and the sunset, such as the yellows and reds. Cool colors are historically said to be associated with overcast days, so the blues to the grays. Color harmony can also be created with color value. The value of a color is its relative lightness or darkness. Use either all light or all dark colors in your space to create a calming effect. Color value can help define one object in contrast to a lighter color, or help create spatial illusions. Light colors are said to recede, so it will make your small space look more spacious, and airy. Dark colors are said to move toward you, so it will bring coziness to a very cold, large room. The perfect color balance can be created for the feel you desire for any space in your home by applying the essential properties of color harmony. Neutrals can also help bring balance to your space. Go Neutral Treat your senses to a relaxing experience by applying a neutral palette of natural, calming colors, especially on your walls and large pieces of furniture. Neutrals provide continuity and cohesion for the different elements in the space, blending different rooms and color schemes. Darker neutrals defuse other colors, while lighter neutrals intensify them. Let your walls be a canvas on which to make a statement about your personality. Use lighter neutrals as a backdrop to make the colors of your favorite artwork pop. You don't have to part with your existing colorful pieces to capture the neutral effect. If your colorful pieces provide the statement you want to make, then you can simplify the background by removing all the other colors in the room that may draw attention away from the pieces that you want to stand out. Neutral tones do not have to be just stark white. The classic neutrals are considered to be black, white, and gray, and are classified as the "true" neutrals; the colors that are not on the color wheel. They are considered to be a combination of all the colors in the spectrum. However, the design community has broken with tradition, and reclassified the neutrals; now, considered to be the most muted versions of the colors on the color wheel. Using neutrals is a great way to achieve balance in your space. You will appreciate what each color can offer you when it's amplified in its unique setting.  Live with the colors you love in harmony, instead of chaos. Create a balance for your senses.

By R. Kang | FOKaL Writer

[ DEC.21.07 ]

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