[title subtitle=”words & images:words & IMages Lee Anne Henry, Whiteline Designs”][/title]
It’s the season of celebrating the sunshine and beauty of Arkansas, the Natural State, and it makes me happy to see our community come together at local farmers’ markets and music festivals.
Everywhere there are people walking around with smiles, and wearing bright colors. Flowers are everywhere, and they make me happy!
In my interior design business, there are several truths in how people see and interpret color. Our brain can process color better when there’s a contrast with the surroundings.
When picking paint for clients, I begin by selecting a light neutral backbone. Soothing whites for the main living areas, such as kitchens and living rooms, allow for the homeowner’s personal color preference to be added by using furniture, photographs, and paintings.
There are hundreds of different shades of whites that trend towards light gray or cream. I’m not asking you to paint the room completely white—although it’s really amazing if you have the courage to do it!
Using this time-honored design approach, I pick the light color for the trim and then select a slightly deeper accent color in the same tone for the wall color. Using this tone-on-tone approach, a room begins to make sense as a neutral backdrop.
Against this light wall, bright artwork will pop! People seem to forget their personal possessions have many different colors, some of which may conflict with their wall color. This approach means the wall color will not compete—it will serve as a backdrop.
Let’s test my approach: This month, I encourage you to do something nice for yourself. Go to your local farmers’ market and buy a bundle of fresh-cut flowers!
Place them in your kitchen one day, next to your bed another. Move the flowers around your house from a dark room into a bright room and watch what happens.
Against a light backdrop, the bright flowers will shine! Against a dark or brightly colored backdrop, they will compete with their surroundings. You’ll be amazed how this small investment will pay off in making your day brighter, and you might see firsthand how our brains understand and recognize color set against a neutral background.
