A colour for every room
Once we understand how colour works, we can apply it to various rooms to elicit and reflect the mood we desire. “They paint prisons pink to calm people down,” jokes Peter Fallico, host of HGTV Canada's Home To Go, before getting down to which rooms in the home merit which colours.
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- Bathroom: “People want to see crispness in a bathroom,” says Peter, “to get that spa feel.” For coolness in the bathroom, aquas, blues and greens work well, but anything in the peachy/rose range flatters the skin, adds Leatrice.
- Bedroom: Leatrice used periwinkle blue in her own bedroom, a colour that offers a little bit of excitement but remains for the most part tranquil. Peter suggests a soft yellow, something that is at once safe and warming, and vibrant enough to get a person out of bed in the morning.
- Dining room: If you want to get people salivating, Leatrice suggests trying colours from apricot, rosy orange and peach to terra cotta, wine and cranberry. Even the colours sound appetizing!
- Home office: Since this is a room where concentration is required, Leatrice suggests something restful to the eyes such as teal, a colour that combines green's outdoor inspiration with blue's dependability. Peter moves a little further into the green family with celadon –“It's alive, it's perky,” he says – or pear, which is motivating.
- Living room: “You need something calming, a colour that you can be around a long time with,” says Peter, suggesting tan or sable, either of which looks beautiful against wood tones. If the room is used for television, Leatrice prefers a green.
- Kitchen: “A bright sunny yellow will keep the kitchen alive and fresh,” says Peter. Leatrice agrees: “Yellow is just cheerful and fun, even if you spend little time cooking.”
Whatever colour you choose, make sure you like it. “Orange may be a trend colour, but if it doesn't say pleasant things to you you're not going to be comfortable,” says Leatrice. “Choose a colour based on your emotional response to it.”
Read more in Decorating & Design and Colour
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