Using context to choose colour

North light
North light is diffuse and cooler. It tends to be more soft, even, and less dramatic. Colours gray down a bit and feel more muted. If your goal is to have a cheerful, sunny, active space, then choose warm colours in lighter values. Contrasting accent colours become more important to give the room some depth and dimension in north light. If your goal is a more quiet, restful, contemplative space, use cooler colours with warm accents. Full-bodied blues and blue-greens appear richer in cool north light. Check your colour samples carefully in the actual ambient light of the room and be sure they don't gray out too much.

East light and west light
It can be a challenge to select colours for a space that has only east or west light. It is helpful to decide if the space is to be used principally in the morning or the afternoon. This way you can tailor the colour selection to the type of light you will most often experience. East- or west-facing spaces are filled with dramatic light in the morning or afternoon, respectively. The sun enters at a low angle and penetrates deeply into the interior of the room. At certain times of day, an east- or west-facing space can be even brighter than a room with a south orientation. At other times of day, the room will be more similar to a north-facing space with cool, diffuse light.

For a balanced colour scheme that works at all times of day, a simple, safe rule of thumb is to use muted warm colours with rich, cool accents. A rule of thumb is a safe jumping-off point in colour design, but as you increase your confidence, try to bend, stretch and eventually break the rules for truly inspirational solutions.

Excerpted from Interior Color By Design by Jonathan Poore, with photography by Eric Roth. Copyright 2005 by Jonathan Poore. Excerpted with permission by Quayside Publishing Group. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except by permission in writing from the publishers.

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