Colour Me Happy
Image: Farrow & Ball
At Lived In 365 we find one of the things clients often struggle with is not a lack of love of colour, but how to translate that love of colour into their home. How do you go able recreating those Instagrammable images in your own home? How do you work out which colours are for you and which colours go together? Do you go light, dark or neutral? In short, where do you start?!
On our first visit to a client, we often take a range of images from Pinterest, Instagram or magazines to gauge what colours a client might be drawn to. Sometimes, people have already seen images that grab them and they want to show us. It’s up to us to create a scheme that delivers the essence of that image in their own homes. To do that we need to talk through the images and dig deeper into why someone might like them, as often it’s the recreation of a feeling the image evokes rather than a specific colour.
But, as well as sitting down with you and discussing what you may like, or not like, about certain images, how else might we go about helping you to choose a colour scheme for your home?
A good starting point might be a particular piece of art that you already have, or have seen and really like. On Interior Design Masters earlier this year one of the contestants, Amy, used a Turner watercolour of Margate as inspiration for the colour scheme for a café refurbishment. A piece of art that you love can definitely be a fantastic starting point for an interior scheme. After all, something drew you to that picture in the first place. Can you guess the artist who inspired the splashback in the scheme below?
Image: Lived in 365
Similarly, a good way for us to start might be simply asking you about the clothes you like to wear. If you mainly dress in neutrals and blacks, it’s unlikely you’ll be drawn to colour schemes with strong vibrant colours and vice versa. Often the way someone presents themselves gives a really good steer as to how they would like their surroundings to be.
Source: Lived In 365
We’ll also consider the direction the room faces in working out the most appropriate colour scheme. In north facing rooms, it might be better to use warmer tones as lighter colours can be colder. In south facing rooms it might be preferable to use darker colours as the room will be already be light. This might also depend on what the room is used for and whether it’s mainly used in the daytime or at night. For example, you might want a home office to be nice and bright but a living room to be more cosy for evenings in front of the TV. Or you might just want to have a bit of fun and have the perfect room to do it in!
Image: Lived In 365
Obviously, it’ll also be really important to consider who uses to the room to determine the best colours for the scheme. But, it’s also really important to consider the longevity of those choices. Choosing something that’s on trend, for example, might mean that you don’t like it so much as interior trends move on. Similarly, designing a scheme for a kids bedroom or a playroom needs to consider how that scheme grows with them.
Image: Shutterstock
With so many colours on the market choosing a scheme for your home can definitely be challenging. Luckily, it’s one we relish! Livedin365 offers a range of services to help you decide what’s right for you and your home. These include the following:
An e-design option including an online consultation, 2D layout of the space, design boards for each room, a sample pack and shopping list and ongoing advice to completion.
Interior design featuriing a detailed in person consultation, a full survey of each space, design boards and 3D models of each room with suggested finish, sample pack and detailed specifications, technical drawings, introductions to specialist contractors and site visits to confirm final designs.
A colour consultation with a detailed two hour in person consultation at your home, including discussion of wall colours and coverings, fabrics, furniture, lighting and accessories, together with a follow up summarising details discussed.
Please contact us to find out more.