The Most Important Element in Interior Design

The Role of
Color
The Most Important Element in Interior Design
The MAGIC of Color
 Affects how people feel

 Evokes certain memories or emotions
 Triggers certain thoughts in your mind
Good designers use psychological effects of

color to help them achieve their goals.
Mood
 Blue: calm, business-like, formal feeling
 Red: bold, excited or nervous
 Orange: friendly, hopeful, full of energy
 Yellow: cheerful, friendly, happy
 Purple: formal, mysterious, regal
Because certain colors create specific moods, the

colors you choose for a house will depend partly
on how you use the room.
Illusions (Fooling the
Eye)
 At the same distance, warm colored objects
appear closer than cool colored ones.
You can visually enlarge a small room by painting
the walls a cool color.
Dark colors make a high ceiling seem lower and
light colors can make a low ceiling seem higher.
Understanding Color Vocabulary
 Color - a property of light
 Pigment - substances that absorb some light rays
and reflect others
 Hue - refers to the color name
 Value - the lightness and the darkness of a hue
 Tint - add white to a hue
 Shade - add black to a hue
 Tone - is made by adding a hue and gray
 Intensity - the brightness or dullness of a color

Value
 Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue achieved by
adding white, gray, or black.
White added to a hue
creates a tint.
Gray added to a hue
creates a tone.
Black added to a hue
creates a shade.
Color Hues
 Primary Hues:  Tertiary Hues:
 Red  Red-Orange
 Yellow  Yellow-Orange
 Blue  Yellow-Green
 Secondary Hues:  Blue-Green
 Green  Blue-Violet
 Orange  Red-Violet
 Violet
C
Red WARM COLORS
O
L
O
R
Blue-
Yellow-
Violet
Orange
W
H
E
E
Green
L COOL COLORS
Warm and Cool Colors
 Warm—associated  Cool—associated with
with the sun the ocean/water
 Red  Blue
 Orange  Green
 Yellow  Blue-Violet
You can feel warm or cool because of color. Using one of

these colors in decorating schemes can change the feeling of
the warmth or coolness of the room even if the temperature
stays the same.
Color Balance
 Any color which dominates its immediate environment in

hue, intensity or value will over balance a color or colors
of lesser contrast and tend to divert attention from the
composition.
Neutrals: Anchoring Colors to Nature
Tones Down Other Colors
 Gray:
 classy color, no after-image, business-like
 Black: Warm
 all colors are absorbed, dignity, sophistication, classy
 White: Cool
 reflects black, precision, cleanliness, and purity
 Brown: Warm
 earthy, comfort, comes from the intensity of red
Color Schemes: a combination of colors selected
for a room design in order to create a mood or set a tone.
 Monochromatic – shades, tints, tones of 1

hue
 Analogous – 3 hues next to each other
 Complementary – 2 hues directly across from
each other
 Split-Complementary – 3 hues, 2 of which
are on either side of complement
 Triad - 3 hues equal-distant from each other
Common Color Schemes
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Monochromatic
 Uses a single hue on almost every surface
in a room. Various darker shades, paler tones, or lighter
tints of the main color may be included in the palette. One
color is often paired with white or another neutral, gray, black,
beige, brown.
 Example: A monochromatic room in blue might use a single
shade of blue paired with white. You may also include dark
blue upholstery fabric, pale blue walls, medium blue
draperies, and an area rug that includes a print of both blue
and white. The window and door trim, as well as the ceiling
may be painted white as well.
Analogous
 Uses 3 colors that are next to
each other on the color wheel.
They usually match well and
create serene and comfortable
designs.
 Often found in nature and are
harmonious and pleasing to the
eye.
 Make sure you have enough
contrast when choosing an
analogous color scheme.
 Choose one color to dominate, a
second to support. The third
color is used (along with black
white or gray) as an accent.
Complementary Colors
 Colors opposite one another on the color wheel
are complementary colors and look good
together.
 (i.e. red and green)
 Two complementary colors will make a
harmonious combination with one or both of the
colors’ neighbors.
 (i.e. orange and blue with blue-green and blue-violet).
 Two colors which contain the same hue go well
together.
 (i.e. red-violet and orange which both have red in them.)
Complementary Colors
 The high contrast
creates a vibrant look,
especially when used
at full saturation.
 Must be managed well,
so that it is not jarring.
 Tricky to use in large
amounts, works well
when you want
something to stand out.
Split-Complementary
 Variation of a complementary
color scheme.
 In addition to the base color, it
uses the two colors adjacent to
its complement.
 Has same strong visual contrast,
but less tension.
 Often a good choice for
beginners, because it is difficult
to mess up.
Triad
 Uses any three hues that are an
equal distance apart on the color
wheel.
 Tends to be quite vibrant, even if
you use a pale or unsaturated
versions of your hues.
 To use successfully, your hues
should be carefully balanced.
 Hint: Let one color dominate
and use the other two colors
for accents.
Psychological Effects of Color
Perception
 Bright colors reflect more light causing stimulation
of the eyes.
 Human eye notices bright colors first; in fact,
yellow is the first color seen
 High contrast between colors creates muscular
activity which fatigues the eye.
 The greater the contrast between two colors the
more difficult it is to look at.
Sources:
 imsonline.tamu.edu/Courses/Samples/.../TheScienceofColor.ppt
 Some slides and information taken from Instructional Materials
Service Texas A&M University, with the following credits:
Jane Gloyd, TMF, AAF, Horticultural Professor (retired),

Richland College, Dallas, Texas organized and developed
the information used in this PowerPoint Presentation.
Christine Stetter, Artist, Instructional Materials Service,

developed and illustrated this PowerPoint Presentation.

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The Role of

 Affects how people feel

Good designers use psychological effects of

Because certain colors create specific moods, the

 Shade - add black to a hue

 Tone - is made by adding a hue and gray

 Intensity - the brightness or dullness of a color

 Secondary Hues:  Blue-Green

You can feel warm or cool because of color. Using one of

 Any color which dominates its immediate environment in

 Monochromatic – shades, tints, tones of 1

Jane Gloyd, TMF, AAF, Horticultural Professor (retired),

Christine Stetter, Artist, Instructional Materials Service,

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