Dynamics of Color

Color is one of the most important element which can contribute to the life and vitality of a home. With the use of color, we can make a small space look larger, and vice versa, warm up a cold room, cool down a sunny wall and create the desired ambience for that room.

Although the use of color does require confidence, it also requires caution, because choosing the 'wrong' colors can be quite disastrous, as I have seen in many instances. Using color is also the cheapest way to transform a room, an ideal solution for those with budget constraints. But, if we are to be successful with color, we must learn how color works, harness its powers and use it in an educated manner. The understanding of color enables us to transform our surroundings, creating an atmostphere most unique to each of us. Let us do away with the "I like this color and let us paint our walls with it" attitude.

First of all, we need to understand that there is more to color than just the different colors itself. Many of us go to a paint shop, look at the color patches in the little booklet offered by a particular brand and choose the one we like.

It is not that simple. We must take into consideration many other factors; for example, the aspects of the room we are painting.

Take into consideration the size of the room, shape, height of ceiling, its function - what the room is used for; bedroom, dining, etc. and light source - any windows facing the sun, light fixtures, also types and color of existing flooring - will they be changed to fit the color scheme? laminated wood floors?

Now for the color. We need to know things like tones, hues, the use of an accent color. We can choose just one color for our scheme and by using its varying strengths of tones, we create a finished room of great visual interest. If not, we end up with a flat and uninteresting room that does not create any impact.

Here, we see different tones of one chosen color is chosen to create depth and yet catch the sunlight that comes into the room. Without the darker tones, the room would look too bright and flat.

Below, again the use of tone... with the floors being a focal feature of the room and a 'canvass' to showcase the furniture.

Here, we see the use of an accent to bring out the vibrancy of a room and enhance a neutral color scheme.

Choose colors carefully taking into consideration the ambience and mood we want to create.

For more information and help in finding the right colors for your living or working environment, contact us at Faizah Zainal Lifestyle Design.

Thinking of painting for Raya? Here are some tips.

Be it the walls of a particular room in the house, the exterior of your house, or even 'ye olde' rusty swing in the garden, here are ten top tips for a great paint job.

#1. Always prepare the surfaces of what you want to paint thoroughly. Clean and sand them first. Scrap any excess old paint away.

#2. Use the correct paint; acrylic paints versus oil based paints, satin finish or matt finish. Ask a professional or your local handyman at the paint shop.

#3. Buy the best quality brushes and rollers you can afford for satisfactory results. Low quality brushes leave their bristles behind as you paint.

#4. Stir the paint well before use to 'pull' the pigment up from the bottom to the top.

#5. Check with your local paint shop to see if you need additives to make the paint flow better. There are many brands out there where you can use straight from the can.

#6. Always cut-in (paint around the edges) before rolling a wall or ceiling.

#7. Always work from top to bottom.

#8. Never paint when the temperature is falling, or on wet rainy days.

#9. Seal patched areas before painting and paint over the filled holes to help seal the filler.

#10. Allow adequate drying time between coats of paint.

Here's another tip:-

Forget about cleaning your brushes whenever you take a break from painting. Instead stick them in a plastic bag and tie a rubber-band around it to keep the paint brush from drying out making it easy to use later when you resume painting.

And another one:-

If you don't want to take the door off the hinges to paint the bottom edges, simply use a scrap of carpet as a brush to paint the bottom edge.


Happy painting!


Reference: Reader's Digest, "10 001 Time Saving Ideas"