How to Choose Design Colors

This content requires Flash

To view this content, JavaScript must be enabled, and you need the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player.

Video Transcript

[Music playing]

Irwin: Welcome to Design2Share Q&A. I am Irwin.

Nicola: And I am Nicola. Today we are asking the question, "How do I choose colors that I will not get tired off?"

Irwin: Well, that is a real problem because most things want us to be tired off. When you are buying for example a raincoat, a classic baby raincoat that is the traditional and classic and just beige. Yes, it is very classic, but it is also very boring. Color is important if one has a visual response to color and it can be uplifting, it can create a tremendous mood. It can be dramatic, it can be soft and romantic and if I applied once and her bedroom was painted a peach color because she felt and reflect into wake up in. The dining room and the living room was painted dark gray was sort of dramatic lighting, because she was made up in choosing those rooms. That was how she felt, and she was in the mood that she came up with and there was how she saw color, which worked very well.

Nicola: And also the great thing about paint is that you can completely redo it. The great thing now which companies like Benjamin Moore are doing this little sample pots that you can try and test them on the wall just to see if you can live them. And there is sort of a general rule of Thomas, is it not Irwin?

Erwin: There are quite a few rules actually, of course like many rules, this rules can broken. Just elaborating Thursday about trying, also if you are free to try with some colors just like having throw pillows taking them on approval from the soul, is one way to work with that, but usually, the set of a rule is that the stronger the color, the more intense the color, the smaller quantity that there is a bad color in a room. But of course, not having a red living room, you can ornate dining room, you cannot of course have all the walls red unless it is red rooms. Also when it should not be too obvious about, if I painted the walls bright yellow and there is sort of a green floor and sort of orange and everything else, I think we got to look sort of two, sort of too obvious. So let us go back with extra tiles, sort of a little bit more subtle. Another rule actually, which is terrific that I use a lot is that the trim of the room. The crown molding and the base molding. The English style is to use that in white or cream and to contrast the wall color. But of course, doing it the same as the wall, red and dark, a more French way of doing it, that actually increases the height of the walls and gets a little bit more interesting, a little bit different from what we use to see.

Nicola: And also if you do have those architectural details, then the height can take in so much, but with those details such as prime molding, maybe you do not need as much color.

Irwin: If you have a ceiling instead of two white, it can look a lot of a darker room, it can always look like a white top on it. As we always talk about. The thing is to create a little bit of continuity, connection make the room look a little bit bigger. Even if you do white as a trim in a room that has of dark walls, just sort of mix some of that color in the white, which is very effective.

Nicola: The other thing also is you can take inspiration for color literally from anything. Whether it is nature or travel or even such as a bottle label or a painting.

Irwin: Yes, we used that wine bottle egg-shaped for a client, which was terrific. We actually picked up the colors from that and it was an enjoyable and festive way to get inspiration, but it worked very well and in many ways. Whether it is a bouquet of flowers, it is fabric locked on your shelf, even that makes a great a color scheme.

Nicola: Also the painting behind you. It is sort of trying the most colors which make a wonderful scheme.

Irwin: Right. I think that color, because colors would have served this role, I do not think you should try not to see it so fashion related. It is like having the set of the old harvest gold oven. It was the set of gold, everybody thought that was a great color, then it sort of dated. They do not get more topping what sort of fashion is. What the fashions are. And just see color for what it is. Color is beautiful. Do not try not to see the connotation.

Nicola: It is quite difficult though because some of the Chinese like the Pottery barn or Crate and Barrels, they do have seasons or trends with that color. So if actually you are trying to match with something else, a specific color that you want to work with, it is actually quite hard to shop for that because sort of to get towards that plans.

Irwin: If you do see a color that happens to be in your scheme and now showing those towels in the stores, buy it because it is not going to come back. But on the other hand, the fact that the stores like the Crate and Barrels and the Restoration Haven, they actually assert color consciousness as a sort of fashion conscious. It is an indication to think, "Well, okay I love it. It is more than magazines that is really, I will also like it." I have seen this in movies and things, but maybe next time when you see something else that you really like just as much, you just bear it in mind.

Nicola: In summary, what we are saying is do not be afraid of color. Be bold, enjoy it, and again, with paint especially, it is something that can be redone.

Irwin: Have fun. I am Irwin.

Nicola: And I am Nicola. Thank you for watching Design to Share Q&A.

Male 1: Add something to your next party. Our Wine 2 Share a recommendation, Bighouse Paint adds great color to your next house gathering. Why do we like this wine so much? Let us count the ways these wines pretty pink color is made. It is an artful combo of blend of (inaudible) barberries and hindel and others. The wine is dry, crisp and fragrant with a lot of bright cherries, strawberries and watermelon flavors.

Female 1: Bakehouse Wine Company is in Monterey County. A short distance from the Soledad State Correctional Facility, get it? Prison? Big house? The whole stake is a play on having one bottled and vineyards surrounding the prison like our wines are criminally delicious. They also play on the growth of French, Italian and Spanish grape varieties in the strong colorful new sun and blending wines to make the flavors far more complex than the single variety versions.

Male 1: So follow this Wine 2 Share recommendation and add the color of Bighouse Paint 2005 California pink wine to your next special occasion.