We have survived black Monday and things are looking up! The days are getting longer and we have enjoyed some lovely mild weeks of weather. I believe the worst of winter is over and soon we will be saying goodbye to dark days and embracing spring.
Light and bright are fashion must-haves for the coming season and that includes our homes. The designers I follow are predicting primarily white or off white interior with bold splashes of colour in accessories and artwork. Designers are coveting natural light and enhancing it with airy curtains to welcome the light into your space instead of blocking it out. The high contract of pale walls with dark wood is a very popular choice, this allows for over the top, colourful accessories in your home.
If you love colour, don’t be afraid of it. Some of the loveliest interiors I have seen have been washed with strong colours and accents. You could also design in the reverse and opt for a strong colour on the walls pumped up with pure white accessories. I love the look of a heavy colour in a room if the accents are white, this works perfectly in a bathroom where the white looks clean and hygienic.
Using colour is not always focused on paint or accessories. Lighting and use of light can also incorporate colour into your home. In one of my bathrooms I have dark teal walls (C2 –Titan) and have employed the white and silver decorate element. I have also layered the teal colour with the use of coloured glass and opalescent glass elements. These two elements reflect and increase the complexity of the teal colour without adding to the heaviness of the walls.
Coloured glass allows light to pass through and white tiles with an opalescent finish reflect a rainbow of colours back into the room. I used a clear glass vanity top/sink combination which also draws light and allows the wall colour to peek through. The green hue of the glass looks like a close relative of the teal walls. Reflective mirrored surfaces will bounce light and colour back into the room whether in a large format mirror or smaller decorative ones.
It can be intimidating to commit to a bold colour and I find most people shy away and never make a commitment to something they truly love. I say go for it! Enjoy the look of shock on your friends’ faces when they see your brand new pink laundry room. Savour the gasp of horror and disapproving look from your mother-in-law when she uses your new turquoise bathroom for the first time. Safe and simple rarely causes a reaction.
In this upcoming season of colour it is up to you to make your world fabulous and cheerful. Start small if you must, grab a few items and put them in your home and then see if you want to make the big commitment to more of a certain colour. Colour can calm us or energize us, can make us feel agitated or exuberant – I’m afraid the same cannot be said for beige. When was the last time you felt invigorated looking into a bowl of oatmeal, yet throw a handful of fresh raspberries in and it is suddenly much more appetizing.
Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.
