| Decorating Guidelines: Bold Colors and Patterns |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-706 |
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Q: I just moved into a new house and I'm antsy to try some bolder decorating techniques. Do you have some guidelines? A: (Bea Pila, DIY decorating expert) It may feel a little risky, but by following a few guidelines, you can make bold design motifs work for you. Here are just a few suggestions and examples.
- Photos of this home's interior design (figure A) give some good ideas of how bold ideas with color and pattern can be used and blended successfully.
- The table lamp is itself unusual, and it has a very distinctive shade that heightens that effect even more. Try experimenting with different lampshades to change the look of a lamp.
- Bold colors were selected for the sofa pillows used to dress up a neutral, off-white sofa (figure B). Because the background is neutral, the risk of using bold colors is lessened.
- A chair is upholstered with a dramatic cobalt blue fabric (figure C). Careful selection of dramatic colors can punch up the look of a room.
- Similarly, dramatic colors can be selected when shopping for wall paints. In an ordinary-looking foyer, a wrought-iron shade is far from typical, but it serves as a suitable backdrop to highlight the framed art that was used (figure D). You may want to consider painting light-switch plates so that they don't contrast obtrusively against unusual colors.
- For the home office, chocolate brown walls augment the warm feeling of the dark-stained wood of the bookshelves and other furnishings (figure E).
- The dark red used on the dining-room walls (figure F) took tinted primer and four full coats of paint to achieve the desired effect.
- Selecting among fabric patterns (figure G) can be tricky. Work towards a global effect with a variety of patterns that tie together. Consider the scale of patterns, use of solids to tie patterns together, and the use of varied textures.
- A favorite large pattern print can be selected first (figure H), then used as a guideline for selecting colors to complement.
- For example, a geometrically textured burgundy-solid works beautifully with the bold floral pattern that contains similar colors and shades as highlights (figure I).
Recap -- Guidelines for Mixing Patterns: - Start small, and work your way gradually into bolder design statements.
- Choose colors you love.
- Use complementary colors when mixing patterns.
RESOURCES :
Color Palettes : Atmospheric Interiors Using the Donald Kaufman Color Collection
Model: 060960144X
Author: Suzanne K. Butterfield
Clarkson Potter - $40.00
Hardcover - 208 pages (April 1998)
Clarkson Potter/The Crown Publishing Group/Random House
Website: www.randomhouse.com
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