Australian Travel

We live surrounded by colours, and varying shades and light. And every colour influences our feelings; each colour has a meaning and intertwines with our frame of mind. There is nothing absolute in our world. Have you noticed that there are days that you positively feel like wearing black, and other days you must add colour to your life spicing it up a little by adding a purple top, a magenta tie, or a mysterious smoky red evening dress. You may choose the colours for your wardrobe based on your feelings and change them several times a day, but you cannot change colours within a room as easily. When you begin decorating rooms, it is essential that you choose the colour scheme well.

Designers use a colour wheel to choose colours and shades that match. There are active colours (for example, red, yellow and orange), passive colours (blue, green and purple) and neutral colours (white, black, gray, beige and brown), and it is very important that you know how each of these colour groups might affect the mood in a room. For instance, warm colours stand out; neutrals, as their word suggests, don’t draw attention, and passive colors can calm people.

You should find a way to balance the tones, aiming to create the mood you are seeking. If you want a room full of energy, use orange; for passion, red is the best colour. If you are decorating for people to relax, use shades of blue. Now we’ll discuss what each colour means, as colours don’t have the same meaning all over the world.

Red is, for many, the colour associated with romantic love, for example a red rose, a red box of chocolates on Valentines Day, or the familiar red heart, however, in South Africa red represents mourning. Red is also the most common colour found in national flags. That is because in days past flags were proudly flown on the battlefield and red gave the signal for battle and the willingness to shed blood. Red also symbolises good luck in China, where it is used as a wedding colour. If you like red, then creating an interior decoration with a Chinese theme is a perfect choice.

Green is the colour of nature. It is found everywhere in the natural world, and it relaxes and inspires. In ancient times green was the colour of honour and victory. In Ireland, it symbolises good luck.

Blue is a common colour used in interior decoration, because it relaxes and refreshes, and suffuses a feeling of safety. When choosing blue for your home, you can’t go wrong, just remember that blue is a cold colour, so it needs to be balanced by accenting with orange or yellow.

Purple is thought of as the royal color. In ancient times purple dyes were extremely rare. It is also the colour of inspiration, so if you are creative, purple accents in a room will stimulate your mind. Because purple is believed to help kids develop imagination, it is often used to decorate their rooms.

Yellow and orange -need we say that they are the warm colours! They are reminiscent of the sun and the fruits of hot countries. Both have a positive effect, however, take care how you use orange and yellow in decorating, as both stand out and tend to dominate a room.

Black and white are neutral. Both have symbolised mourning in different civilizations, but then almost every colour has represented mourning: red for South Africans, blue for Iranians, purple for women in Thailand, yellow for Egyptians, white for Chinese and Japanese, black for Europeans and Americans. But black and white are each very refined colours, white symbolising purity, kindness, peace and loyalty, and, while walls should not be painted black, you could choose to use black as a feature on a wall or panel, or use black furniture to add to your interior a feel of opulence and strength.

If you’re looking for a colour consultant in Brisbane, contact Creating with Colour. This Brisbane paint colour consultant will help you choose a colour scheme to match your mood, style and the building’s personality.