Posts Tagged ‘Interior’
April 24th, 2011 | 
Author: In traditional oil painting, color layering used to be the method to make colors glow and shine. In the lifetime of Vermeer and Rembrandt, strong colors were very expensive and hard to get. And the colors that were available cheap, were earth colors: browns, earthy greens, yellowish brown. Still they managed to get radiant colors. They did that by color layering.
Plants and foliage were painted with the cheap yellow ochre first, and then they were glazed with a thin shine-through blue (blue usually was the expensive color). Working like that was cheaper, but also more beautiful. The same goes for faces: they were first painted in green. Then they could be painted over with a light brown, and they’d still have a lively pink glow – caused by contrasting with the green.
I tried out some of these recipes, and combined them with Goethes theory of color. To that, I added some of my painting experience, and I came to the following conclusion:
-Warm colors (yellow-orange-red) do good on a white or lighter warm colored background. That also applies to warm pinks and browns.
-cold colors (blue, blue-violet) look great on a darker neutral or a brown background.
-cold colors look good painted on warm colors, and warm colors painted on cold colors don’t.
Some finetuning: for the more greenish blue colors (like turquoise), it goes even more, that they don’t look good painted on white. But you can patch them up easily, by glazing a little white over them. Ultramarine is a bit of an exeption, it can also look OK painted semitransparent over white. But it looks better on black. I also did the patching up with white on a blue-violet color glazing that went smudgy. White helps blue colors to radiate. When I did color washing, I found that the only way to make a smudgy blue shine again, was to glaze some white over it. With red, that would never work. Reds need to be painted just the other way around: dark over light.
For reds, it’s the other way around. You make them shine and glow, by painting them dark (without added white), on a light background. And if you find the color too strong, you add white to it. Warm browns then turn into skin- or earthcolors. A warm color, like brown, peach, yellow, orange, or red, painted on white almost automatically looks good – even when the colors don’t hide and you see brushstrokes. Try that with a blue, and the results will be horrible. And for yellow goes: the only way to get a nice yellow, is to paint it on white.
For interior paint colors, a strong blue is a daring color. But it I’ve seen it already here and there. Now, if you paint it on white, the only way to make it look acceptable is, to put on two or three coats: to make it hide. But then you still have this onesided, rather flat color. You can also paint it with a partial hide, with the right dark underpainting color. For a really beautiful and radiating cosmic ultramarine, first paint the wall warm dark brown (darker than the blue). And strong, saturated violets look great on black.
The great thing is: if you get the color layering right, any kind of brushing looks good. All you have to do is, more or less repeat the same gestures while you brush, and make sure you get neat edges (by using masking tape). I’ve seen an orange wall, painted by two 13-year old girls, with abstract-expressionistic paintstrokes all over – and it just looked great. It goes with folk, modern and even with minimalistic living styles. OK, with antique and classic styles, the brushing needs to stylish too. But even then you get the best brushing look, when the colors are right.
These color effects can be explained by Goethes theory of color – all colors have light and darkness in them. In the reds (yellow/orange/red), darkness is active. So they look nice, if they can darken something light. In blues, the light has an active role. So blues look good when they can lighten things up. For me as a painter, Goethe was right all along. But that’s another story.
You should consider what colors and color combinations that works best for your home. To be able to determine the colors you need to decide what effect you want to give by way of your new interior colors; are you planning to make your interior look bold or do you want to make it calm and peaceful?
Selecting the right color of paint for your interiors can be challenging mainly because there are plenty of things to consider. Some points to consider include the mood you wish to create, what colors are preferable along with your home furnishings and fabrics, and precisely what colors you and your loved ones love best. Also, familiarize yourself with the fundamental colors in design and style to make the task somewhat easier.
Typical Paint Color Schemes
By using a single color featuring its different shades is what is termed as a monochromatic color scheme.
Using colors which are neighbours within the color wheel is what is termed an analogous color scheme.
Making use of colors that are located opposite to each other within the color wheel is termed as a complementary color scheme.
Light Shades is generally applied if you desire your room to appear bigger, make the walls prominent or you are painting long walls.
Dark Shades is generally used when you need to make small details of a room prominent or you are painting wall recesses.
After you have determined the color scheme for your interior paint, you need to now take the next step of choosing the paint finish.
Interior paint Finish
Eggshell is among the best surface finishes for concealing imperfections whilst delivering that modest sheen that you may desire for the walls. It resists dirt and dampness much better than flat finish and touches up reasonably well.
A flat finish is excellent at concealing imperfections on the wall surface. Flat finish can provide any room a relaxed and cool feel because of its absence of sheen. However, you need to take into account that flat paint resists moisture poorly, becomes dirty easily and is tough to clean without residual effects.
A Gloss finish posseses an extremely high sheen and also resists dirt and moisture the best whilst being the most washable/cleanable of all finishes. Should you have imperfections as part of your wall stay away from gloss as the blemishes are going to be exaggerated. Gloss is most effective for moist areas such as bathrooms or inside well used kitchens wherever food may have a tendency to splatter onto the walls.
Semi-gloss paint washes well, resists moisture well and reflects light. This mid-to-high sheen finish touches up poorly. It is most suitable for use within children’s bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.
Always spend some time when selecting the best interior paint. You shouldn’t have to rush choosing the proper type of paint for your paint job. Should you find yourself stuck, you will have the alternative to employ a professional if required.
For interior paint colors and ideas, visit Nippon Paint Singapore. View room types and view by paint colour families. Be inspired by new ideas. For a silky interior paint finish, try Vinyl Silk luxury wall paint finish.
The differences between an interior decorator and an interior designer may seem inconsequential, but there are actually many things that set these two careers apart. People who work as professional interior designers typically have more education, typically in the form of a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. Some designers also extend their education and complete a graduate degree in a design specialization, which makes them more desirable to future employers and clients. Interior decorators may also receive training and education in their chosen field, but usually it is either from a community college or online distance learning institution. This difference is just the beginning, though.
The essence of an interior design career is more than just creating the outward appearance of a room, building or space. Interior designers often have experience with architecture and understand how to pull elements from the building itself into the room and implement the other items that are arranged throughout the design space. They can handle everything from choosing and arranging the furniture to configuring the lighting to dressing the windows and doors, or even choosing where the windows and doors will go in the case of new construction. Interior designers may also change the current structure of the architecture if it fits with their design plans.
Interior decorators are more concerned with the outward, aesthetic appearance of a room, building or space. They may choose the furniture, paint colors, wallpaper, flooring, cabinetry, tiles, linens, window treatments, artwork and accessories that are placed in a room. They are experts at picking out and arranging things to achieve a desired look. Interior decorators may be hired by individuals to decorate a room or an entire home, or they may work for corporations, small businesses and/or nonprofit organizations that need help decorating their offices or retail space.
While interior decorators usually work with all types of homes and businesses doing all sorts of decorating, interior designers typically have a specialty such as commercial spaces, offices, art galleries, private homes or building exteriors. These two professions also have a lot in common, though, and it’s not uncommon to find designers and decorators working hand in hand.
Interior designers today are highly-qualified multitasking professionals … it’s not just about pretty fabrics and gorgeous furniture any more – design professionals need to understand flooring, structures, plumbing constraints, heating systems, security features, electrical outlets and much more besides. One of the most important parts of an interior designer’s job is lighting, and this can one of the most technically challenging and complex elements of the profession. In this four-part collection of articles which I call “Notes from a London Interior Designer,” I draw on my substantial experience from working alongside some of London’s most celebrated interior designers to reveal the secrets of this fascinating field.
If you are outside London and have a beautiful mansion with expansive grounds, floodlighting may be a perfect solution for magnificent drama. This can also be a perfect choice for castles or temples and other places of worship. Interior designers will often select mercury-based illuminators, which cast a powerful bluish light into the air. This can be perfect on conifers and it creates a fabulous contrast when used alongside filament-based yellow bulbs. Many of London’s best-known interior designers like to recess floodlights down into the earth or tuck them away in a group of bushes in order to reduce glare and make the garden environment more welcoming. These powerful illuminators are often recommended for extremely leafy areas of your garden or for the furthest corners of more expansive grounds.
Candles are magical because of the way the light moves with the wind. Interior designers can install burning garden flambeaus alongside a path in order to draw the eye along an arc. Occasionally, London gardens will have standing water features; I have seen interior designers create concepts that require candle nightlights to float glistening on the water during luxurious soirees. Windproof glass vessels protect the candles and make sure they won’t be extinguished if the breeze picks up.
I would be remiss as an interior designer if I did not mention a few safety issues here. Most London Interior Designers are fully qualified in all the latest lighting design codes, but please do remember that open flames should never be left unattended and it is critical to make sure candles do not come into contact with leaves, branches or flowers.
In the next article in this collection which I call “Notes from a London Interior Designer,” I will talk about how to bring water features to life using light.
You don’t need to spend a fortune by hiring a professional interior design company not to be artistic to have beautiful home. You don’t need huge budget to turn your home into a cozy place. All you need is a bit of time and the desire to make it a better living place.
First of all know the function of each room. Clarify the priorities is your living room solely intended for day activities or your home office is there too? Do you have separate dining room or an eat-in kitchen? Does your household has children and what’s their age? The aim of interior decorating is not only to improve the look but to improve the functionality of each room. Once with your hands on the subject you will find that there are plenty of solutions for big and small spaces that can serve almost any need and satisfy any taste.
The next thing to consider is your personal preferences. While clarifying the functions of each room is mostly about the arrangement of the main furnishings, the second part is about their style as well as the walls and floor coverings, their type and color. Generally speaking there are established color schemes that are deemed to be best for each room. For example peach orange is perfect for kitchens since is stimulates appetite and is not offensive. Bedrooms are often white or within the place spectrum of colors as they should provide comfort and relaxation.
Living rooms can benefit from much more bright and strong colors as well as of a combination of two or three colors. As to the floor coverings you only need to think about which type will e most practical. Obviously tiles are good to high circulation areas which are likely to be cleaned often kitchens, entry halls, while wooden floors are good for areas that need to be cozy, warm such as bedrooms and living rooms. Another significant factor when choosing your floor coverings is the budget.
Once you are done with the basics walls and floors, and have all your furniture placed properly, the fun part begins. And may be this is where interior decorating says it all. It’s about all the tiny bits and pieces of your interior design that will make your home unique, cozy and comfortable. A fluffy pillow on the sofa, a rug under the coffee table, a vase of roses on the dining table or a set of candles over the fireplace are the things that make difference. The accessories type and style depends on you. If you are keen on traditional stuff than go for simple but elegant vases, photo frames, candle holders. Want to go ethnic find an Indian shop and get some wooden baskets, rugs and leather pillows.
Once you go over this you are done with the interior decorating task. It is not that difficult and all you need to do is to free your imagination and check a few home decor magazines or websites. And remember interior decoration is not one of task it is a constant thing that should and will continue naturally in time as you and your lifestyle changes.