Perfect Colour Partnerships
When you enter a space, what do you feel? Has it a sense of calm or do you feel energised? Choosing the right colour scheme is instrumental in setting the proper tone, so let’s discover how this can be done
Research into colour theory has ascribed defined emotions to each hue on a 12-part colour wheel, used by interior designers as a means of combining complementary colours and creating a specific atmosphere and mood.
So how can you use colour psychology in your interior design? Warm colours are great for creating a cosy or comfortable feeling in a room. Cool colours can be used to create a calming effect. Bright, bold colours can be used to stimulate activity or creativity. Colours have a positive psychological effect when in harmony with one another.
Interior Designer for The Secret Drawer, Rebecca Baker, suggests: “Choose a primary (feature) colour and then two secondary colours.
“The easiest way to approach colour matching is sticking to a select palette with complementary colours and start with a focal point, such as an artwork that you love and build from there.”
This kitchen, above, used a striking and vibrant piece of artwork as a starting point. The Secret Drawer created a dramatic, focal point by finishing the handcrafted, bespoke island in Farrow & Ball Red 42 and neutral walls painted in Slaked Lime (mid) 149 from Little Greene. The look is completed with hand crafted bar stools from Secret Drawer’s Freestanding Collection upholstered in Ragamuffin fabric by Delecuona.
Another classic and popular combination is neutral Oxford Stone or Pointing paired with the rich lavender toned Brassica all from Farrow & Ball as seen in The Secret Drawer’s Skipton showroom. It is rich and contemporary, that also has a casual and relaxed feel charming in light areas that’s becomes much more sophisticated and greyer in darker areas due to an underlying hint of black.
One of the first projects Rebecca got involved in was to update and transform spaces in The Secret Drawer showrooms both in Skipton and Ilkley. Her latest scheme has a Parisien vibe. Full glamour is achieved through the use of rich textures such as marble, coloured glass, linen and boucle fabrics and pewter handles from Samuel Heath. This is paired with stunning sophistication with handcrafted walnut cabinetry.
Rebecca is passionate about how transformative interior design can be: “Colour is there to enhance life. Let your personality shine through and embrace colour that makes you happy.”
