How To Incorporate Colours & Texture
We show you how to work with your space to create balanced and harmonic colour and texture combinations for maximum results.
At first sight, you may think that it’s very easy to choose colours and textures for your home, because we can go to Harvey Norman and choose what we love and what we would like to have without really appreciating if it will work together or with what we already have at home.
Sometimes this works, but in most of the cases the end result doesn’t work by looking flat, cluttered or confused.
If you want to get that ‘Wow, I’ve nailed it’ feeling when you walk into the room, first of all, you need to understand what colours and combinations will work specifically for your home style.
#1: Understand Your Space
Firstly, you need to take a long hard look at the space you’re working with to be able to make the best colour and texture choices. Base colour choices by considering the aspect and orientation of the space. Does the room get a lot of sunlight? Does it feel dark, cool, or chilly?
For example, if you are looking to design a spacious room with a lot of windows, that space allows you to work with darker shades and rich textures, because the scale of the space and natural light will balance it.
However, if you are planning to design a narrow hallway or a small room with less natural lighting, having bold colours and a lot of textures will make the space look much smaller, darker and busy, which you definitely don’t want to do. (Check out How To Make Small Rooms Look & Feel Much Bigger) By working with the scale, shape and the lighting of your space, it will give you direction as to which palette and styles will work best.
#2: What Do You Already Have?
Start building your colour scheme around one or more items that you already have and that are important to you.
Something you already have that was expensive or hard to find that you don`t want to change any time soon (a fine sofa, an unique rug, hand painted wallpaper, an original painting, flooring, etc.). Or, If you are planning to change everything, think about something that you really want to have in your new design (flooring type, favourite colour, sofa, etc.).
These are going to be the first elements to consider, when you are planning to make new changes to your space.
Remember, whatever new changes that you are planning to incorporate, they should always ‘speak’ with what’s already there…
#2: What Do You Already Have?
Work with what you have already or a piece that’s important to you
#3 Balance Your Colours
We all have favourite colours and elements that we want to see and enjoy in our space. However, we should always make sure that wherever we do, the colours that we choose should be balanced so as not to overwhelm your space and be , well ‘too much’.
In interior design, we have a 60-30-10 rule when it comes to working with colours and textures.
60% = Dominant colour
30% = Secondary colour
10% = Accent colour
Our Pinterest page has some great ideas and inspiration for you too – why not have a look – Pinterest?
#4: Make Your Space Rich With Texture
Texture is very important especially when you’re working with a particular colour palette where the shades are very similar. If the most of your colour palette is monochromatic or analogue colour scheme, make sure you choose accent textures to add visual weight to contrast with them. Texture gives a richness and depth to the space and will elevate your interior to the next level.
If you are planning to go bold, bright, and strong with your textures, make sure to have less personality colours (greys, whites, beige, etc.) as dominants and secondary ones for your walls and main furniture. Always remember, that the key for a successful combination is based on having a proper balance between colour and texture.
#5: Think About Shape & Size
Whatever style and approach you pick to work with for your interior, remember that you are building a collection of shapes which should compliment and work each other. Colour and texture contrast is essential, but also make sure you give attention to the scale, form and shape.
It is very hard to create a successful blend of different shapes. To make life easy,choose one type of shape for your patterns (paisley, geometric, floral, etc.) and mimic it everywhere in different sizes. For example, if your rug has stripes, try to keep the same pattern for your bedding and have more linear accessories around. If you are more towards paisley, curved and round shapes, then mimic that on your lamp shapes and other accessories.
Finally, varying the size of your patterns will add interest to your space.
If you plan to use large sized or dominant patterns in flooring, choose smaller scale patterns or solid fabrics for your furniture.
