Decorating discussion groups from the Better Homes and Gardens website are what inspired the creation of Color Solutions, in which the 10 most frequently asked questions about choosing and using color in the home are focused upon. Kelly Gale Amen was among the handful of experienced interior designers from around the country chosen to find examples of workable options for these questions.
In the book, Amen shares his knowledge and expertise in the section labeled, “How can I change the sense of space?” He suggests using color to define a large space. By starting with the elements that make the color statement – walls, woodwork, ceilings, fabric, furniture, and floor covers – Amen helps identify the look you want to create and charts a path toward achieving it.
Lofts and new homes with open plans and cathedral ceilings offer similar architectural challenges for homeowners. If your living room, kitchen, and office all share one large, undivided space, can you use more than one color? And if so, where do you stop one color and start the next?
In response, Amen deploys color to emphasize the vertical dimension of the two-story main living area and to lead the eye into and around the space. The concrete supporting columns divide the walls into sections and provide a natural boundary for starting and stopping colors.
Kelly Gale Amen advocates developing a color plan for the whole house even if you don’t paint all at once. That way, colors will be cohesive and will work together once you complete the job. He starts with 200 color chips and gradually narrows the palette down to a minimum of 10 or 12 colors to use on ceilings and walls. He warns not to judge the impact of a color until you have all of the furniture back in place. “Otherwise, it’s like eating a meal half-cooked,” he says.
To develop the palette, Amen starts with the homeowner’s sofa, rugs, and chair, pulling out colors that would blend rather than match exactly. Using a palette inspired by nature – olive, sand, the colors of leaves, grass, and sky – is one way to ensure that colors will blend rather than match; this creates an effect that’s visually engaging yet unified.
Also consider the light that each space receives. Natural light changes the appearance of any color. To gauge the impact of light on your chosen colors, buy a quart of each color and brush the paint onto large pieces of poster board. Tape the poster board throughout the day and by lamplight.
