A history of colour in the home - part 4

A History of Colour in the Home - Part 4

With a better understanding of the historical context of paint and colour, what learnings can we take into our own decorating schemes?

What to Learn from History

Understanding and engaging with the grammar of these pigments is the key to creating a scheme of materials that feels harmonious and balanced. We will be going deeper into these pigments later in the course.

Focus on Tonality of Colour

• Achieved by the addition and prevalence of earth pigment within a colour.
• Paints with dominant earth pigments are quiet, they feel established and easy to live with.
• These tones are comfortable to our eye, and come with a historic relevance.
• They form an aesthetic memory that has been passed from generation to generation.

Consider the Weight of Colour

• Fundamental to the balance of a scheme.
• Strong or striking colour can throw the balance off, whereas lighter pale to mid tones feel gentler.
• Historically, strong colour was prohibitively expensive and as a result, we are not so used to it.
• Bold accent colours, in my opinion, are often better done through upholstery rather than on the walls.