Colour Coordination in your Home Part 1 - The Neutral Backdrop

PART 1 - The Neutral Backdrop
The traditional school of thought on colour is that everything MUST be coordinated and completely match (or being matchy-matchy as I like to call it).  Some will find that this style is boring and doesn't lend itself to being very creative, and I agree.  While coordination is the key that pieces a room together whether it's by colour, texture or theme the entire room doesn't need to feel like one single form.  Colour can be introduced into a room in many different ways be it on the wall, in your furniture or in your accessories, it's all in how you tie it together.


I am of the school of having a neutral backdrop (i.e. walls) and punching the room with colour in furniture, art and accessories.  Some prefer the opposite of allowing the walls (and sometimes ceiling) to do the talking and the rest is just accent.  The reason for my love-affair with neutral backdrops is because it is (in my opinion) easier to change a pillowcase, vase or art piece than it is to have to re-paint the entire wall; because let's face it, people grow out of colour choices quickly, especially if you immerse yourself in them everyday.  Now the brave souls out there who enjoy the task of re-painting a room should keep reading because I promise to include some tips on colour coordination that can benefit you as well.


The Neutral Backdrop - it is my favourite so I thought I would start with this
Painting your walls in a neutral colour such as cream, off-white, light yellow/green/blue and yes even beige are good starters for your walls.  The subtle colour lends itself to blending in and not creating a focal point for the eye.  These colours are soothing and tend to have a warmer-feeling to them.  You could even take the paint all the way up the wall over the molding and onto the ceiling and this way the room will feel much taller, this is a good trick especially in rooms with low ceilings or in a bathroom.  


Let's use the living room as our example:
Now that you've painted the room in a neutral colour (trim paint and ceiling are a traditional white in our case), you can start to build in the major pieces for the room such as: a sofa, coffee table, bookcase, etc.  If you already have them and they work in your space great! If not, then this is where you could get creative.  Here are some creative ideas for the major pieces in your space:


SOFA
Why settle on a neutral coloured sofa when you could introduce some colour, texture or pattern to the forefront of your neutral backdrop.  Coloured sofas really do stand out against neutral walls, but be forewarned that a sofa purchase is a large investment and you want to pick something that you really do love and will withstand at least more than one year.  Here are some ideas:

Neutral sofas are great investments especially if you don't want the sofa to act as a focal point in the room.  They also tend to be wiser investments as they have much more staying power than a coloured sofa in which you could grow out of its hue and want a replacement.  Here are some ideas:

COFFEE TABLE

The coffee table is another way to inject colour into the room.  If you're handy and have a nice wooden coffee table that's seen better days why not spruce it up with a fresh coat of paint in a fun colour such as turquoise or tangerine.  If you'd rather not go through the trouble of having to re-finish an existing piece of furniture then consider purchasing a coffee table in either a fun colour, white or something more ornate.  Here are some ideas:

The neutral coffee table choices out there are in abundance and no one says that you have to stray from a traditional colour palate when selecting a coffee table.  Tables in a wood-finish, brown or black are always good choices, just be sure that the style of table fits in with the style of your room in both size and feel.


THE BOOKCASE
If you decide to introduce a bookcase into your living room space or if a built-in bookcase already exists, you have a number of options when it comes to colour.  You could paint the existing or purchase a white, black, brown or wood-tone bookcase and those would work nicely in your space.  But you could also easily introduce a bookcase in a rich shade of yellow, blue or red.  Here are some ideas:

ENTERTAINMENT UNIT
If your living room doubles as a family room you most likely will have some form of an entertainment unit.  If you do decide to introduce this furniture piece and depending on how large it is (i.e. the full wall) you can easily colour match the unit to either your coffee table or bookcase.  You don't want the room to look matchy-matchy but there should be some cohesion in the space otherwise it will start to look like you've been out shopping while tripping out on LSD.  If you have a white coffee table you could easily introduce a TV solution in white (if you have your TV mounted on the wall you could use this piece underneath).


Now no one says that you have to purchase a unit that is specifically made for televisions - keeping in mind that they tend to have holes drilled in for cords and the like - as you could easily turn that old sideboard into a TV unit.  For example:

Pieces specially designed for entertainment have come a long way over the years so don't go ruling them out right away. You could easily find and introduce a sleek looking unit that flows with your space, just be sure to keep in mind proportions when out shopping.  The last thing you want to do is come home with a wall-sized unit that screams "look at me!".




The introduction of a neutral wall colour and major living/family room pieces is Part 1 of my series on colour coordination. Be sure to stay turned for my second installment where I talk about accessorizing the space with artwork and decorative objects.


Courtesy of:
Leons
Structube
EQ3
IKEA