Longing for colour!

COLOUR is the must exciting tool we have for giving our homes personality and taste, because it conveys a room’s mood and style at first glance. A room may look sumptuous, comfortable, cosy, cool, spacious or intimate depending on the shades of colour used. The use of colour implies aspects ranging from psychology to the history of culture, and plays a large, vital role in the creation of an interior design scheme.

First of all, we must distinguish between INTRINSIC COLOUR (of the material itself) and APPLIED COLOUR (added to the surface): every interior must be conceived and designed bearing in mind the colour characteristics of the finishes (floor coverings) and furnishings, and last but not least the shades of colour we decide to apply to the walls of a room. Materials like wood, marble, stone and fabrics have their own very strong intrinsic colours, and their shades affect the quality of both natural and artificial light.

It is very important to bear in mind that colour is, by its very nature, extremely unstable, and varies depending on the surface finish of the material (which may be gloss, matt or satined), changes in ambient light (clear or cloudy sky, time of day), or the proximity of other colours. We must always remember that the nature of a room’s colours is not an absolute; it is an overall effect, created by means of the relationship between the various shades used. However, there is no need to panic: correcting a colour if the shade is not quite right, especially in an emulsion paint, is easy and not particularly expensive. However, it is important to take great care when choosing the covering materials to be used when renovating a home, because changing them is more difficult and more expensive!

When painting a home’s interior, combinations of warm or cold colours have the advantage of providing clearly defined, contrasting colours that bring vibrancy to rooms. In a combination of two colours, which colour dominates will depend on their relative brightness and the proportions in which they are used. In monochrome design schemes, only one colour is used but with different tones and intensities; to add interest to the overall effect, some variety of tone is required, and contrasting materials must also be used. The neutral colours (black, white and grey) make up a very important group. The most popular comprise a vast range of shades, from cold and stone greys and ivory through to warm honey, straw and camel colours, with tones running from white, cream and ochre to moleskin, coal and chocolate. My personal recommendation: be unrestrained in your use of colour only when you can combine and underline shades with the aid of specific furnishings.

For those who choose to surround themselves with colour, it immediately comes to my mind Marazzi ColorUp (the name says it all!), ceramic tiles for wall covering characterized by bright shades, extra glossy surfaces, large sizes and slim thickness for spaces that evoke the joy of living! If your furniture is antique, in very traditional style, use neutral shades which will set off the details of your “works of art”. Among Marazzi collections you can find SistemN, the new porcelain stoneware in large size dedicated to neutral colours for floor and wall coverings suitable to design sophisticated surfaces with an essential timeless quality.