Using Color, Pattern, and Texture in Interior Design

The use of color, pattern and texture can not only enliven a space, but it can influence the overall feel of your space. The way these elements interact with each other adds interest, character, and atmosphere. When integrating these elements into your design, remember the basic design principals of Scale and Proportion, Balance, Rhythm, Emphasis and Unity.

Color
Color is one of the most versatile elements you can use when decorating your space. It can unify a space, create a mood, and visually alter the size of a room. It also comes in many forms – paint, wallpaper, fabric, art, accessories and even plants.

There are warm colors, cool colors and neutral colors - all of which come in varying intensities. Warm colors tend to be more uplifting, making them a great choice for living rooms and family rooms. Cool colors tend to be more soothing and restful, making them ideal for bedrooms and other spaces you use to unwind.

Two Basic Types of Color Schemes

• Complementary Color Schemes: Complementary colors lie opposite each other on the color wheel, such as yellow and blue or red and green. With that said, you probably don’t want your entire living room to be red and green - instead use different hues of red such as orange with accents of soft greens.

• Monochromatic Color Schemes: Monochromatic color schemes are derived of colors nearby each other on the color wheel. Often one color is used, but in several intensities. For example, a neutral color scheme could employ several shades of beige or gray, and a warm monochromatic color scheme could consist of several shades of yellow.

Altering Space with Color
Color can be used to visual change the size or feel of a room. For example, if you have a small room with disproportionately high ceilings, painting the ceiling a darker color than the walls will help to bring down the height of the ceiling. Because warmer colors appear to advance, use warm colors to cozy up a large living room. Cool and neutral colors tend to recede so use them to open up a smaller space.

Varying the intensity of colors will also affect their appearance. Using a lower intensity version of a color will lessen its tendency to advance or recede.

Although the general rule of thumb is lighter colors will make a space feel bigger, if you have a small room such as a den, using a darker, neutral color on the wall such as a chocolate brown will make the walls appear to recede and create a warm and inviting space.

Lighting and Color
Lighting, whether natural or created, can dramatically affect color and how the eye perceives it. If a room has a northern exposure, the natural light tends to be cooler, which will alter the appearance of warm colors. Likewise, a room with a southern exposure will have a warmer natural light, which will alter the way cool colors look in that space. Also, remember that the quality of natural light changes throughout the day and your artificial lighting (lamps, chandeliers, etc.) can affect how color appears in your space.

Because lighting can dramatically change color, it’s important to look at paint and fabric samples in your space and at different times of the day. Paint can be especially difficult to choose from the tiny swatches on a paint wheel. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few choices, it’s best to paint large samples on your wall before making your final decision. Many paint manufacturers now offer sample size jars of paint, but if they don’t, investing in a quart of paint in a few colors is worth it.

Pattern
Patterns can be added to a room in a variety of ways, but the most popular is through fabrics and wallpaper. Patterns add interest to a space and is also a vehicle for color.

Like color, pattern can be used to alter the visual size and mood of a space. For example, using a vertical pattern on walls creates height by drawing the eye upward. Horizontal patterns can help to widen a narrow space and make it feel more spacious. Just like warmer colors, larger patterns tend to advance and can create a lively mood, while smaller patterns tend to recede and be more subtle.

When mixing patterns, experiment by combining patterns of varying scales. Use color and similar levels of intensities to unify patterns. For example, combine a pale floral with a delicate stripe or a bold floral with a stronger stripe. Try using similar patterns in varying sizes or colors to develop a theme such as florals, geometrics or ethnic prints.

Texture
Texture is the visual or tactile characteristic of a surface. Every surface has a texture whether it be smooth, rough, nubby, gritty, matte, shiny, hard or soft. Like pattern, incorporating a variety of different textures like rough and smooth, adds balance, interest and sophistication to a design.

Fabrics are the most obvious way of introducing texture into your design. Silk, linen, velvet, chintz, or tweed will all produce different looks and feels. However there are many other materials that contribute to the tactile interest of a room. For example, rough hewn wood and stone have a course, matte finish which tends to absorb light, while metal, glass and enamel have a glossy, smooth finish which tends to reflect light.

A successful design will layer different textures in a room. If a living room was made up of only glossy, smooth materials it would feel cold and uninviting, but pairing a glass table with a chenille sofa will add warmth and contrast.

Textures can also influence the formality or informality of a space. If you want a more formal space use shiny, silky materials such as silk, velvet and lacquer. If you want a more informal space – try wicker paired with nubby, casual fabrics such as linen and chenille.

When using texture, it's important to consider your lighting. Using too bright, direct light can flatten textures. Instead, a more indirect lighting scheme will be much more effective and will emphasize even the most subtle textures. To learn more about lighting, see LET THERE BE LIGHT

Web Resources

• Learn How To Mix Patterns from BHG
  Mixing patterns can add a lot of interest to a space, but for many people, it can be intimidating. Here are some great tips with accompanying photos on how to mix patterns with ease from Better Homes and Gardens.
• Decorating By Color from Martha Stewart
  A great gallery of rooms by color from the editors at Martha Stewart. Perhaps you love red, but aren't sure how to use it in your décor - click on the red gallery and you'll find a ton of photos of inspiring interiors that using red.
• Decorating With Texture from LivingEtc.com
  Here is a great slide show with tips on how to use different elements to create texture in a space.