Windows in the interior

Key meanings and symbols: balance, tenderness, sentimentality, attractiveness, womanhood, sensitivity, warmth, lightness.

Pink color means calmness, relaxation, femininity, with light nuances being gentle and touching, while more saturated shades dramatic and exciting.

According to its scientific definition, pink color represents unsaturated (diluted with white) red color, but it is true for the reference pink in its pure form only. In reality, it has a variety of tints which are formed of purple, violet and even orange colors. The general principle for any shade of pink color lies in creation of a romantic mood and encouraging optimism.

Basically, pink color is preferred by sensitive people. It came into the modern culture as the classic color of Barbie dolls and wardrobe of blondes, closely associated with exaltation and excessive emotionality.

In the opinion of psychologists, pink color is subconsciously rejected by pragmatic and rational people – those who put emotions and sentimentality well below the common sense.

The same is true for children – pink color attracts them, but as they grow older and enter the teenage years, with the stronger awareness of their personality and hard intellectual work, they may even start to hate this color.

Pink in the interior

Pink color is able to neutralize the aggression – people staying in the pink room start to unwittingly relax. Furthermore, when reducing melancholy, pink color also relaxes, evokes a feeling of comfort, eliminates intrusive thoughts and helps to appease passion in crisis situations. It creates a sense of protection, but accompanied by some absence of mind. Inhabitants of pink rooms have stable optimistic mood without much expression and surges of energy.

Healthcare professionals say that pink interior creates in people a sense of peace, promotes better sleep and improved appetite. The effect of pink light in calming of overexcited patients lowers blood pressure, pulse and heart rate. Besides, its positive influence helps to adapt to the constant noise.

Pink in the interior should be used with caution. Of course, you decorate your bedroom for yourself, but the color which is perfect for a young girl or single woman, with the appearance of a man in the house can be the cause for conflicts in the family – or, to be more exact, for emotional stress, sometimes unperceived one. The other point – when pink color is used in the interior without a sense of proportion it becomes cloying and “saccharine”.

So, what can you do to surround yourself with your favorite color and avoid looking vulgar, but instead to demonstrate your elegance and aristocratism?

The first recipe – blend. Dilute this color in the interior almost in half, using white or any other suitable color. The room made entirely in pink can be too “stunning”, while addition of complementary colors creates a visual pause and emphasizes freshness and vitality of pink.

What are additional colors used by designers seeking to create a stylish pink interior?

Unmistakable choice is white color which adds freshness and purity to pink.

Black and any shades of grey refer to the second group of colors; they allow to create the most classic and noble interiors.

They are followed by various shades of brown and beige colors; such interiors turn to be comfortable and warm to a greater extent, though not much romantic.

Now let’s add more vibrancy: green and pale-lemon (cold yellow) colors mix well with pink.

Generally, priority here is given to light and cold colors. It is better to forget about warm (such as yellow, orange, and red) colors. They are suitable exclusively for pop-art interiors which look bright and interesting but fit to the followers of retro style only.

There are many styles where pink color is highly demanded. Among classic styles, one can mention rococo with a lot of ruffles and frills, and delicately diluted shades. Standard bright-pink and “shocking” pink are striking color accords in the modern minimalistic interiors, attenuating their severity and coldness. Retro styles of 1950–1960-ies, based on bright contrasting combinations, can be mentioned separately.

Living room

Since pink color is widely perceived as sweet, its abundance may seem cloying. It is better to use pink as an accent of color. If you still want to make it dominant, choose subdued grey-pink tones.

Bedroom

Owing to its soft, cozy and romantic nature, pink color is ideally suited for the bedroom. It imparts a shining and healthy tint to skin, and where but in the bedroom can this quality be duly appreciated?

Study

It would be rather frivolous to use pink color when designing interior of the study. However, everything depends on the shade of pink and the kind of activities of a person the study is meant for.

Children’s room

Pink room for a girl is the most natural place for that color, especially, if you stick to traditional views with regard to selection of colors depending on the child sex. Certainly, choice of your child is even more important.

Kitchen

Pink color is quite appropriate here, but you need powerful and intense pink shade, instead of sweet pink used in the bedroom.

Bathroom

Warm figure-flattening effect of pink color works well in bathrooms too. It is another area where pink color is capable of imparting healthy look to the naked body.

Recommendation

Pale nuances of pink-blue are often chosen for bedrooms, while catchy shades of pink are suited well for the living room and dining-room. Warm and rich shades of pink are favorable for creating the welcoming atmosphere in the hall, and evoking sunlight impression in the shaded room. Combination of pink in equal parts with white or pale-lemon and bright-green colors will allow keeping pink color fresh.

“Rose-colored” interior works well with red, white, beige, gray, coffee, and lemon colors.

Violet in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: wisdom, spirituality, mysticism, inspiration, artistry, noblesse, law, power, fanaticism, estrangement, death.

Associated body part: right brain, pineal gland.

Color and psychology: magnificent color always present in the garments of kings and religious leaders. It is an inspiration color peculiar to healers and creative personalities. It helps to accept everything that happens with a calm heart, soothes the soul, and nourishes it with the energy of inspiration. Violet color unites the body and mentality, material requirements and spiritual needs. People with violet color prevailing in their aura become skilled healers; if they are creative individuals, their works are characterized by the naturalness and the language understandable to everyone. Violet color is balancing two ends of spectrum, as well as masculine and feminine energy in the human body.

It helps at the negative mental conditions, such as neurosis, loss of faith, despair, loss of self-esteem, and in treatment of the physiological diseases (brain commotion, epilepsy, neuralgia, and disseminated sclerosis).

Not recommended: for people suffering from serious mental illnesses and alcoholism.

Violet in the interior

Probably, it is the only color in the interior which causes so many disagreements and opposing views.

Violet color promotes turning of a person inward: it helps to abstract from everything needless at the moment and to concentrate upon the main problem. Violet color is considered a heavy color, so it is not recommended for children.

Before categorical exclusion of violet from the interior, think about its shades. Bright-violet may be unsuitable for you, but turn your attention to light and cheerful semitones. A great many shades of this color are rather diverse.

This color is used for creation of theaters’ interiors, and it often reflects the creative mood of inhabitants of the “violet” house. People of arts and painters often use the shades of violet (in particular, purple shade) when designing their studios. This color is also well suited for meditations and prayers.

Living room

Eggplant or grape color will be suitable in the living room décor. The only question is what color suits your personality in the best way. Do you like the elegance and depth of plum shades, or prefer the refinement of rose and dark grapes? If you want to get light-colored living room, think of lavender. But you should not overdo with this shade, otherwise your living room will become too “sugary”. It is better to combine lavender with the darker plum tones, bringing to your living room more sophistication and refinement.

Bedroom

Shades of violet with blue can be used in the bedroom; they possess inner peace and serenity. Reddish tints are not suitable here.

Study

In the private study the color of eggplant may be appropriate. However, all shades of wine are perfectly suited for this room. They belong to warmer tones of violet and create the comfortable atmosphere.

Children’s room

As a rule, little girls prefer lavender, especially in combination with pink. Lavender is the Barbie’s favorite color, so do not expect that boys would be willing to live in such atmosphere as well.

Kitchen

Brighter shades of violet can be used in the kitchen. Think of the Italian ceramics, beautiful glass and delightful tablecloths. Grape tones are the best suited for the dining-room. They are featuring delicacy of taste and exquisite beauty of the southern fruits. Cold wine tones arte perfectly suited for dining-rooms with south-facing windows, especially if you live in hot climate.

Bathroom

Any color reminding of flowers, such as lilac and lavender, is appropriate for bathrooms. These colors impart warmth, fragrance and comfort to the room. Lavender is known by its soothing properties. It is an ideal color for the room where you want to create the atmosphere of the luxury seaside resort. Splendid tones of eggplant will be appropriate for the toilet room, moreover, the darker the better. Your guests entering the room and finding entirely unexpected color solution will be really amazed!

Recommendation

Unique color needs a unique personality for its perception. This color does not fit to everybody. However, before categorical exclusion of violet from the interior, think about its shades. Bright-violet may be unsuitable for you, but turn your attention to light and cheerful semitones. A great many shades of this color are rather diverse. Some of them are better suited for one category of rooms, and others are optimal for another category.

Yellow in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: sun, day, freedom, holiday, fun, patience, stubbornness, criticism, anxiety, betrayal.

Associated body part: solar plexus (connects the intestines, liver, and gall bladder).

Color and psychology: this color puts the feelings in motion; releases from negatives which undermine self-confidence; helps to conceive new ideas easier and to accept differing points of view. Yellow contributes to better self-organization and concentration of thoughts. For children, it increases their cognitive interest and can be used for children’s rooms, but in limited proportions, otherwise children will not have a peaceful sleep.
If you want your guests to feel at ease and have fun, decorate your living room with articles of yellow color.

This color helps with negative mental conditions: creative block, depression, low self-esteem, pessimism.

Color and psychology: effective treatment of the digestive system, ensuring of its proper work. Mainly, this color has its effect on the flow of bile, playing the critical part in absorption and digestion of fats. Besides, it improves memory.

Medicinal properties: helps with constipation, diabetes, skin diseases, nervous breakdown.

Not recommended: at serious diseases of stomach, insomnia.

Yellow in the interior

It is physiologically optimal color in the interior, since it is the least fatiguing, stimulating vision and nervous activity, mobilizing the motor centers, and contributing to the cheerful mood. Subdued tone of yellow has a positive effect on the mental activity, moderately toning up and helping in the intellectual work.

Yellow color is indispensable if you want to create the atmosphere for the intellectual activity, including the editorial work. However, it is used more often in combination with dark-blue color carrying a sense of security and tranquility.

Living room

It is an ambiguous step to design the living room with the abundance of yellow.

1. It will be perceived rather careless and lightweight.
2. The room will seem too hot.
3. Bright atmosphere always attracts your attention, so it will not be possible to switch off from everyday life when reading a book or watching TV.

It is better to highlight key points competently, emphasizing your distinctiveness and joie de vivre, and affording pleasure from the color to yourself.

Bedroom

Yellow, the same as orange, is not suitable for the bedroom, since it will not provide proper relaxation.

Study

Yellow color helps to concentrate and increases creativity, so it can be chosen for a study, but not in too bright shades. Furthermore, yellow will look good in rooms with north-facing windows.

Children’s room

Children are fond of yellow – it is bright, warm and cheerful color for the children’s room. It stimulates activity, communication skills, and helps to keep physical tone; this is exactly what is needed for the full development of children’s personality. Taking into account the effect of yellow on the intellectual functions, choose it for designing a place to study. When mixed with red, yellow color is capable of enhancing the thirst for knowledge and encouraging the child to explore something new.

Kitchen

Yellow is encouraging. Its cheerful nature is catching and imparts the great mood to the kitchen and to your way of life as a whole. It is not surprising that yellow is the color of happiness and blessedness in Asia. Yellow kitchen, surely, will look warm and comfortable. Whatever you cook, appetite of your family members will be excellent. It is a great motivation for housewives in cooking – high spirits and energy boost are guaranteed.

Bathroom

Yellow color is not suited and can even be dangerous for enclosed spaces. But if you choose yellow accessories only, your bathroom will become warmer, and pleasant things will catch your eye in the morning to give a portion of buoyancy for the day.

Country house

Summerhouse is quite often built in wood with walls covered with clapboard or the whole timbers of the framework left in their natural form. Yellow color works perfectly well with wood. Therefore, if you choose yellow for your country house, it will warm it on autumn and winter days, and you will always have a great mood for fun and relaxation. You should remember that it is referred to absolutely pure and bright yellow color; any other shades of it – more pale and transparent lemon, rich yellow-orange and others – contain admixtures of other colors and, accordingly, all of the above does not apply to them.

Recommendation

Yellow color is needed in children’s rooms and places for mental activity, since it develops cognitive abilities, and contributes to thinking process.

Grey in the interior

General color characteristics

Grey color combines the opposite qualities of black and white, feeling itself unwanted and strange, and never being the first (since it does not endeavor for this). The sole purpose lies in stability and harmony (because of the exhaustion and fatigue). Grey is considered a lonely color, since it is on the border of black and white.

People who prefer grey do not believe in the decisive power of emotions and sincerity of emotional experience; in their opinion, emotions can be shown in certain circumstances only (but not now). This explains their emotional restraint and, therefore, exhaustion.

Grey color always stabilizes the processes around, but at the same time looks dual and feels bad.

If grey dominates in clothes, a person is seeking to find ideal feelings and sensations (positive feelings, which give inner harmony and relaxation). This color gives power to those who are weak and vulnerable. Grey clothes allow to feel free and to ease the nerves. As a rule, this color is used at nervous exhaustions.

Grey is the color of civilization, it practically does not exist in the nature. Generally, grey is associated with something extremely cold: with metal, concrete, or granite. This color traditionally represents urbanistic future with its grey landscapes and people.

Grey in the interior

Use of grey in the interior is a new fashionable trend. For a long time, grey color was considered too dark and ordinary to be the principal color. Instead, grey details are not so visible and do not catch the eye. Now this color is widely used in the modern design.

Grey perfectly complements any interior, softening and smoothing the effect of other tones. Not being very good soloist, it sounds great in the chorus.

Grey is a mix of black and white, night and day, with its own ambiguity and mystery. Ash-colored wallpaper suits well for the red and dark-blue furniture, emphasizing and underlining its merits. Luxury materials of grey color seem more valuable and impart grace and refinement even to simple surfaces.

But give more favor to grey; it is not so boring and cold. Grey color has a lot of shades, from steel to pearl-gray ones, providing the desired style and atmosphere to the interior.

Grey color is widely used in the modern design. Designers turn to it in the projects where the emphasis is laid on decoration, style and architecture. As a neutral background, it is ideal for interior solutions in the minimalistic style, not distracting attention from the texture and content of the subject and emphasizing the merits and nobleness of materials.

Grey is unavoidable in the interiors with industrial aesthetics. Raw concrete walls, unmasked cables and pipes, remains of the former constructions enhance a sense of elegance and sophistication of the expensive designer furniture.

Grey is also a perfect base for any color accents, emphasizing their brightness and saturation. Individual pieces of furniture and colored accessories are particularly expressive against the neutral grey background. Besides, grey color is indispensable in demonstration of the objects of art.

Intelligent, noble, elegant, sophisticated and refined grey in the diversity of its shades is capable of solving any designer tasks. On its own or combined with other colors, this color complements any interior, emphasizes its advantages, creates the necessary background, and enhances any color combinations.

Living room

Nice shades of grey will help to impart quiet elegance and comfort to the interior of the living room. By using the matching grey palette, you will create a sense of tranquility in your house. Seemingly conservative grey, when used in the interior, often creates bright and exquisite look.

Refined shades, such as grey, beige and white, are generally most practical ones in the interior decoration. Bright colors can be brought by accessories, such as pillows, curtains, art works.

Bedroom

Light-grey and pearl-grey shades can become a worthy decor of the comfortable bedroom, full with textile articles and a lot of knick-knacks. In addition, grey contributes to soothing and relaxing environment.

Study

Conservative and intelligent grey works well in study design, imparting to it business style and somewhat festive atmosphere. Steel and smoky shades of grey are particularly suited for studies, as the colors of maturity.

Children’s room

Light grey shall soothe the body and soul creating a sense of peace and freedom, because it is closer to white. Dark-grey represents the mind struggling with causeless anxiety and exerts certain pressure. Any shade of grey reduces the activity, and dark-grey color evokes the thoughts of illness, boredom, passivity. Therefore, it is not recommended to use grey in the interior of children’s rooms. The only exception is made for hyperactive children: the principal color chosen in this case shall be a neutral shade, with more vibrant color elements spread on the areas of the room.

Kitchen

Light-grey color is good in kitchens – it emphasizes cleanliness and neatness.

Recommendation

Grey is in harmony with any other colors. It is neither warm nor cold, being really all-purpose color. However, too much grey evoke a sense of officialism, so use it sparingly.

Neutral palette can help you focusing on your own feelings. Remember: “Choose your color, change your life”.

White in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: light, peace, serenity, purity, emptiness, innocence, virginity, concentration, detachment, loneliness.

It is a positive color comprising all colors of the spectrum.
White relates to spirituality. Psychologists and healers often choose white when working with their patients. White color charges with energy and cleanness.

When you are not sure which color you need for treatment or for use in everyday life, turn to white.

White, as well as black, is recommended for use in combination with other colors.

Abundance of white can evoke a sense of superiority or, on the contrary, inadequacy.

White in the interior

White, along with black, represents a special group of colors, separated from spectral colors. It is maximally pure color, carrying the benevolent mood and subtle shades of summer, coolness and light. White is rarely used in the interiors on its own, and more often chosen for the large areas. Because of its neutrality, white color serves as a perfect background for any color accents, increasing their brightness and clarity and emphasizing complexity.

White color used as an outline provides for proximity of any colors. Dividing line in white color removes border-line contrast inevitable at direct contact of pure colors, and softens the color diversity.

White gives a lot of opportunities to change the space. White in the interior attracts by its simplicity, refinement and purity. It creates a feeling of spaciousness. White color can be different, depending on lighting or chosen palette of white: warm, fresh, gentle, explicit, provocative…
White color makes brighter the daylight entering the room from the window; dark place in the room colored in white becomes lighter; any objects against white background, surrounded by white colors, are be perceived more calmly and advantageously.

White color is good for creating interiors in the minimalistic style.
However, when white is abundant, negative characteristics of the color (isolation, boredom, primness, disappointment) step forward. A person will not feel comfortable in such a space. If you want to feel good in a white room, white is to be diluted with articles of other colors.
White color is not recommended for children’s rooms and hospitals.

Living room

White living room is bright and very spacious, but somewhat coldish without catchy accessories. Besides, you’ll have much trouble with cleaning.

Bedroom

White color is good in the bedroom interior due to its cleanness and freshness but, once again, excessive use of white may fall short of expectations. Instead of relaxing after a busy day, you’ll feel lonely in such interior.
Better make your bedroom with no pure white color, choosing white with some shades. For example, light- peach color will give you an opportunity to relax. Curtains and paintings of contrasting colors will help to smooth the impact of white, which in itself can be rather harsh and even suppressive. You can also place lamps of different colors and furniture of warm tones in your bedroom.

Study

Combination of white and black is the most appropriate for the study interior, which features a certain officialism. Beauty of white color can be highlighted by the relief of objects. That is why white blinds and lighting fixtures are so popular. Several lamps arranged at varying height create an impression of color, freely floating in space.

Today grey and white becomes the fashionable combination; these colors are often take the lead in the study interior design since they create a sense of the rigorism and office style.

Children’s room

White color noticeably lightens and visually cleans the children’s room, in particular, meant for a girl. But too much white color may create the feeling of a hospital ward – and psychologists do not recommend to work for abundant white in the rooms for children.

Kitchen

Kitchen in white color may give the impression of a bright and cool room full of fresh air, but at the same time it will remind the hospital, that is, the place where it is not appropriate to have a chat with friends with a cup of coffeeе. Dilute whiteness of your kitchen with colored curtains or bright tiles, arrange vases with fruits and vegetables, and place transparent containers with spices and cereals of warm colors.

Bathroom

White bathroom may seem cool, but it is not a place where it is comfortable to get off clothes and take a bath.
Despite the fact that white walls are capable of reflecting sunlight, it is necessary to remember that the most of today’s bathrooms represent closed and small rooms without any windows. So, the monotony of white color should be diluted with vivid tiles or colored towels. You can also (if a sufficient space is available) place in the bathroom a potted plant which needs moisture and does not require a lot of light (e.g. fern).

Recommendation

White color is too bright for the human eye, and it is not advisable to create large areas of white. The range of shades is rather wide.

Sometimes bright white color is also useful. It is ideal for both interior and exterior finish, creating a sense of completeness. White finish allows defining a space (window/ door opening, door etc.). Bright white can be used where it is necessary to increase a space – visually raising low ceilings or enhancing illumination of dark areas.

Light-blue in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: wind, sky, cold, ice, purity, sincerity, conversation, tactfulness, isolation, indifference, manipulation.

Associated body part: throat, thyroid gland.

Color and psychology: this color is associated with the intellect and ability to conciliate with the use of words. Honesty and sincerity are also related to blue color. With the use of light blue, you can turn away from the outside world and, left alone with your thoughts, contemplate and meditate quietly. When doing meditative practices it is useful to light a candle or lamp of blue color. This color contributes to creativity.

Helps with negative mental conditions: shyness, fear of speaking, poor relations.

Color and physiology: light blue color, due to its relaxing effect, helps to fall asleep at insomnia. It has astringent and anti-inflammatory effect, and is capable of constricting and cooling.

Medicinal properties: helps with elevated blood pressure, fever, laryngitis, cuts, insect bites, burns, PMS, frigidity, migraine headache caused by stresses, children’s diseases – painful teething, measles, and mumps.

Light-blue in the interior

Light-blue color in the interior with all its shades creates the impression of space, depth, and coolness. It calms the nervous system, improves the ability to work to a greater extent than green, reduces the muscle tone, and lowers blood pressure. This color is particularly suited for people with increased nervous irritability.

Light-blue color calms, allows to concentrate, lowers blood pressure, slows down the heart rate and breathing rate, reduces the body temperature, helps with insomnia and nervous disorders. This color evokes a feeling of well-being and is associated with reliability and consistency.

Living room

Light-blue living room is perfectly clean and bright; you will feel fresh and cool here on hot summer days. But there is an opposite side – the comfort is lost without warm-colored and bright accessories, and in winter your living room will look like an ice castle of the Snow Queen.

Bedroom

Light-blue color is widely used in bedroom decoration, since it contributes to relaxation and comfort. If you like to relax in your bedroom, blue is ideal for you.

Study

Light-blue color promotes creativity; therefore, it is recommended for use in workrooms and lecture halls. It is ideally mixed with yellow, stimulating the mind and increasing the concentration and organization.

Children’s room

These colors are not the most suitable for children’s rooms. Abundance of blue shades will reduce the activity of children. But this color should be present in small proportions, since the child still needs a time to relax. Let it be linen, bedside lamp or painting in blue tones. Besides, light-blue color works well in relieving the pain of teething – so keep a light-blue blanket, pillow or candle at hand for these periods.

Kitchen

If you want to lose weight, make your kitchen light-blue, and your appetite will decrease markedly. This color is well suited for creative and romantic people, whose work requires no urgency, dynamic actions, and quick decision-making.

Bathroom

With the use of light-blue and blue colors it is good to relieve stress, so taking a bath or shower in such bathroom will be helpful for your psychological health. However, light-blue and blue tones are perceived as smoother and damper (or slippery), so mix them with warm colors to make sure your bathroom does not look wet and unwelcoming. Rugged beige or yellow doormat, towels, and washcloths will be the best choice.

Shades

Turquoise color facilitates communication with the audience – it is good for lecturers.

Dark-blue promotes relaxation and deep undisturbed sleep. Do not use dark-blue color in the rooms for active life because of the risk to become sleepy with this color which has a sedative effect on the human body.

In general terms, actually any shades of blue/light-blue color allow creating spaces which contribute to relaxation and inspire creative ideas. Everything depends on the energy you want to get from any specific room.

Recommendation

Pale blue and turquoise colors will make the room visually lighter and more spacious and bring the atmosphere of relaxation and peace of mind.

Green in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: nature, life, faith, harmony, extraversion, naturalness, kindness, softness, hypochondria, egoism.

Associated body part: heart.

Color and psychology: when we think of green color, we imagine the forest, trees, and grass. Since green unites us with nature, it helps us to be closer to each other. When you lack green color, you lose the harmony.

Helps with negative mental conditions: lack of balance, anger, rudeness, restraint in emotions and feelings.

Color and physiology: the most of heart attacks occur because of accumulated emotional problems. The cause of many cardiac diseases in middle-aged men is their inability to change anything in their life, and dissatisfaction with their profession.

Medicinal properties: helps to treat cardiac diseases, bronchitis and lung diseases, influenza, claustrophobia.

Not recommended: in case you need to make a decision quickly, as green color is relaxing.

Green in the interior

Green is physiologically optimal color in the interior. It lowers blood pressure, widens capillaries, and improves muscle performance for a long time. The effect of green is opposite to that of red. Followers of dark-green color are stubborn and persistent people. When combined with gold, it is a color of wealthy businessmen. Green color brings a small part of nature in our house. Green in all its forms and shades is good for any room.

Use of certain shades of green (mint and aquamarine shades) in the decoration can be refreshing. The shade of green apple or lime will rather have a stimulating effect on the human body.
In general, all shades of green in the interior create the lucky and cheerful atmosphere, except dark shades, such as bottle and olive tones, which may bring a note of calm and peace into the room.

Living room

Combination of green and light tones (white, beige, soft gold, light blue) is appropriate. It will help to get spacious and bright, emotionally easy and relaxing room, where you can escape from everyday life and simply have a good slack.

Bedroom

Green has an excellent sedative effect; it is beneficial for the nervous system and eyes, gives a sense of freshness, clarity, peace and tranquility. It is a perfect choice for bedroom. Subtle and dim green wallpaper, light curtains and light-green linen will help you relax and sleep quietly. In the bedroom environment, designed to soothe and to promote full relaxation, deep “aqua” color (green with admixed blue) also works well.

Study or office

Green color is perfectly suited in designing studies, in particular, office rooms. Combination of dark green and gold is historically considered a rich and respectable one. Even better, if you choose emerald and malachite shades. Green walls contribute to making decisions, conclusions, and multiple option choices. This color helps to focus and make the perception more concentrated. It also emphasizes your authority and ability to assess any situation competently.

Children’s room

With regard to children’s room, it is important to avoid “overdoing” with green – otherwise they will be bored there. The best option is a combination of rich warm green and bright-yellow; on the one hand, it keeps the child emotionally calm, and on the other hand, gives a lot of positive feelings, cheerful and optimistic mood.

Kitchen

Light green (pastel) shade imparts some cold to environment – it also decreases the excessive appetite. For arranging a warm and welcoming atmosphere, green color with dominating yellow is appropriate. It will give energy and improve your mood.

Bathroom

Use green color for bathrooms with caution, since it is perceived as “wet” and “cold” color on its own. Better mix it with “warm: and “dry” shades: yellow, gold-bronze, beige. Completely dark-green bathroom, especially when it is small, is a bit scary – it seems dark and uncomfortable as the bottom of a muddy swamp.

Recommendation

Health professionals say that the modern world lacks this shade, so they recommend using it for painting walls and floors. When choosing the appropriate tone, remember of other interiors of your apartment, because green can be both warm and cold.

Rich emerald carpets will revive the children’s room and hall, while lighter shades are perfectly suited for any room. Gentle green tint causes no eye strain, so it is recommended for use in studies, classrooms, and libraries.

When choosing cold color range, take turquoise colors or aqua shades. Emerald and apple-green will look better with warm colors.

Beige in the interior

General color characteristics

Beige color is associated with the concept of comfort. It is found that lighter shades of brown are particularly demanded in the time of misfortune and economic turmoil. Warm neutral tones remind of the core values and inspire confidence that better times are around the corner.

Beige in the home interior is considered as a great equalizer; it is rather versatile and serves as a good background for combination of almost any colors.

If you like beige, you have the most of qualities of the follower of brown, but they are manifested not so intensively. Cream and honey tones represent the properties which are typical for yellow, while pink carries properties characteristic for red. You are warm and friendly person appreciating quality. In most situations you prefer to remain neutral. You are very practical and reasonable individual.

If you do not like beige, you are not as active and impulsive, as those who do not like brown, but in many aspects you are similar to them. Beige color symbolizes the boredom and monotony for you, and you feel hate towards the routine.

Living room

Beige fits to any environment.

Subdued neutral shades are often used in living rooms and studios, since they create the welcoming atmosphere and elegant look.

Straw-colored neural tones makes the room spacious and brings a sense of order.

Bedroom

Cream color has a mild effect, expanding the space, facilitating the perception of reality, and making sure everything will be okay. It is perfectly suited for bedrooms.

Golden-ocher shades of textile articles fill your bedroom with the sun sensations and give it warm and comfortable appearance.

Children’s room

Beige in the interior of the children’s room can be used in combination with the other light colors: blue, apple-green, pink etc.

Study

Harmony of warm and cold tones is desirable in the color solution of the study. Successful options are combinations of dark-blue and dark-brown, yellowish-brown and beige colors with small patches (accessories) of bright-red or maroon shades.

Kitchen

Cream color (perceived by the most people as warm and gentle one) is ideally suited for this room. This classic tint contributes to good appetite, in particular, when it is close to light-brown color. This tint can be also used in kitchen accessories – from chinaware to small items.

Bathroom

Beige, peach and cafe au lait colors look beautiful in bathroom finish, especially when supplemented with darker details.

Brown in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: reliability, common sense, stability, loyalty, frustration, depression.

It is darkened yellow-red color; impulsive life force of red is restrained and then fades. Brown means the remaining vitality when its activity has been lost. It expresses the life sensations of the body.

People who prefer this color need physical rest and relaxation. The state of health is ignored when brown color is rejected.

Brown color is calming and supportive in disturbing and worrying situations. It is chosen at the nervous exhaustion when a person sees any conflict situation unsolvable. This color is rejected when a person wants to find his/her distinctness, to get away from the body instincts, to cease to depend on them. At the same time, such people need straightforwardness and attention.

Traditionally, brown color is considered strong and active, but not as strong as black, red or white. This color is treated as a more informal one compared with black or red. Besides, brown is an embodiment of stability, representing the color of the Earth.

Most animals have brown coloring as well. Brown prefers to make an impression of solidity and reliability.

Brown in the interior

You can use any shades of brown in your interior, from dark, traditional mahogany to the lightest pine.

Dark-brown is capable of generating a sense of security and comfort. Owing to chocolate-brown color, walls of your house will look more wealthy and solid. It is believed that the fashion for interiors in “brown shades” was started by the Hollywood decorator David Hicks after a quarrel with his wife. People say that she threw a bottle of Coca-Cola at her husband; missing the target, the bottle hit the wall, spraying the liquid of rich brown color over its surface. Today, a household paint named “Cola Brown” is sold at the American stores.

Living room

Wooden floors, furniture and furnishings give warmth to the room, where it is nice to stay together with your family and friends.

Dark wood panels, furniture and flooring are the most appropriate here. It is pleasant to sit cross-legged in a comfortable chair with your favorite book. If the abundant dark-brown tones suppress you, use the colors of precious stones (amethyst, garnet and emerald) as supplements.

Bedroom

As the other colors in the interior design, brown needs the competent handling. Natural colors and tones such as dark-brown, straw color, mountain stone and earth colors, always look amazing.

Golden-ocher shades of textile articles fill your bedroom with the sun sensations and give it warm and comfortable appearance.

Study

Various shades of brown are ideally suited for the study interior. Additional colors are white or beige, with blue or green accessories. Reddish-pink accessories and items (e.g., lamp shade and curtains) with the dominating chocolate or dark-brown color will contribute to less serious and tense atmosphere of the study.

Children’s room

Much brown color in the interior of the children’s room is not recommended. You may use different shades of brown in combination with the other light colors, such as beige, light-blue, apple-green, pink, etc. Besides, the optimal choice should be the furniture of natural brown color.

Kitchen

This color contributes to good appetite, in particular, when it is close to light-brown. This tint can be also used in kitchen accessories – from chinaware to small items.

Bathroom

It is the interesting fact: depending on the shade, greyish brown can be the most dramatic of neutral colors. Wine-red or gold shades look great against the grey-brown background. This combination will be a pleasant surprise for your guests.

Recommendation

When using brown in the finish of your house, be careful in choosing the right shade. Too dark colors are to be used with caution, while the light ones (e.g., cream and beige) are more neutral and “safer”.

In addition, brown looks hard in textile articles and furniture. Therefore, chocolate curtains and sofas of dark colors are appropriate against light walls only – otherwise the room will seem cramped and gloomy.

The most successful mix of dark brown color is its combination with the vibrant turquoise and blue tones. This interior will look cheerfully and elegantly, as light-blue shades neutralize some gloominess of the primary color. Light-brown tints work well their related warm tones – orange, red, and yellow.

There are many shades of brown, with no restrictions: brown is the color of the Earth, therefore, all its tones are equally good.

Red in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: fire, heat, life, energy, proactivity, will, struggle, passion, aggression, anger.

Associated body part: blood, genitals.

Color in psychology: gives a sense of security, confidence in the future, helps deal with troubles in an easier way. Promotes leadership.

Color in physiology: stimulates the nervous system, improves blood circulation, increases the red blood cell count, intensifies sexuality and sexual vigor. Has a positive effect with negative mental conditions: apathy, depression, fear, insecurity.

Helps with: hypotension, anemia, bad blood circulation, flu and rheum.

Not recommended: in case of high blood pressure and bleedings. Should be avoided by quick-tempered and aggressively inclined individuals.

It is best to combine red with greens or blues; red color treatment sessions should always be finished with these cold colors.

Red in the interior

A stimulating warming and energetic color, red penetrates and activates all functions of the organism. For a brief time, it increases muscle tension (doping), raises blood pressure and accelerates respiratory rhythm. Red-colored touches in the interior revives the spirits and gives energy boosts. The red color is associated with emotions of love and joy. It had long been attributed to aggression, passion and fire. In many languages, including Russian, the same word means a color and “beautiful, pretty”.

Being the most attractive and explicit, red had been from the earliest times an essential element of celebrations and attributes of power which is, among other things, due to the high cost of fabric painted red.

Red carries over the same connotations to the interior. Red as a means of drawing attention and generating a peculiar emotional effect is used by many design celebrities in the décor of hotels, restaurants and other public spaces.

Living room

Red is the ultimate means of creating a royal grand setting. If painted scarlet or burgundy, the living room will assume a particularly solemn air. A fancy and beautiful solution is to decorate the living room in different shades of red in combination with golden items, as the mixture of gold and red is always associated with vigor, beauty and power. Red was the favorite color of the luxurious Baroque and solemn Empire not without a reason.

Should you care for restrained luxury, you cannot do without the red color. Even a single red sofa or red chandelier are capable of adding chic to the living room and setting a glamorous mood.

Bedroom

You should be careful with red in the bedroom as it does not contribute to relaxation and calm. But passionate individuals may use a red-colored bedroom as an extra tool in the seduction process.

Deep red on the walls and furniture in combination with a warm textile palette will make the bedroom or boudoir intoxicating and charming.

You should keep in mind that a prolonged stay in a red room might provoke irritation and negative emotions. For this reason, the red color is generally introduced into inhabited interiors in small doses in the form of individual furniture items, color blots on the walls, in textile and decorative components. Presence of red touches in the interior revives the spirits and boosts the energy. But creation of purely red interiors is a risk that is taken by few confident individuals willing to express themselves and speak aloud about their originality. Working with the red color, you should also remember that a red-colored room will look smaller and lower than it really is.

Study

Red is the ultimate means of creating a royal and grand setting. If painted scarlet or burgundy, the study will assume a particularly solemn air. A fancy and beautiful solution is to decorate the study in different shades of red in combination with golden items, as the mixture of gold and red is always associated with vigor, beauty and power.

Children’s room

A vivacious red will suit a children’s room perfectly. But it should be limited in this case to furniture with red elements or to red accessories. Abuse of red in the children’s room may adversely affect the nervous system of a child.

Kitchen

If a room is dominated by the red color, it intensifies irritancy and aggressiveness. Besides, it visually diminishes space. On the other hand, red improves digestion, and thus works well in a dining room.

Bathroom

Traditional combinations of red with black and white are really eye-catching. A radiant throbbing red blends gracefully with white which symbolizes severity, pureness of lines and minimalism. White gray black interiors with speckles of different red shades look austere and elegant.

Recommendation

When designing a red-dominated interior do keep in mind that red is a strong and complex color with a grain of drama. A long stay in a saturated red interior might cause a negative impact on human mentality. It is about treading a thin line between an eye-catching interior and a glaring and annoying one. But do not deprive yourself of bright colors and complement your interior with several red details which will breathe color and warm energy into the space. Due to the strong stimulating effect of the red color, it is more frequently used in premises where movement and action are welcomed: hallways, stairways, gyms, kitchens. Remember though, it is not necessary to paint all walls red to feel the positive effects of the red color. It will suffice as a complementary color or an accentuation of the base color.

Orange in the interior

General characteristics of the color

Key meanings and symbols: movement, speed, rhythm, joy, emotions, sensibility, buoyancy, outgoingness, laziness, dependence, pamperedness.

Associated body part: spleen (connected with digestive and secretion organs).

Color in psychology: cleanses of unpleasant feelings, helps accept negative life events (e.g. separation or loss of loved ones), helps forgive others, let go a deadlocked situation. If you are in a dead end and afraid of changes which would open new opportunities in life, consider the orange color.

Helps with negative mental conditions: apathy, boredom, melancholy.

Color in physiology: it is in between the red and yellow colors of the spectrum, so it possesses the properties of both colors. It gives energy like the red and contributes to the thinking process like the yellow. Just like a glass of orange juice stimulates and provides energy which lasts throughout the day. The orange color improves digestion and intake of beneficial elements (e.g. vitamin C intake).

Medicinal properties: helps to treat appetite loss, indigestion, spasms, asthma, gallstones.

Not recommended: do not use orange if you enjoy your life. Excess orange color might lead to complacence and laziness.

Orange in the interior

A stimulating joyful and impulsive color in interior. Its action is similar to that of the red color: improves digestion, helps relieve the feeling of dejection. It is capable of increasing the heartbeat and raising blood pressure, and improving blood circulation.

Orange shades in interior design draws the eye at once, and when used reasonably provokes thoughts of joy, gaiety and bright sunlight, establishing a sense of wellbeing and at times even euphoria. This is the color of energy, vitality and optimism.

If you feel tired, apathetic, moody and unwilling to do anything, take out orange blankets and pillows, put orange sticky notes on your PC or place a bowl of tangerines or oranges on your kitchen table. You can use different shades of orange. For example, pastel orange (almost peach) is associated with freshness and health; it is soft and not intrusive.

A darker orange, with a brown tint (terra cotta) evokes a sense of prosperity and stability. These shades would suit the bedroom and living room as they are soothing and noble, and will not bother or annoy. Remember that the orange color tends to spread to other lighter colors so if you want to stress some white spot, keep it away from orange. Even with little lighting this color makes the room brighter and lighted.

Those who think orange too bright and provoking will appreciate its shades, namely rusty, peach or amber. These shades have all the qualities inherent in orange.

If you intend to create a warm welcoming atmosphere in your living room, for instance — make use of orange shades in combination with light blue tints: your guests will feel at ease and relaxed throughout the evening.

Living room

If you are energetic and enterprising, and your family regularly gets together, enjoys parties and watching funny movies, then an orange-colored living room is just the right thing for you. And if you have a soft and noble setting in mind, orange can be used in accessories alongside light-colored or white walls and brown furniture.

Bedroom

In a bedroom orange is too bright and exciting, it will not let you relax and rest properly. But researchers have found out that the orange color can contribute to sexuality. So several orange accessories in the bedroom will not hurt anyone. Minute orange touches (lamp shade, flowers in a vase, throw pillows etc.) against a delicate violet background look really stylish and at the same time set up a relaxed atmosphere helping forget all the business.

Study

If you are mostly engaged in creative activities, orange will be appropriate here since it provokes ingenuity. But it will be perceived obtrusive and unserious by visitors so it is not advisable to use it for business negotiations.

Children’s room

It is believed that orange is a bright bouncy and slightly straightforward color. You can encourage your child in research activities if you use this color in his or her study seat. Orange is capable of reinforcing willpower; therefore add some orange to the sports zone if your child does sports. To prevent orange from being overwhelming it is better to combine it with other colors in the group: yellow, beige and red (but red must not dominate). Avoid harsh contrasting combinations with green, bright blue or black — these fusions disturb the balance.

Kitchen

An orange kitchen is a very cozy and warm room. This color contributes to digestion and improves appetite. Combined with wood, the orange color creates an entirely home-brewed atmosphere: genuine wood will render a light «country» style, and dark brown wood will result in a stylish and respectable dining room.

Bathroom

In a confined space an abundance of orange color will look tasteless. If you combine white tiles with orange inserts and accessories, the bathroom will appear clean and modern, and bright touches will keep you toned up which is always good in the mornings. If, on the contrary, orange is mixed with warm beige or pastel shades, the room will become warm and cozy — you will not get cold even after a refreshing and chilly shower.

Recommendation

The orange color is good for those who wish to reinforce the feeling of “warmness” and joyfulness in interior design. It is used to decorate large areas, and it is mostly chosen as an emphasizing color. Combined with white it renders the feeling of sunlight. This color strengthens and purifies the effect of cold colors. It is used in lamp shades, throw pillows and curtains.

Blue in the interior

General characteristics of the color

Key meanings and symbols: peace, depth, vision, wisdom, silence, calmness, oppression, anxiety, idealism, fanaticism.

Associated body part: pituitary gland, “third eye”.

Color in psychology: develops mental capacity. Eases the mind, relieves of worries and fears, helps hear the inner voice and take the right decisions (intuition). Indigo makes it easier to cross over to subtler levels of consciousness.

Helps with negative mental conditions: obsession, paranoia, hysteria.

Color in physiology: alleviates deafness, cataract, bleedings, insomnia. Has anesthetic properties. Helps with angina and rheumatism.

Not recommended: for people prone to seasonal depressions.

Blue in the interior

Light blue, or cyan, and dark blue, or indigo, are the main shades of this color. These are the shades of nonchalance, romance, and symbols of calmness and tranquility.

The color has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and contributes to growth. It is recommended as therapy for emotional and neurotic individuals. Prolonged exposure to the blue color may cause depression. This color is popular in art deco and Empire interiors.

Living room

As this room is the get-together place for the family and friends, and almost everyone likes the blue color, it might be a good idea to decorate the living room in light blue shades. But in this case a completely different tint is needed, rather a periwinkle shade which offers inner warmth. The same applies to blue-green shades. Many are fond of them, and they look more forthcoming than pure blue.

Bedroom

A bedroom decorated in blues is an excellent solution for residents of large cities, provided that the housemaster is not prone to melancholy and depressions.

Study

It is advisable to match warm and cold tones in the study. Combinations of navy blue and dark brown would be a good choice.

Blue shades in the study’s interior will help express your individuality.

Blue walls will help ease your mind and overcome worries and fears, and will enable you to hear the inner voice and take the right decisions.

Children’s room

Blue colors in the interior will impart elegancy and nobility to the room. But since blue belongs to cold colors, it should be combined with some warm shades – red, peach or yellow. Orange will also complement the blue nicely. These options are suitable in the design of children’s rooms.

Kitchen

The blue is capable of cooling anything that boils. As a classical kitchen shade, the blue color offers huge opportunities: furniture facing and a variety of accessories made from ceramics and fabric can be blue. Feng shui, however, does not recommend choosing this color for the kitchen since food, especially raw products, do not always appear tempting against blue and cyan backgrounds. But European kitchens are often dominated by cream and light blue shades, and these combinations do not interfere with appetite.

Bathroom

Blue looks absolutely natural in premises where water is used. The bathroom is frequently the last place of seclusion, especially when there are children in the house. If you are fond of long baths and prefer to rest and refresh yourself in the bathroom, blue will suit you perfectly. But it is advisable to balance it out with warm colors. Failing to do so, you will feel as though it is cold and draughty, and this is not the best feeling when you have nothing on except a towel.

Recommendation

Blue belongs to cold colors, and if saturated and dark, it creates a setting of overwhelming austerity, coolness and disengagement. But when used in the interior reasonably, this imparts elegance and nobility to the room.

Black in the interior

General color characteristics

Key meanings and symbols: night, quiet, darkness, secret, challenge, oppression, death.

This is not a color as black absorbs light. An opposite of white, it plays a huge part in our lives. It counterbalances the white color (there is no light without darkness, yin and yang). It correlates with infinity and female energy but can interfere with changes.

Color in physiology: black imparts a sense of dignity and power but may present an obstacle in relations with others. It is better to always complement it with other colors.

Black is capable of generating strong energy combinations with other colors, for example:

• red – black: physical sexual power;
• pink – black: high social standing;
• yellow – black: intellectual superiority.

Black also possesses protective properties.

When we feel vulnerable and need protection or seek privacy, we turn to the black color.

Black in the interior

Talking about other colors in the interior, it is impossible to neglect black. Using black to complement basic colors, we often fail to notice the role it plays in reinforcing their effect on the human organism.

You should not abuse black in the interior.

With the ceiling or all the walls painted black, the room evokes a feeling of sealed space and lack of air. The room itself looks tighter and uninviting.
It is better to use black as an intensifier of other colors.

Living room

A black living room is an unorthodox approach you can choose if you are a lone wolf and like to surprise your friends with nifty things. But if it is frequented by a family with children preferring merry celebrations and friendly get-togethers, then black is not the right ally for easy interaction and high spirits.

Bedroom

In a bedroom the black color can be oppressing due to small space but on the other hand it may create a bold atmosphere not lacking in sexuality.

Study

A black study would be too somber and overwhelm visitors but this might help influence them to your advantage. If you are not a gloomy or rigid person, you will hardly feel good in this kind of place when alone.

On the other hand, black helps concentrate on spiritual ideals and might enable you to block out the hustle and bustle of the outer world and focus on resolving challenges or internal crises. Black speaks business and earnestness. Black is believed to possess sophistication and culture; in a way it confronts the whole range of loud colors. For this reason it may be used in study rooms but moderately. It is the right choice for details and small surfaces. Black looks best on vertical surfaces as any color appears lighter in vertical application.

Children’s room

Black is absolutely inappropriate for children’s rooms – kids and even teenagers are extremely sensitive and impressible. So you should not deprive them of colors even if your child follows some popular music trend and insists on a dark interior.

Kitchen

Black will look unhomely and unwelcoming in the kitchen. It is advisable to introduce complementary bright touches here. Warm accents in the form of furniture inserts, tiles, upholstery and miscellaneous little things (dishes, paintings, napkins, mats) against a black background will breathe life into the house.

Bathroom

A black bathroom is an unexpected move. It looks stylish and always clean. But you may find it frightful to be in a dark closed space, and it will hardly give you the energy boost in the morning.

Recommendation

The key to using black in the interior is restricting it to some area.

Black is good for underscoring and emphasizing other colors. They will look particularly bright and expressive against the black background.