Harmonising Related Or Contrasting Tones Make Good Home Colour Schemes

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 72, 23 July 1948, Page 3

Harmonising Related Or Contrasting Tones Make Good Home Colour Schemes

Colour schemes for your home may be built up on harmonising, related or contrasting colours. Harmonising colours are various tones, frorh light to dark, of one 1 basic colour. Related colours are those coming close together in the natural colour scale, based on the hues of the spectrum —red, blue, yellow (primaries), orange, green, violet (secondary colours') 'and their intermediate* tints. Contrasting colours are those opposite each other in the colour scale. Red and green, violet and yellow, blue and light orange, are examples. Schemes using contrasts are stimulating, but as bright contrasting colours are apt to look restless and garish in home decoration, it is advisable to use muted contrasting shades and make one the dominant. Seen next to other colours, white brings out their true nature and itself reflects, the tinge of the neighbouring colour. Black Enhances light and vivid colours, provides relief. Light, medium and deep tones . of the same colour combine well, and are more interesting than a careful match because contrast in tone gives dramatic value to furnishing schemes. Light colours increase apparent size, dark colours decrease it. Matt surfaces and slight patterns are inconspicuous. Glossy surfaces and bold patterns draw attention - to themselves. Warm colours give glow to dark rooms and brunettes. Cool colours suit sunny rooms—golden blondes and redheads. It is the dark drab rooms which need special thought. Good backgrounds are mushroom, pale peach and warm cream. Against these you can use a favourite shade of blue or green, quite successfully, if some of the other furnishings are in warm colours.