emilies interiors

After you have decided when you and your family will visit the room the most, you can check during that favourite part of the day how the light will reach the room. In the evening the bare windows will cause black spots in the view of a trespasser. You can cover the black spots by curtains, blinds or shutters or you can paint the walls dark, so that the view of the windows will be picked up by the overall dark impression of the room.

If the room is to be frequented during the day, you should check how the light is marking the flooring. If the room is provided with large windows from top to bottom the incoming light will have the opportunity to sun bathe the space. The more the room is lit by small windows or high positioned windows the more the light will have difficulties to illuminate it.

I have a simple rule and that is to make an indication of the total amount of square meters in glass deducted from the size of the room in square meters. The bigger the outcome the more you should play with colouring in order to create a well lit room.

This is a scan of a picture of a stylish living, that had been decorated by late Mrs. Georgette Reuchlin. As you can see the walls have been coloured in a red tone that is in contrast with the black lacquered woodwork. Unfortunately the photo was taken during daytime and the impression of the red is washy. I guess the intention of the Reuchlin family was to exploit this lovely room during the evening as a living. By the absence of a shot of the living by night, I’ve applied two examples of a Paris living, that can give you a similar impression  of the vespertine effect of red.

These visuals give a glowing impression of red painted walls and shutters. The observation of the difference between the washy and glowing impression of red supports my case and brings me back to the fourth colouring condition.

‘Choose the right colouring for a room at the moment you and your family are planning to use the room. Let’s say; if the living will be most visited during the evening, than your decision should take place during  the same  part of the day. Probably the best tip is to test your idea with some samples at day one and double check your choice the other day at the same time as the day before. With this trick you can avoid a misfit’.

The second question before you start to decide what colour palette to choose are the flooring conditions. There are 4 features to acknowledge and to define; those are:

1. the colouring
2. the finishing
3. the texture
4. the pattern

The colouring will have an impact upon the spatiality; the darker the colouring the bigger the presence in a room. If you prefer dark colours; you can avoid the massive presence by finishing the floor with a shining wax, or paintwork. With the finishing the light will have an opportunity to reflect upon other parts of the flooring or objects in the room. With this reflection the spectator will get a bigger impression of it. If you prefer carpets, than it’s good to learn that the tissue can influence the presence in a room as well. A deep-pile carpet can add a warm and intimate impression and on the other hand cause a narrowing effect upon the view of a trespasser. The final feature is the pattern of floor boards or tiles, that can enforce or diminish the perspective. If you install floor boards horizontally upon the entrance of a room, the perspective results in a wider impression. If you apply them vertically, you’ll create a longer perspective. Have a look at the matrix and see what situation will fit yours.

This blog post is part of a series of posts that provide tips for re- painting/wallpapering a room. This one is about the fact that the amount of people that will use a room will influence the choice of your colouring. Just like their motivation to visit the room. And the size of it.
1) The amount of people
Whatever the destination of the room is, you should always apply the following ‘rule’: The more a room will be used/frequented by people the more you should quiet down the color palette. A room will not only be filled by furniture and furnishing, but by people and their noises, vibes and measures too.
2) The impact of colouring versus the function of the room
On the other hand a colourful room will have impact on the state of mind of people. A room with a broad color palette will demand a lot of impressions; therefore children will react upon the many colours by becoming energetic. The visual of the design above is an example of a living that will make children restless and active by the combination of orange, pink, yellow, and myrtle purple. If you prefer to have them in a more relaxed state of mind, you could go for less fuller tones or you could seize down the amount of colours to the maximum of 3.
3) The size of the room
Be aware of the size of the room. Is it a bit too small for your family, than you should have an optic colour scheme of maximum 3 colours. If the room is immense and it only to be inhabited by you and your partner you can prepare the most crazy colour combinations as long as the outcome is in harmony.

Have a look at my matrix below and see what the tips are for the 3 criteria. The vertical bar shows  a summary of rooms, each with a different function and size. The horizontal bar presents the distinction in the size of a household.

A Dutch retail formula, specialized in interior decoration for DIY, asked me to give some tips for the readers of their monthly magazine. The January edition is about colouring, paints and wallpapers and this theme will the subject for the next 8 blog posts.

Before you are planning to (re-) paint or wallpaper a room it is wise to consider a few things:

1. Who will attend this room and for what motive?
2. How is the flooring? (wooden floorboards, a carpet, tiles)?
3. In what part of the day the room will be used most frequently?
4. If the room will be frequented during the day, how will the daylight reach the room?
5. Is the house situated nearby the equator or a pole?
6. How is the view? Is it blocked by trees or other buildings or does the room have a magnificent vista?
7. What’s on the walls; are they bare or have they been paneled/ plastered?

Next post will focus on the first question.