SHADES OF COOL
Decorating with ‘new neutrals’
Cool colours like blue, green and grey are on-trend, but many people hesitate to use them, afraid they will make a room feel too cold.
Yet there are many visual, psychological and physiological advantages to decorating with cooler colours. Not only do they visually cool down our homes on a hot summer’s day, but they help slow down breathing, reduce anxiety, lower body temperature and create a relaxed state of mind.
Blue, in its many forms, is one of the most popular colours, yet not many people feel confident or even know how to incorporate it into their home. Fear not. There’s an easy way to bring blues and all the other cooler tones into your decor scheme. Simply replace your favourite neutral colour, usually taupe or brown, with a cool colour, such as grey or blue, and see how it acts the part of a new neutral with a cooler vibe.
Blue, green and grey also come in many shades and tones. Darker versions, like navy and charcoal, have become neutral staples in decorators’ work, proving there is no sign of the cool-colour trend melting away.
Here’s how to incorporate these cool colours into your home.
CALM AND COOL
Imagine cooling down the look
of a room simply with the colour you choose for the walls and furnishings. Cool colours have a blue undertone, and the lighter tones help reflect light and create that airy feel.
Cool blues are calming, greens offer serenity and greys are relaxing; each is great for a bedroom or other space where you like to relax. They are excellent choices for south-facing rooms where the light is warmer.
Some cool blues can feel cold — not so bad in rooms like a bathroom where, when paired with bright white, it has a fresh, clean look. To balance the cool effect, introduce some warm tones from nature; stone, wood and metal can take the edge off an icy feel.
SMALL AND COOL
When decorating with cooler colours in a small space, remember that the contrast of light and dark tones in a room distracts the eye, chopping up a space into separate visual units. Using colours in a consistent tonal range, on the other hand, will make a space look and feel larger.
The lighter the tone, the brighter a space will feel, so choosing pale blues, greys and greens are excellent when you want a space to feel airier, brighter and larger. On the flip side, choosing all deep-toned cool colours will create a space that’s intimate in feel — great for a family room, library or cosy guest room.
Remember, once you choose light or dark, be consistent with the tones in a room. I also suggest keeping patterns to a minimum, as they visually fill a space. If you want a pattern, make it a toneon-tone, which has less contrast than a bold pattern.
LARGE AND COOL
The beauty of decorating larger spaces is there aren’t as many restrictive rules to follow. Even though you still need to create balance and flow with tones, colours and patterns, you have more choices.
The larger the space, the more you can break it up with light and dark versions of cool colours to create various zones, or to give certain areas a more intimate feel. For instance, lighter toned walls with one wall painted a dark, cool colour will create a focal point, which will attract the eye to one area within the space and distract attention from other high-contrast elements.
Dark, cool tones like navy and deep grey are on-trend with furnishings and accessories, and when added in the form of a large rug or furnishing, they help visually delineate areas.
ACCESSORIES
Accessories are where you get to have fun breaking some design rules. A punch of dark, cool tones in a small room won’t make it look small or feel claustrophobic — contrast might be just what’s needed to wake up an all-tooserene room.
The smaller the space, the less contrast you should add. For example, add contrast to a powder room with a soap dish and towels; but in a spacious, open kitchen and family room, a large area rug and draperies offer a proportionally appropriate contrasting element.
If everything feels a bit monochromatic, add contrasting colours to your cooler palette in small accessories such as ceramics, pillows and rugs. For instance, with cool purple tones, contrast with bright yellow or orange.
Cool metallic tones like silver, pewter and chrome can also help keep a cool vibe in a room.
COOL TIPS FOR SUMMER
Afraid your room will look too cool? Add natural wood, seagrass or sisal, which offer a warm tone.
Cooler tones recede and are generally more light-reflective. They are best for small spaces that you want to make appear larger.
Check the undertones — every colour comes in a cool and warm version. Blue-based colours will always be the cool ones.
Got a decor dilemma? You can ask Karl at klohnesdecor@sympatico.ca Karl Lohnes has worked as a home decor expert and product designer for 25 years. He appears Thursdays during the 8 a.m. hour on Global News Morning Montreal.