Without light there is no colour. Natural light flooding through your windows cause colours and textures to change during the course of the day, which can make any surface feel alive and exciting.
In the morning natural light is bluer, at midday light fairly neutral and in the evening warmer. Diffused light renders wall and floor colours more delicate, whereas direct light throws contrasts and shadows in a more theatrical fashion.
If your hall door has vision panels or adjacent windows then you can afford to be braver in your choice of window treatment because the hall is a room that is passed through en route to somewhere else. The entrance is also your signature to passers by and a significant part of your home's curb appeal.
It is tempting to maximise light and use light colours in small, dark rooms but this can lead to a duller, less visually appealing space. Having dark walls with light streaming through may seem counter-intuitive, but the results can be wonderfully theatrical and more exciting than painting the walls white.
Alternatively, grace light coloured walls with a moving artwork of colour using coloured opaque or translucent window films or better still the mind-bending 3M Dichroic Blaze to have a myriad of changing colour.
Dining rooms, often lit by the glow of candles, floorlights and chandeliers also benefit from a bit of drama. This can be created by using a stronger colour for your window treatment if your walls are light or neutral. Shadows will dance on darker walls whilst leaving your table in the spotlight. Explore a contrasting, complimentary colour for the window treatment.
Bedrooms are private spaces which should ideally be soothing and relaxing. Reds are not soothing, but exude passion, but less condusive to sleep - your choice! In contrast to red, the blues and greens are more soothing and the colours of nature. Neutrals are tranquil.
Choose a colour you are naturally drawn by, but do consider investing in an intelligent, room darkening, smart blind that supports healthy sleep with mimimal light ingress until energising you with a flood of bluer light to kickstart your day. There is growing evidence of the immense health benefits of the need to support your natural body clock. More about this in another article.
Spare rooms are used less frequently and you can afford to be more flamboyant with choices of bolder colours and patterns in order to wow your guest.
Decide whether you would like the bathroom to be intimate and inviting and then use your window treatment to regulate the flow of natural light during the daytime reflecting off the surfaces of mirrors, showers and bathtubs.
There is a temptation to make interiors of bathrooms as light as possible, which can lead to a starker less inviting space. making darker bathrooms an unexpected treat.
However, whichever approach you take, your window treatment should be designed regulate light whilst protecting your dignity and modesty from passers by. It would be remiss not to mention that the material needs to be easy to clean and be able to handle high levels of humidity.
In many family homes the kitchen is the heart of the home. It tends to be a hive of activity. Some tasks are hazardous, such as when handling knives. It is best to make it as bright as possible.
The colours, patterns and styles you choose, whether discreet or bold, should reflect the way you live your life today. This is an opportunity to create a unique space that reflects your personality.
We hope that you enjoy the process of bringing a dream to reality. We would be honoured to help you.
