In my previous blog, we talked about paint color choices for the interior of your home. Next I want to talk about decorating congruity. One thing that many people underestimate is the importance of linking the rooms of their house together with paint color. This is especially important if you have an open floor plan for your house, or if you can see from one room to the next. The color relationships between rooms can result in either your house feeling very choppy and incongruent, or harmonious and smooth. It is challenging to give each room and identity of it's own around the room's intended function, but yet also create a feeling of unity, and harmonious flow.
You can achieve this sense of unity in your home by using several very basic elements. Usually the most basic unifying element is the woodwork, it acts as a unifying thread throughout your house, that runs from room to room. Baseboards, crown molding, doors, and window frames should be the same style and color from one room to the next.
Another basic element that produces the sense of congruity, is to use a thread of color to connect your living spaces. The color that is chosen as the linking theme can be used in different amounts and intensity's throughout your house, varying from room to room. For an example of this, I am going to use my own house. We are far from being done with the decorating, but we like to pay for what we do in cash, so it is a slow process! The pictures below are how things currently exist!
In the dining room I choose one wall as my red accent wall. I can get away with having a red wall in the dining room because if you remember from here, red makes you hungry and talkative! I choose to paint the window wall the red color because, with much of the wall being a window, it doesn't make the room feel dark or overwhelming. The other walls are painted a delicious Oatmeal tan color. It helps balance the effect of the red wall. Even though you can't see it, there is a door on the right that leads into the kitchen.
Our house was built in the early 1930's, so I wanted to stick with that general era in my decorating. It was very common then to use lots of color in the kitchen, so I went with traditional 1930's color's. I used the same red and oatmeal tan that I used on my dining room walls to continue my color thread, along with a great "spring apple green." This hue of green is cheery and bright, but still has a calming effect.
Doorway leading from the kitchen into the living room. Connected with the red and tan color theme, as well as the white trim.
From the dining room you enter the computer room/homeschooling room.
Once again, the walls are a oatmeal tan color, with red accents. I also incorporated the use of the navy accents which works because the living room has a lot of navy in it as well. The result is a very calming effect that is a great learning environment.
I am not claiming to be the absolute expert, nor am I claiming to have the perfect house. I am simply trying to point you in the right direction for making your home pleasant, personal, and appealing.
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I love your house and the colors. I've been wanting to use lots of color without having to paint all of the walls that color. I like the accents, curtains, and rugs doing the color carrying because those items are easy to switch out. This explains a lot about why I hate my red bedroom too!
Where did you get the checkerboard rug? I love it!