Color Quest

How does an interior designer use color?  It can give you a lift or bring you down.  Being surrounded by red can energize, raise you temperature or even increase your appetite.  Being surrounded by blue can evoke a calm demeanor or a sense of trust and stability.

The age of the persons using the space has a bearing on the shades of color used.  We refer to this as the value of the color.  The colors that have a grayed value or a cool undertone are difficult to see by an older population.  The color needs to be more saturated, slightly brighter to counter-act the affects of aging eye sight.  In a 2010 article, 'Visual Design for an Aging Population', by Liam Otten on the Washington University at St. Louis web site, Otten notes the following, "By the time one reaches age 60, shrinking of the pupil reduces the amount of light reaching photo receptors by as much as three-fourths. This causes colors — particularly “cool” colors, such as blues, greens and purples — to appear dimmer and less distinct."

Perception of color is so important.  One person may see cream and another person will see that color as yellow. When working with an interior designer, if you love a particular color, give them the exact color number from a paint chart.  If you give us a color name, it may not have anything to do with the color itself. Trying to describe a color is usually not the answer either. I have worked with a client who called a color "sage" which is really more gray-green and when I saw it, it was more of a pale teal.  One person's sage is another person's teal. 

Pantone Formula Guide

Pantone colors are the most accurate.
They use a number system instead of names. But if you don't have a Pantone color selector, use actual paint swatches.

This brings me to the issue of lighting.  A color will change depending upon the exposure to daylight and artificial light.  Interior designers, either by training or experience, will be able to direct you to the appropriate shade based on the use of the room and the lighting that room will receive.

 Your age, your experiences, your personality as well as physiological challenges such as color blindness all - pardon the pun - color your world. A designer can use this information to design for the person with color blindness as well as the people using the space who do not.  You just have to be creative, know how to mix colors and be perceptive.  A great designer will have this knowledge and this is what you are paying for when you hire a professional interior designer.