The Professional Interior

Design Course
Tutorial Two

Copyright 2007. J Morris. Revised 2023. Licensed in Britain to International News Syndicate.
 INDEX

Page

Introduction – Making Light Work 3

Light and Colour 3
Natural Light 5
Lighting Effects 6
The Right Light for the Task 8
Touch, Sound and Smell 8
Lighting Advice – Interviews with the Experts 9
Getting the Brief Right 9
Lighting Tips – Bright Ideas from the Experts 14
Glossary of Lighting Terms 17
Self-Exercise #1 21
Colour Everyone’s World 22
Glossary of Colour Terms 29
Self-Exercise #2 52
Colour Consulting 53
The Interior Designer’s Guide to Colour Analysis 57
Paint Finishes 60
Colourful Advice from Leading Interior Designers 63
Glossary of Paint Terms 66
Assignment Two 72
Assignment Examples & Submission Details 75

Please note: To enhance your learning experience, the course material contains many links to external sites
and documents. While every effort is made to ensure links are active and up to date, there may be occasions
when you find a link is broken or has changed/been redirected, either legitimately or due to
poor domain management by the site owner.
If you see any broken or misdirected links in your tutorial, please contact us at
questions@britishcollegeofinteriordesign.com and we will happily assist you.
Incorrect links will be promptly updated.
From this tutorial onwards, you will come across what are called ‘self-exercises’. These are self-paced exercises
to help you glean information from the tutorials. You are not required to send these to the College,
they are only for you own benefit.
Introduction – Making Light Work

It is essential that as an interior designer, you have a concise understanding of basic lighting. Without
light, be it natural or artificial, most buildings would be rendered as useless.

The story of incandescent lamps starts with the successful carbon filament lamp produced by Thomas Edison
in 1879, and in 1907 Tungsten filaments replaced carbon filaments in incandescent lamps, followed by the
introduction of gas-filled incandescent lamps in 1913.

The fluorescent lamp was introduced in 1938, and since this time, and as technology has progressed, radical
changes and advances have taken place. This has included the introduction of the tungsten-halogen lamp,
in which the life of the bulb was drastically extended as well as providing greater luminous efficiency. The
incandescent lamp was banned in 2010 (and they were completely phased out by January 2014). Now with the
ban of the halogen bulb effective as of 2018, these bulbs have been phased out across Europe in favour of the
efficient LEDs.

The above synopsis is but a ‘drop in the ocean’, and as an interior design student, it is up to you to keep abreast
of ever faster and increasing changes to this area of the industry. This will, of course, enable you to keep up to
date with varying options that you can apply to your commissions.

Some of the most important elements that influence how we experience a space – and tools you will use to
create spaces that feel wonderful for others – are the most ephemeral.

Light, touch, sound and smell all strongly influence how we respond to an interior and how we feel within it
and are as important for you to consider when designing an interior as the functional considerations, colour
scheme, furnishings and decorative elements. Amongst which lighting is one of the most influential mediums
that can alter our lives. There are many differing types of light. For instance, warm or cold, soft or harsh.

Imagine the living room of a house on the coast with polished timber floors that feel cool and smooth to touch
in bare feet. Salt-tinged sea breezes wafting in the window, softly dappled sunlight filtered by the leaves of a
large tree which also lends a seductive scent to the evening air. The sounds of waves lapping on the beach and
birdsong from the garden.

Such a space would feel good to be in even without furniture. Add comfortable cane chaises to lounge in with
a good book, ambient lighting, lively artworks and a vase brimming with fresh cut flowers and you’d probably
never want to leave!

Light and Colour

You can change the look and mood of a room dramatically just by changing the lighting level and
position of light sources. Few interiors work well with only one level of light – variations in lighting are
required for rooms with different functions.

A kitchen, for example, should be bright enough for people to cook in it and be able to do so safely and
efficiently while a living room should be welcoming and have a feeling of comfort, with softer lighting
supplemented with task lamps for reading or sewing.

However, we do not use lighting just to increase visibility – it also affects the appearance of colours and
textures. It can make spaces seem larger, smaller, inviting, functional or intimate. So knowing how light works
is essential to creating the right effect in an interior.

3
Sunlight, depending on its direction and atmospheric
conditions, can drastically alter our impression of colours
design story
Lighting
and coloured surfaces. Colours seen on a dull, cloudy
day appear quite different when viewed the following
day in bright sunshine.

As with sunlight, electric light sources vary in their

effects on our perception of colours. Lighting, natural or artificial, plays an important
part in defining the use and the mood of a space.
The same colour will appear very different if viewed in Daylight should be considered when designing
the yellowish-orange light of a tungsten filament light your room, since there may be a need for blinds
bulb, the blue-greenish light of a fluorescent tube, under or curtains to control the light. Soft artificial
a sodium discharge streetlight or in the tungsten-halogen light from candles or a fireplace will add a
beam of car headlights. welcoming glow to living and dining rooms.

Almost all interior lighting designs will involve

Though we instinctively recognise these differences, we
the use of artificial illumination most likely in
rarely apply them. This is due to an intriguing aspect of
the form of ceiling mounted light fittings or
our normal experience of colour: our association of a
portable lights such as lamps.
hue with an object can retain its identity under a wide
range of lighting conditions. This phenomenon, known To get the most out of your space in terms of
as ‘colour constancy’, means that, for example, we will lighting make sure that you use a combination
accept a leaf as ‘green-coloured’ even when its colour of accent, ambient and task lighting. Accent
impression is modified slightly by different light sources. lighting includes up lights/down lights, ambient
lighting refers to ceiling fixtures and floor
When colour judgements are critical, we do recognise lamps, and task lighting refers to table lamps
these subtle nuances. Say you are in a shop deciding for reading or working.
whether to buy a new outfit. Do you take it toward the
shop window and away from the electric light source to
make an accurate judgment of its colour and whether it
suits you? When we do this we recognise, like the artist
who chooses natural light to illuminate a canvas, that
colour is best judged by daylight.

This awareness should be conscious when you

are choosing colours for an interior. When you are
making decisions about colours, take into account the
way that electric lighting can change colours, as well
as the effects of the direction of sunlight. The simplest
method of doing this is to test a trial sample of a colour
in its intended setting at different times of the day and in
the evening.

When first examining an interior, consider the current

lighting: Are people being made uncomfortable by glare from a badly placed light source? Is indirect lighting
making other important surfaces seem dimly lit compared to the walls and ceilings? Is a spotlight taking away
attention from something more important? Is the lighting adequate in the right areas for functions such as
computer work, cooking, dishwashing and applying makeup or shaving?

Light is an exciting aspect of an interior scheme. It can be unobtrusive yet create wonderful effects, or a
beautiful lamp can do double duty as both an important light source and sculptural object within a space.

4
Natural Light

Daylight changes with the season, weather and time of day. As an interior designer, you should consider
its effects and mood changes within a space and treat windows as having an important function, rather
than simply elements to be decorated.

The nature of daylight in the interior is determined by the architecture of the space as well as the location and
orientation of the building, so study those given circumstances and consider how they might be exploited to
make the best use of natural light.

Windows vary in size and shape, in details of framing and opening. Latitude and climate affect the light they
admit, as does external shading from overhangs, awnings, verandas or nearby trees and buildings.

Where the space under consideration is already built, observe and make note of the way windows perform – in
what direction they face, their height and position, what view and shading they offer and whether they present
problems with noise, heat loss or gain or privacy. With a space that is not yet built or is undergoing a major
renovation, the same issues should be addressed based on information available from drawings and site visits.

If necessary, windows can be changed in

consultation with a structural engineer or
architect. Small windows tend to appear as
design comment

“
bright spots in a wall, while a full window As with design itself ‘wannabe’ designers
wall will flood a space with even light.
should keep an open mind as to which
Openings facing north, which admit little sector they would like to work in. We meet so
natural light, generally receive cool but
consistent light. South or north-facing
windows admit strong sunlight early in the
“
many students that just want to design bars or
clubs. Especially in this climate students should
experience all sectors whether it be residential,
morning and lose the sun sometime before educational, etc., not just leisure.
noon. West-facing windows receive later
afternoon sun, sometimes too much on Steve Curtis from Bar Design
summer afternoons.

A southern orientation receives sun consistently for most of the day, at an angle that changes with the season.
In winter, the low sun angle gives maximum heat and light, while in summer, the sun’s high angle reduces light
and heat penetration. These factors make a southern orientation highly desirable – especially for living areas
and spaces such as workplaces that are occupied during the day.

Thoughtful planning of sun shading can control sun penetration precisely, and this use of passive solar energy
is the basis for the design of solar houses. A southern orientation is generally considered the most favourable in
terms of light, passive solar energy and control of sun penetration.

Once you know the orientation of a window opening, it is possible to predict the light patterns in each season,
at different times of the day and on sunny or dull days. This information can help you determine the style and
type of window treatments, how much artificial lighting back-up is required, furniture placement and the colour
scheme.

While windows can provide excellent light, direct sun can be a problem and must be controlled. With east or
west orientations, early morning or late afternoon conditions always call for sun control.

5
Shades or blinds, with or without curtains, offer fully controllable adjustability which curtains alone cannot
give. Artificial back-up light, even in spaces used by day only, is still necessary to provide illumination on
overcast days.

When placing furniture, keep bright windows away from the field of vision of a person doing any task involving
close work during the day. Seating for visual tasks with the back to the window can also cause problems
because of the shadow cast forward. The traditional ‘light coming from over the left shoulder’ remains best,
although light from the right is also satisfactory for most tasks and best for left-handed people.

Lighting Effects

To the designer, artificial light has the potential advantage of being totally adjustable in terms of
brightness, colour, placement and quality. For these reasons, it is actually preferred to natural light in
many situations (for example restaurants open only in the evening, stores, showrooms and exhibition
spaces).

At its best, it can compete favourably with natural daylight when used in offices, residential spaces, and
many special-purpose spaces such as classrooms, lobbies, waiting rooms and many utility and workspaces.

Good lighting for any given space depends on careful planning, starting with an analysis of needs, followed
by intelligent selection of lighting devices to suit those needs, and ending with fixture spacing and location
to achieve the lighting levels and effects desired. Observing lighting installations in use, both good and bad,
will help you build up examples to follow and errors to avoid.

Positioning lighting is best done with the aid of a floor plan (refer to Tutorial 5 for instructions on drawing
floor plans and lighting plans). Some styles of fitting, such as recessed downlights need to be installed before
furnishing the space; others can be incorporated into the design along with the main items of furniture. Once
you have a final plan for furniture placement, you can work out where extra lighting will be needed for close
work and where to place sources of background light such as freestanding uplighters.

Power sockets may need to be moved or some additional sockets added in the wall or in the floor where
required and dimmers installed to adjust the light level when desired. In the past, people used large mirrors
to reflect daylight, candlelight or gaslight and increase the level of light in a room. This is still a useful ploy
in rooms with little access to natural sunlight.

Lighting doesn’t just help us to see better – it can

also be integral to creating the mood of a space, from
tranquil and contemplative to bold and brash, as in
casino interiors, and can be changed to create a variety
of moods within the one space.

This aspect is being used today by lighting and furniture

manufacturers so the colour of a light source or lighting
within a cabinet can be changed at will at the flick of a
switch. I recently saw a house featured in an American
magazine which was entirely illuminated this way:
the colour of each room could be changed instantly by
changing the lighting colour – pink for parties, green or
blue for relaxing, orange for a stimulating atmosphere. Create a well-lit work area in the kitchen

6
An individual’s response to light depends on how good
their eyesight is, their age, the climate, and the task they are design in action
doing. One person may consider a room a bit gloomy, while
another will find the same room with the same level of light
relaxing. So it can be tricky to be sure you are creating the
same effect in a room for everyone who experiences it.

You will find that most rooms need two lighting schemes:
one for day and one for evening. In smaller homes or
large open plan spaces, you can also use light to create
distinctions between spaces and vary the feel of parts of
a room or the whole house to add a feeling of variety or a
sense of intimacy.

In a room that has to be used for more than one function,

it is important to have a choice of lighting to suit each of
In the living areas of a glamorous
its uses. In a kitchen/dining room, for example, the kitchen
apartment, light is reflected in a
lighting can be reduced to a subdued level to camouflage it
silver-framed circular mirror and
when guests are seated at the dining table.
a concealed light in the fireplace
shines down into a stone bowl
People should be made to feel comfortable when they
creating the impression of a bowl of
are eating, so in a dining room you may want to create
light.
an intimate atmosphere conducive to both good digestion
Photo by Simon Kenny
and lively conversation. The best types of lighting for
this purpose are pendant lights, wall lights with dimmer
switches and candles. Candlelight should be above eye level and pendant lights should be hung where they
will not shine directly onto anyone’s face when they are seated at the table.

Lighting is a complicated subject from a technical viewpoint and there is a vast array of lighting options
available to choose from. Lighting an interior effectively also involves creative thinking and imagination. In
projects where lighting is an important and complex element, you may wish to employ a lighting engineer or
specialist consultant to assist with the technical aspects.

As an interior designer, however, you need to have a basic understanding of lighting issues, in order to deal
with simpler situations yourself and to communicate well with suppliers and lighting specialists when they
are involved in a project.

Some Lighting Effects

• Spotlights throw objects into relief and are useful • Ceiling lights can lack warmth and cast shadows on
for highlighting decorative features such as work surfaces.
artworks or plants.
• Light coming from more than one source, natural
• Fluorescent lights tend to flatten objects and are or artificial, will have a more subtle and interesting
unflattering to the complexion. effect.

• Light flooding down a wall makes a room seem • Natural light can be filtered through the leaves of
larger and low lights give a room a more intimate plants, sheer curtains or slatted blinds to give a
atmosphere. calm, diffused light.

7
• Walls, floors and ceilings influence the light level in a room. A white ceiling makes a room seem brighter.
But it is, in fact, reflection from floors that helps a room most benefit from natural light, since the floor is
where most of it falls.

The Right Light for the Task

Reading, writing or sewing: Reading lights should shine down on the page and are best used in conjunction
with some soft background light to cut down the glare of the light on the page. Older people need much
more light for such activities than younger ones.

Cooking and washing up: Light above the sink ensures that the whole work area is illuminated and dishes
can be washed sparkly clean. A central ceiling light will cast shadows over work surfaces around the edges
of the room, so consider a series of downlights either in the ceiling or under overhead cupboards instead.
‘Warm white’ fluorescent lights make food look appetising.

Makeup and shaving: Strong light is best for these tasks. The best place for light sources is on either side
of the mirror placed so they shine on the face rather than the mirror. A light above the mirror is unflattering
as it casts shadows down the face.

Watching television: Watching television with all the lights off can strain eyes as the glare of the screen
contrasts harshly with a dark room. The most comfortable light is a lamp or down-lights that illuminate the
floor without interfering with the screen.

Working at the computer: An adjustable task lamp placed to the side and aimed at the screen will best
reduce eye strain.

Touch, Sound and Smell

When we discuss interiors, we tend to assume the dominance of visual aspects: ‘What does it look
like?’ we usually ask. We do, however, have five senses, so we need to consider the relevance of smell,
touch, hearing and taste to our experience of an environment.

Many of our ideas and feelings emerge from the deep psychological links between touch and vision, events
and taste or smells and loved people and places. We have all experienced the sensation of having a memory
triggered by a sound, a touch or a smell.

It’s important to consider these sensory factors in design:

• When specifying a fabric or floorcovering, for example, consider what they will feel like as well as how
they will look.

• Are there any noise factors which make the space uncomfortable that could be rectified with double
glazing, better insulation, carpet or wall upholstery?

• Ask the client to describe for you their favourite smells, sounds and textures and discuss with them how
these could be incorporated into the design, for example through a scented plant, indoor wall fountain or
glossy ceramic surface that is a pleasure to touch.

8
Through considering all the senses, the spaces you design will fulfil important human needs beyond visual
aesthetics and function and therefore be better designed and more pleasant to inhabit.

Lighting Advice – Interviews with the Experts

Isobel King spoke with three leading experts on lighting to shine light on the subject and gain in-depth
advice.

Lighting is one of the fundamental cornerstones of successful interior design. It not only plays a central role
in creating the mood of an interior but answers a number of practical needs, such as:

• Providing task lighting;

• Delineating rooms or creating intimate ‘pockets’ within a large space; and
• Highlighting special artworks or architectural features.

Gone are the days when a fluorescent light in the kitchen and a few centre ceiling lights scattered throughout
the house satisfied residential lighting demands. The staggering number of lighting options now available
reflects today’s sophisticated approach to lighting and the unique challenges presented by our love affair
with open plan living. Creating intimacy and warmth in a cavernous space, while still accentuating its
generous proportions, is one of the key roles of clever lighting design.

Getting the Brief Right

Dawn Kidd, a lighting consultant who has 25 years’ experience in domestic lighting, says a typical
home will rely on a diversity of lighting to achieve a number of moods and effects. People these days
want flexibility to control different lights in different parts of a room, as well as the light levels, making
dimmers an integral component.

Every room has a unique set of demands and these must be examined in detail before any lighting decisions
are made. Added to this are the restrictions of the structure itself. For example, if there’s no ceiling cavity,
this will rule out the option of recessed lighting such as popular halogen downlights.

Louisa La Forgia, an architect and marketing manager for Ornare Lighting, pinpoints a number of key
questions you should consider in order to come up with a lighting solution. Some of these are:

• What kind of room is it?

• What will be the main function of the room?
• What is the size of the room and height of the ceiling – is it a sloped or flat ceiling?
• How much natural light is there?
• What desired effect do you want?
• What is the budget?

Taking a dining room as a case in point, she demonstrates the importance of obtaining this kind of specific
information from clients. ‘Some people might want bright task lighting in their dining room, while others
prefer dim, soft lighting,’ she explains.

9
Ceiling height is critical to the lighting choice. ‘If you had a 2.7m ceiling, for example, you wouldn’t
normally go for a pendant light because the ceiling is too low and you wouldn’t get the full effect from the
pendant drop. This is because the lower the light drops, the less the light beam spreads through and across
the room. However, it would work well over a dining table.’

Similarly, if a room is to be chiefly used as a study, then task lighting, such as a strong desk light, will be the
priority, balanced by perhaps a single ceiling light.

Working with the Bones of the Building

Some interiors, particularly apartment buildings where the floors have been separated with a concrete
slab or no allowance has been made for a ceiling cavity, demand inventive lighting solutions.

The introduction of the super-efficient LED downlights have provided a solution to this problem. Fitted
into a small ceiling cavity, they create a modern low profile look, providing light without overcrowding the
ceiling space.

This being said, however, with extremely small ceiling cavities, the only option may be to use low wattage
bulbs due to the space restriction. In this case, this is when you need to it might pay to look at ceiling-
mounted lights or track lighting, complemented by other lighting options in the room.,’ says Kidd. ‘Lamps
can also come into play here, and where you place these will be placed will be governed by furniture layout
and how you use the room is used.

For example, a sideboard or console might

accommodate a soft table lamp to create a relaxing
ambience, while a reading light could sit between
design in action
two armchairs or a sofa. Floor lamps (see over page)
are also highly effective in lighting up a large space.

In large warehouse conversions, double-height

ceilings make it impractical to use some of the
more traditional forms of lighting, such as recessed
ceiling lights. In these cases, Kidd would look at
options such as track lighting suspended on a wire,
combined with plenty of adjustable side lighting.

Ceiling Lighting

The trend today is open plan living where

the kitchen, dining and living rooms all flow
together. In an area like this, a lot of LED
downlights will need to be run in a grid form, Inset ceiling lighting in an alcove
with many lights run off one switch so that the highlights an Asian antique and
lighting can be controlled in certain areas. The reflects off the highly polished timber
placement of the lights delineates the various floor at the other end of the living
spaces, and they double as feature lighting for area. Floor to ceiling glass and timber
artworks or sculptures. doors lead to the conservatory.
Photo by Simon Kenny

10
‘For feature lighting, you want downlights on a tilting mechanism,’ says Kidd. ‘The ceiling height/room size
ratio will dictate where they are placed. For example, on a 2.5m ceiling, you would set the lights out about
500 to 700mm from the wall, and tilt the light directly onto the object you wish to feature.’

While generally superseded by LEDs, fluorescent lights are still a

suitable option for ceiling lighting, thanks to new technology and
contemporary designs coming out of European design capitals such
as Italy.

Whereas halogens used to create quite a lot of shadows because it’s

an intense light, fluorescents give off a very even, general light,
while lasting longer and using less energy. Available in old-fashioned
white-white or a very warm white, similar to an incandescent, they
also come with dimmers.

Pendant lights, while more expensive than standard lights, can be an

artistic statement – popular with those who don’t want the discreet
flush-to-the-ceiling look. They can be used as task lighting, say over
a dining table or island bench, run in a line down a hallway, or used Pendant lights
as general lighting.

‘They are very good in a room with a high ceiling,’ says La Forgia. ‘You get a dual emission, with an uplight
reflected off the ceiling and a downlight reflected off the floor.’

In bedrooms, task lighting is generally required beside the bed for reading. Some clients may then choose
soft ceiling lighting, such as a single pendant light on a dimmer, or bright LED lighting for when they are
getting changed.

Floor Lamps and Side Lighting

design comment

“
In living areas, where the emphasis is on relaxing, floor
lamps and side lighting are particularly important. In Building up trusted contacts
fact, says La Forgia, some people are happy to do away within the industry is almost
with overhead lighting altogether.

A floor lamp that takes a 25 watt LED will quite often, light
“
as important as getting the clients.
Always take and remember names
and try and make sure they
an entire room on its own. remember yours.

It’s important to remember while watts are usually referred

to brightness, this is no longer the case with LEDs. LEDs
are designed to use less energy and therefore have a lower
watt rating. For example, the LED equivalent of a 60-watt
incandescent bulb is more likely to use 8-13 watts of energy.
LEDs are now measured in lumens as opposed to watts.

This is to avoid light shining into eyes. They are generally

fitted with a dimmer so that the light levels can be adjusted.
As ceilings tend to be off-white or cream, they are perfect
Kia Richardson
for reflecting light down. A big room may require two – one
Kia Designs Ltd - https://www.kiadesigns.co.uk/
each on opposite sides of the room.

11
Keep in mind that a 25 watt linear LED floor lamp is roughly
equivalent to three 8w downlights – more than ample to light a
small space.

Wall-mounted lights, especially those that filter light both up

and down the wall, are great for creating mood, while table
lamps are a portable option that can be purchased cheaply and
come in a wide variety of styles.

Kitchen Lighting

Task-specific rooms, such as kitchens, bathrooms and Install ceiling drop lights in the kitchen
laundries, demand lighting tailored to the functions of the to ensure a bright work area
room. In a kitchen, for example, there are ‘zones’ of activity,
such as the sink, side benches and possibly a breakfast bar or island bench. Each of these will require
task lighting.

‘You always need work areas well lit,’ says Dawn Kidd. ‘A centre light in a kitchen can create shadows, so
recessed ceiling lights are preferable because you can run them all around your work surfaces, with tilting
mechanisms allowing you to direct the light where you need it.

‘Where there are cupboards, you can put under bench LED or fluorescent lighting. These can also be left on
at night as mood lighting when you’ve finished in the kitchen.’

Track lighting is another option to consider for general kitchen

lighting, and pendant lights could be used over an island
bench or breakfast bar.

Bathroom Lighting

In a bathroom, the mirror requires delicate lighting.

Opt for LED or fluorescent lights either above or on either

side of the mirror to illuminate reflections while eliminating
shadows. For the general bathroom light, incorporate a central
ceiling light. Where possible, accentuate natural lighting with This bathroom has two light fixtures; one
the placement of mirrors to enhance usability and ambience. is on each side of the mirror for optimal
lighting while getting ready for work.

Commercial Lighting

More complex is the area of commercial lighting, where strict Occupational Health & Safety laws and
precise regulations about what lighting can be used where must be taken into account.

That said, lighting decisions still need to balance purely pragmatic demands with the ideal of creating an
inviting, relaxing environment.

Lighting designer Stephen Hennessy specialises in creative lighting for commercial applications. Restaurant
lighting, he says, is the perfect example of where ‘ambient’ or mood lighting combines with practical needs.
Like domestic lighting, it requires a diversity of lighting.
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Task lighting

What is its purpose? To provide a comfortable and

safe visual environment and to reveal the task that
the lighting is to support. design story
It is, therefore, the QUALITY of light and not
the QUANTITY of the light that is essential here.
However, it is quite probable that some tasks require
lamp light
lighting from more than one position, and away from Lighting can change the mood and shape of a
walls to avoid glare or reflectiveness. room as much as a paint job or redesign. In even
the simplest of rooms lighting can make a huge
Some of the factors that need to be considered for the difference to the way it translates. The key is to
brief are: choose lighting that reflects how the room is used.
• Colours and textures of the walls;
General All Rooms – Floor Lamp
• Room size and ceiling height; To open up a space and make a ceiling seem higher,
• Where tables, chairs and/or banquettes will be take lighting to the outer perimeters rather than the
placed; centre, and use floor lamps to direct the light onto
the walls and bounce it off the ceiling. The ceiling
• How much glazing there is, as this will restrict
will appear higher if the lamps are set lower.
where lights can be fitted;
• How much natural light there is; and Home Office – Desk Lamp
• What is the mood the client wants to create. Desk lamps should create enough bright light for
reading and computer work without being blinding.
Ideally the user should be able to angle a desk lamp
‘Once this is established, you can look at whether to in any direction. In a small space a lamp with a G
use pendant or wall lighting, or a combination of the clamp feature means that no valuable desk space is
two, whether you’d have lights on the table, what wasted.
shape or form of light fitting you want – for example,
you might want to produce both up and down lighting Bedroom – Bedside Lamp
with your choice of shade, or simply have it in one For a bedside light, you need a lamp that is bright
direction, or you might want to bounce light off the enough to read by, but soft enough so that your
walls or ceiling,’ says Hennessy. client doesn’t feel like
they’re sleeping in a
Then there’s the quality of light: whether it’s subdued supermarket. These
or suppressed; coloured; diffused, or refracted off beautiful Uovo lamps
other surfaces. (pictured) are perfect.
The egg shape is
‘These things are often unconscious in the public’s unusual and a little
eye, but if you go somewhere where there’s bad quirky, and creates a
lighting, you definitely notice it,’ he says. wonderful mood as
well.
Hennessy shies away from downlights as ‘they
produce strong light in very narrow beams, and
sometimes that’s unsuitable for dining because the person opposite you looks like a vampire’.

However, they are still the preferred choice for retail projects where ‘the primary function is to light the stock’.

13
So while there are many basic principles and limitations that apply to lighting design, both commercial and
residential, it’s important to balance these with the central aim of creating the right mood and atmosphere for
the project at hand.

Lighting Tips – Bright Ideas from the Experts

‘I think it’s essential to get direct sunlight, no matter how little, into the living areas of a house. Even thin
shafts of sun across an otherwise shadowed and north-facing room make it feel warm and bright. South
sunlight is best but small amounts of east and west sun, properly shaded, are also good. How to get the
sunlight in? There are as many ways as your imagination will allow, including lantern roofs, glazed strip
windows between roof and wall and recessed wall panels.’
Sally Draper, architect

‘Natural lighting makes a house feel healthier,

fresh and open to the world. You can also add effect
design story
Potting
by deceiving the eye by using mirrors on walls to
expand the view or bounce light back into a dark
area. You can also use light, cheerful colours to
suggest sunlight, keep ceilings pale and avoid heavy
curtains and blinds.’ A striking planter can provide a touch of colour
Leslie Walford, interior designer and flair to both indoor and outdoor settings.
They are great accessories because they can
bring height and depth to an area or fill in an
‘There are often opportunities to grab a little awkward spot. A pretty pot creates a striking
unused space to achieve a lighting recess, niche or focal point, while a more subtle style draws
setback of a wall, even if the recess is only 100mm attention to what it holds.
deep. Mirror lining the rear of the recess adds to
the interest unless the reflection is a view of a When selecting a garden container, consider
teenager’s bedroom/slum. Be sure of what you are your climate. Though classically beautiful,
going to reflect.’
terra-cotta and ceramic are fragile and may
Denis Holland, interior designer
crack when temperatures dip. Weather-resistant
resin or fiberglass is a great alternative as
‘Reflections from a mirror or a window or light they mimic the look of limestone and fired
fitting can double the light output.’ clay but won’t chip, fade, or corrode. Another
Guy de Compiegne, interior designer plus is that these
materials are
lightweight,
‘Artificial lighting should not only provide which will be a
illumination for the task at hand but also add some godsend when it
drama and variety to the space, complementing the comes time for
architecture, layout, furniture, colours and artwork. repositioning or
While I find traditional fluorescent light rather repotting.
dehumanising, the new generation of low energy
lamps is great. We need to speed up the acceptance
of these.’
Denis Holland

14
‘I like soft, even, warm lighting as a general background with highlight or focus points in specific areas. This
is best done by having a series of uplights dimmed to create the background. Focus points can be provided
in many ways: lamps, spotlights onto particular objects, sculptures or artworks, recessed panels or alcoves,
which may be more brightly lit. I try never to use low voltage lights in houses except where the light itself is
concealed. They are too bright and dazzling and give a glittering appearance more appropriate in commercial
work.’
Sally Draper

‘Choosing lighting is an agony today – there’s such a wide range. When in doubt, keep it simple. Don’t flood
an area. Light what is necessary, keep the mood tranquil. Of course, there are clever systems: lights that go
on when you approach or controls that light whole sections of the house at once.’
Leslie Walford

‘The trend is to bounce light where possible. For instance, have no lights in the kitchen ceiling (which
should be painted a pale colour) and use two or three wall-bracket lights to bounce light everywhere.
Careful placing should eliminate shadows and have a pleasing effect. In the bathroom, two small fittings at
head level on either side of the washbasin will give an excellent light, as it also bounces off the mirror onto
people’s faces.’
Leslie Walford

‘Dining is a case in itself. I’ve walked out of restaurants because the background lighting is too bright. For
me, the general lights must be very dim so that the background fades away and the focus becomes the table
itself and the faces around it.’
Sally Draper

‘I like downlights onto dining tables, even one either side of a chandelier, to give the table a soft glow and
pick up the colours and sparkle of the dinnerware and glassware.’
Leslie Walford

‘With well-considered spaces and furnishings, the lighting effect is more important than the decorative nature
of the fitting or source. Ideally, lighting should be flexible enough to allow a variety of furniture layouts,
changes of mood and it should define the room. Expensive fittings can be used quite sparingly.’
Denis Holland

‘In a low ceiling (e.g. 2.4m) downlights should be fitted with anti-glare baffles. Eyeballs or wall washers will
be facing the walls, so there should be no glare factor.’
Michael Patane

‘Low-level lighting to wash the floors combined with supplementary lighting, separately switched and with
dimmers, can set a mood. So can special lamps, such as Noguchi paper lamps.’
Ian Moore

15
‘Don’t forget the advantages of lighting the beauty of a garden, or a tree, or a view. This can also help with
security. I believe some exterior lighting helps every house. Who wants night-time to create a black hole?
Why not a bit of fairyland outside a window, even if it’s only a para flood onto one tree.’
Leslie Walford

‘Twelve-volt uplights are a simple source of soft light particularly suited for around the base of trees. A
dramatic effect can be achieved by directing strong light from behind dense planting back toward the house.’
John Wardle, architect

‘The most important areas of the exterior to be lit are pathways and steps leading to and from the door and
gateways. Mood lighting is essential for outdoor living. Good security lighting in doorways, side passages
and car parks can deter intruders. Sensor-activated
lights are good deterrents.’
Michael Patane
design story
‘Well-lit external spaces can form extensions of
interior space and, by spotlighting trees, pools etc.,
can provide outlook and highlights from interior
Chandelier
The chandelier has been shedding light since
spaces.’ medieval times, illuminating everything from
Ian Moore palaces, cathedrals, hotel, and private homes.

Over time the chandelier evolved from a simple

‘It doesn’t matter whether the home is 1850s source of light to a visual statement. It’s the
or 1950s, the type and location of conspicuous original bling bling, but as minimalism started to
fittings must be compatible with other figments dictate interior design towards the end of the last-
and furnishings. However, if you want a particular century the chandelier sadly went out of fashion,
lighting effect and you can achieve it using until now of course. The chandelier is back in
inconspicuous fittings, then do it. Your intended Vogue and as with all revived fashions it’s bigger
lighting effect and decorative lighting hardware can and more contemporary than ever.
be independent of each other.’
Denis Holland

‘In an older house, usually the existing lighting

system is out of date so, if the budget allows, a
reappraisal is a good idea. A mixture of low-voltage
lighting halogen and traditional classic fixtures can
create an interesting atmosphere.’
Michael Patane

‘I think that a standard incandescent lamp in a white

plastic batten holder is one of the most inexpensive,
direct and minimal forms of lighting, particularly
when the budget is low. And they look good.’
Ian Moore

16
Glossary of Lighting Terms

Please note, these are for your reference only, you do not have to learn them ‘off by heart’!

Accent lighting: Used to highlight colour, form and texture in objects and art. Accent lighting is a key
element in any sort of creative lighting design. It can range from a narrow beam to a broad SPOTLIGHT or
WALL-WASHER.

Ambient lighting: General or background lighting that is unfocussed, indirect and, hopefully unobtrusive.

Amp: An abbreviation of ampere, the base unit of electrical current, measuring the speed at which it flows.

Baffle: The device attached to a light fitting to lessen or prevent glare. Baffles on DOWNLIGHTS and
SPOTLIGHTS are usually formed with concentric black grooves on the inside of the cowl.

Ballast: A part used in the control apparatus of a discharge lamp or bulb to prevent overheating.

Bare wire: A pair of tensioned CABLES that support LOW-VOLTAGE, tiny TRACK LIGHTS, which can
be moved along the length of the cables.

Barn doors: The adjustable hinged flaps attached to the front of some SPOTLIGHTS to control the shape of
the BEAM.

Batten fitting: A fitting designed to hold a FLUORESCENT BULB and its control gear. It has an enclosed
channel.

Batten holder: A ceiling rose with a built-in holder for a TUNGSTEN BULB.

Bayonet bulb: A TUNGSTEN BULB with two lugs to attach it to its holder
(as opposed to a screw bulb).

Beam: The spread of light from a FLOODLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT or

REFLECTOR BULB. Bayonet bulb

Blended lamp or bulb: A light source consisting of an incandescent filament and mercury discharge tube in
one bulb. It has a longer life than an ordinary INCANDESCENT BULB – often as long as 6,000 hours.

Cable: A covered or sheathed bundle of insulated wires used to carry electrical circuits around the home.

Candela: The SI unit of light intensity.

Ceiling rose: Normally a circular housing that projects from the ceiling and
holds the connections between a PENDANT light fitting or a chandelier and the
electricity supply.

Circuit: The path of an electric current which passes along the supply CABLES
to light fittings and electric sockets.

Ceiling rose Circuit breakers: A special switch in an electrical consumer unit that carries
out the same function as a fuse. In other words, under abnormal or potentially
dangerous situations, it will cut off the current flow of the CIRCUIT.

17
Colour rendering: The effect of a light source on the appearance of a coloured surface, normally judged by
comparison with its appearance by daylight. Some bulbs are given a Colour Rendering Index rating (CRI)
between 1 and 100. The higher the number, the truer the colours.

Contrast: In lighting terms, this is the difference in brightness between two points of a visual field – that is
to say, the area that can be seen in front of us when our head and eyes are still.

Control gear: The way in which the current passing through a FLUORESCENT BULB or a DISCHARGE
BULB is controlled.

Cool beam bulb: A type of PAR BULB that reflects visible light but transmits infrared
radiation so that the heat of the BULB it transmits is greatly reduced.

Diffused light: Light that is filtered through a translucent material like a fabric shade.

Diffuser: Some sort of translucent screen used to shield a light source, soften it and
distribute light evenly.

Dimmer switch: A control switch that allows the lighting levels of bulbs to be lowered
Dimmer switch or raised. Most lights benefit from this sort of control.

Direct lighting: Lighting provided directly from a light fitting without

bouncing off surfaces like ceilings or walls.

Directional lighting: Lighting designed to illuminate a surface or a task Directional lighting

from a particular direction. This is generally provided by SPOTLIGHTS or
desk lights, which are normally adjustable.

Discharge bulb: A bulb whose light is produced by an electric discharge through a gas, a metal vapour or a
mixture of gas and vapour.

Downlight: A fitting that is usually ceiling-recessed, ceiling-mounted, track-

mounted or wall-mounted and that throws light vertically (or at least steeply)
downwards.

Earth: A necessary connection between an electrical CIRCUIT and the earth. Its
purpose is to conduct electricity out of harm’s way if there is a fault in the wiring,
Downlight such as a break in a circuit cable or insulation, which would otherwise make a light
fitting or an appliance casing become lethally live.

Eyeball spot or downlight: An adjustable recessed SPOTLIGHT that looks rather like an eyeball.

Filament: A thin wire in a TUNGSTEN BULB that emits light when it is heated to incandescence by an
electric current.

Fitting: See LUMINAIRE

Flex: The cord of insulated wires that connect a light fitting or appliance to the electric supply.

Floodlight: A spotlight containing a tungsten REFLECTOR BULB to produce a powerful, wide BEAM.

18
Fluorescent bulb: A kind of DISCHARGE BULB where the light is produced by the
excitation of fluorescent phosphors by ultraviolet radiation. Cheap to run and has a long
life span. It now gives a wide variation of colour rendition, although in the past it had too
harsh a white light for most domestic situations.

Framing projector: Also known as a profile spot or pinhole projector, this is a spotlight
designed to illuminate a painting, sculpture or other work of art. Its attachments allow
absolutely precise control over the shape and focus of the BEAM. Though expensive, it is Floodlight
the best and most accurate way to light art.

Glare: The discomfort and interference with vision that arises when some parts of the visual field are much
brighter than their surroundings.

GLS bulb: General Lighting Service bulb – the term used in the trade for the ordinary TUNGSTEN BULB.

Halogen bulb: A special type of TUNGSTEN BULB containing halogen, which extends the bulb’s life.
Also known as a quartz-halogen or tungsten-halogen bulb, it gives a brighter punch of light than an ordinary
tungsten bulb of the equivalent wattage. With a ban of the bulb in place effective as of 2018, halogens will
be phased out across Europe in favour of the efficient LEDs.

HID bulb: A High-Intensity DISCHARGE BULB, used for outside lighting.

Incandescent bulb: A light source produced by an electric current heating a

FILAMENT to the point where it gives off light. This is the original light bulb that was
designed by Thomas Edison. TUNGSTEN BULBS and HALOGEN BULBS are both
incandescent, which have now been superseded by the super-efficient LED bulbs.

Indirect lighting: Lighting reflected off a ceiling or walls.

LED lightbulb ISL bulb: An Internally Silvered Lamp, usually known as a REFLECTOR BULB.

Lamp: The trade term for a light bulb.

LEDs: A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that converts electricity into light. These
bulbs are super-efficient, using roughly 85% less energy than the typical halogen or incandescent bulbs. With
a longer life span and savings to power bills, LEDs will become the preferred lighting option.
www.lighting.philips.com.au/prof/led-lamps-and-tubes/led-bulbs#pfpath=0-LED_GR

Low voltage: A low-voltage bulb is an excellent choice for lighting art and accenting objects, but it must be
used in conjunction with a transformer.

Lumen: The SI unit of luminous lux, which means the amount of light given off by a source or received by
a surface.

Luminaire: The trade term for a light fitting – the housing designed for a bulb and bulb holder to protect the
light source, to provide a means of connection to the electrical supply and to direct and control the flow of
light.

Lux: Lumens measured by the square metre or yard. The SI unit of illuminance, which is a measure of the
light leaving a surface in a particular direction.

MCB: Miniature Circuit Breakers

19
Neon bulb: A bulb containing neon, or inert gas, at a low pressure which throws
off a red or pink glow when VOLTAGE is applied.

Opal or pearl finish: An internal coating of silica on the glass exterior of a bulb,
which gives it a milky or opalescent appearance.
Pearl bulb
Overspill: See SPILL LIGHT

PAR bulb: A Parabolic Aluminised Reflector is a sealed beamed bulb with a front of tough, heat-resistant
glass. The back of the bulb is parabolic in cross-section, and the bulb is internally aluminised to throw off a
powerful BEAM of light. Especially useful outdoors as it needs no protection from the weather.

Pendant: A light fitting designed to hang from, or project from, a ceiling.

Phosphor: A substance that can emit visible light when bombarded with electromagnetic radiation. It is
used for the inner coating of FLUORESCENT BULBS.

Polar curve: A special diagram used to show the exact profile of light output from a bulb or light fitting.

Quartz-halogen bulb: Alternative name for halogen bulb which has now been superseded by LED bulbs.

Reflector bulb: A bulb with an internally silvered surface, used for SPOTLIGHTS or FLOODLIGHTS.

SI: Systeme Internationale d’Unites, an internationally agreed system of scientific measuring units.

Side-lighting: The technique of lighting for one side, usually to emphasise

the modelling or texture of an object.

SON bulb: A high-pressure sodium bulb.

Spill light: Light that spills over from the main profile of a BEAM, as in the
light that seeps outside a painting lit by a SPOTLIGHT or WALL-WASHER.
A FRAMING PROJECTOR can be set to light a painting exactly, so there is
no overspill.
Spotlight
Spotlight: A REFLECTOR BULB with a directional beam, used for accent or decorative lighting. It may be
surface or track-mounted on wall, ceiling or floor.

Spur: A CABLE used to extend a CIRCUIT so that electricity can be supplied to an additional fitting or
appliance or used for an additional switch.

Task lighting: Lighting specifically used for facilitating a task like reading, writing, painting or sewing.

Tensioned bare wire: See BARE WIRE.

Throw: The distance between a REFLECTOR BULB and the farthest

Track lighting
item it can light.

Track lighting: Straight or curved track that can be mounted on the ceiling or walls, and supports
SPOTLIGHTS which are either fixed in position (but can be angled and swivelled) or free, allowing them to
be moved along the track. Both fixed and free types can be mains- or LOW-VOLTAGE.

20
Transformer: A device to transfer electric current from one CIRCUIT to another, usually with an
increase or decrease in VOLTAGE. It is essential to the installation of any LOW-VOLTAGE bulb but is
usually small enough to be hidden in the fitting.

Tungsten bulb: The ordinary, domestic electric light bulb, known in the trade as a GLS. Its full name is a
tungsten filament bulb because it contains a filament of tungsten, which is a metallic element with a high
melting point. It casts a warmer light that most fluorescent bulbs.

Tungsten-halogen bulb: See HALOGEN BULB.

Uplight: A light fitting that throws light up to be reflected back from the ceiling
or walls. Floor up-lights are extremely useful both for back-lighting objects
and plants and for providing indirect light when you cannot install recessed
lighting. Uplighting can also be provided by floor and wall light fittings and by
Tungsten bulbs
directional table lamps.

Visual acuity: The ability to distinguish fine detail when concentrating on a task.

Voltage: The pressure of electricity flowing through an electrical CIRCUIT – the greater the pressure,
the higher the number of volts. Mains voltage varies from country to country; in the United Kingdom, it
is 230 volts, in Ireland, it is 220/380, in Europe 220, in Australia 240 and in the United States 120. For
LOW-VOLTAGE lighting, a TRANSFORMER reduces the power, usually to 12 volts.

Wall-washer: A DOWNLIGHT that bathes the wall in light, usually mounted on the ceiling (on track, on
the surface, or recessed), 45-90 cm (18-36in) from the wall, depending on the desired effect.

Watt: A unit measuring the rate at which electricity is consumed and indicating the power of the light
source. Every light fitting you buy will specify a maximum wattage.

Self-Exercise #1

As you are now aware, there are many differing lights, each having its own specific purpose and of course
location! Now that you have read and understood about the lighting aspect of the industry try examining
your home and your workplace or local shopping precinct.

Consider the following for both locations:

• Light sources. • Quantity of light types. • What differences are there

• Brightness. • Locations of lights. between the two locations?
• Light types. • Do the light types suit the needs?

You will be surprised not only by the obvious difference between the two locations, but at the sheer
quantity of lighting that is apparent when you look for it.

From this you will be able also to identify any improvements that you could easily make to your own
space. This in turn will help you for commissions in the future!

21
Colour Everyone’s World

Colour is a vital component of all aspects of interior design and pervades all aspects of our lives. Think
about all the expressions we use that associate colours with emotion – seeing red, feeling blue, black
mood, green with envy, in the pink. We associate red with danger, yellow with cowardice, white with
purity and purple with passion. Someone who lacks personality is described most aptly as ‘colourless’.

Of all the visual attributes of objects and surfaces, colour is by far the most subjective and the most effective
in producing emotional responses in human beings. The range of colours available to the interior designer
today in paints and surface materials such as laminates and textiles is virtually limitless – giving wonderful
opportunities for inventive use of colour, but making choices difficult!

There are basic guidelines to colour selection which will follow in this tutorial – but in the end, there are
no rules at all. Collect as many colour samples and colour fan decks as you can, look at them in different
combinations and different lights.

Buy three sample pots of the same colour in a low sheen, satin and gloss finish and see how the level of
gloss affects the colour. Paint the colour on large boards and see how the larger sample compares with the
small sample on the manufacturer’s colour card.

The more you work with colour and feel the effects
of different combinations and the effects of light and
texture on colour the more instinctive and ‘right’ your
design in action
choices will become.

What is colour?

‘Colour’ is the word we use for the sensation that

is registered in the human brain when different
wavelengths of light hit the retina of the eye, causing
a message to be sent along the optic nerve to excite
the neurons in various parts of the brain.

In fact, objects do not have colour – they are composed

of atoms and molecules that respond in different ways
to various wavelengths of light. Objects appear to have
colour as a result of the wavelengths of light they either
reflect or transmit. When illuminated by a light, all
objects absorb certain wavelengths and subtract them
from the entire spectrum of visible light. They then Deep blues make for an eye-catching
reflect what remains of the spectrum. This reflected light feature wall, and pair well with the
is what we perceive as giving the object its colour. tone of the wooden chairs, table,
and door.

Measuring Colour

Colour is measured in terms of its hue, saturation, value, lightness and brightness. Hue is the colour
in its purest expression. Adding more of the same colour will increase the colour’s intensity. Black
and white are referred to as achromatic colours. The addition of either black or white to a particular
colour determines the colour saturation or chroma, which is the amount of pure colour a hue contains.

22
Value refers to the subtle difference between shades of colours
and tints of colours. If black, for example, is mixed with a
particular hue, the result is a shade of the original colour. If
white is added to the same colour, it is referred to as tinted.

Saturation (or chroma): at full saturation, a colour has no

black, white or grey added
Tint: colour + white (e.g. pink is a tint of the primary colour red)
Tone: colour + grey
Shade: colour + black
Value: lightness or darkness of a colour dependent on the
amount of light it reflects or absorbs, or the relative amount of Warm colours, such as yellow, appear to
white or black in a hue. be closer to the viewer than cool colours.
Key colour: the dominant colour in a colour scheme or mixture,
i.e. the colour that covers the largest surface area or is the largest proportion of a mixture.

Lightness and brightness help to describe colour differences and put colour in context. Lightness refers to
the amount of light that is reflected from an object, while brightness refers to the luminance of an object in
the context of its surroundings.

Colour Perception

Did you know that no two people perceive a colour in exactly the same way? Additionally, the
perception of colour is also affected by the context in which it appears. When two colours are adjacent
to each other, the brain does not receive signals from the reflected light of just one colour but from
both colours. The same colour will be perceived one way with blue beside it and another with red
beside it.

Warm colours, such as red and yellow, and dark colours appear to be closer to the viewer than cool colours,
such as blue and green, and pale colours. As a designer, you can use this effect to make small rooms appear
larger, large spaces appear more intimate and high ceilings appear lower.

The Colour Wheel

The colour wheel is a useful tool for learning about colour and
creating harmonious and balanced colour schemes.

The 12 segments of the colour wheel consist of primary, secondary and

tertiary hues and their specific tints or shades. With red at the top, the
colour wheel identifies the three primary colours of red, yellow and blue.
These three primary colours form an equilateral triangle within the circle
of the wheel.

The three secondary hues of orange, violet and green are located
between each primary colour and form another triangle. Red-orange,
yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet are
the six tertiary hues and result from the combination of a primary and a Colour wheel
secondary hue.

23
Each primary, secondary and tertiary hue on the outer edge of the wheel is at a
level of full saturation, which means there is no black, white or grey added. Hues
directly opposite each other on the colour wheel are known as complementary
colours. Harmonious colours are those placed next to one another in between two
primary colours.

For more information on what makes up a primary, secondary and tertiary

colour, please view the following short video from Interior Dezine for a further
explanation:
Monochromatic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPYV0Mt_UwA

Colour Schemes

A successful colour scheme is a combination of colours that harmonise with

each other. The most common are:

Achromatic
Without colour, using only black, white and greys. Complementary

Monochromatic
Using one colour throughout, utilising various tints, tones and shades of the same
colour. In a monochromatic scheme, the use of multiple textures helps to create
character, avoid blandness and maintain unity.

Complementary
Using two colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red
and green or violet and yellow. Choosing various tints, tones and shades of each
colour will give a bold, dramatic effect.
Triadic
Analogous
Using three consecutive colours on the colour wheel or any of their tints or
shades, to create a scheme which is either warm or cool, depending on which part
of the wheel the colours lie in.

Triadic
Using three colours that are equidistant on the colour wheel, such as red, yellow
and blue, or using secondary colours such as yellow-green, blue-violet and red-
orange.
Clash
Clash scheme
Combines a colour with the hue to the right or left of its complement on the colour
wheel.

Neutral scheme
Using a hue which has been diminished or neutralised by the addition of its
complement or black.

Split complementary scheme

Consisting of a hue combined with the two hues on either side of its complement.
Tertiary triad
Primary scheme
A combination of the pure hues of red, yellow and blue.
24
Secondary Scheme
A combination of the secondary hues of green, violet and orange.

Tertiary triad scheme

Can be one of two combinations: red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet or blue-green, yellow-orange and
red-violet – all of which are equidistant from each other on the colour wheel.

Using colour cards collected from your local paint supplier, practise putting all of the above colour schemes
together and study the effects.

Which ones are bold and powerful or stimulating?

Which ones are soothing and calming or restful? design in action
Think carefully about the possible applications of
each scheme you create.

Which would suit a bedroom? Which would be

appropriate for a building exterior? Which would be
perfect to create an intimate ambience in a restaurant?

You can purchase a colour wheel (we recommend

the ‘Artists Colour Wheel’ from The Colour Wheel
Company) from your local art supplies store or online.

Adobe Colour is a free online colour wheel program

that you can use to create and even share colour
schemes. It can help you with monochromatic,
analogous, complementary, triad, and custom colour
schemes (just to name a few) - then export them as
Designers will commonly carry colour
an image. It might take some time to learn all the
swatches to choose colours and refer
functionality but it is a very powerful tool.
color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel back to them later. This way they can
remember the exact tone and see how
it looks under different lighting etc.
The Effects of Colour

The effect of any colour is influenced by factors such as light levels and the type of light falling on it,
texture and the proximity of other colours. However, it is possible to generalise about the effects a
certain colour tends to have.

Warm colours can be used in colder climates or spaces with a northern orientation that receives no direct
sunlight to make them feel warmer and brighter.

Cool colours are helpful in hot, tropical or sunny spaces. Difficult spaces can be visually modified through
colour distribution by emphasising good elements and making poor elements diminish.

Red

Pale pink is warm and combines well with greens. As pinks turn to reds, they become more stimulating. Pure
red makes walls advance and reduces the sense of space in a room. Red can be used to accentuate detail and
attract attention but should be used judiciously.

Pinks and reds reflect light that is flattering to the complexion, making them good colours for rooms used for
social gatherings and for bathrooms and dressing rooms.
25
Orange

Orange is a warm, stimulating, cheerful colour and Design insight

gives walls a warm, luminous appearance which can
be very successful in rooms facing north or east.
Shades of orange such as ginger, apricot and burnt
orange tend to be easier for people to live with than
pure orange.
Zoe Brewer
What do you wish someone had told you
at the start of your career . . . That design
and making things look lovely is only a small
Yellow portion of the job. You also need good business/
money skills and an ability to deal with clients,
Yellow highlights can be cheering but care needs to listening, patience, sometimes psychology!
be taken when choosing yellow for walls. Too citrusy
Don’t be afraid to set your own terms, as well as
a yellow can look insipid – often a rich, buttery
yellow is a better choice. As it is the lightest of the listening to your clients’ requirements.
primary colours yellow reflects a lot of light in its The best thing about my job is . . . when the
paler tones. client is overwhelmed with the result and you
know that you have bought joy into the home.
This is what sometimes makes my work hard
Green . . . difficult clients.
This is what makes my work easier . . . lovely
Pale green is generally considered to be the most clients.
restful of all colours, while pure green can be
This is also what makes
cheerful and stimulating. On walls, a dark green with
a dash of blue in it can give a secure feeling and aid my work easier . . . Team
concentration. work on all levels.
You know me as an
interior designer but
Blue earlier in life I was . . . A
TV producer
Dark blue, like dark green, yellow and red, makes In a nutshell, my work
surfaces appear closer. Dark blue is a good colour for philosophy is . . . Do
floors, giving them a substantial quality. Pale blues
everything with a smile!
are cool and calming. Pale blue walls and ceilings
tend to visually recede, increasing a room’s sense of
spaciousness. Pale blue reflects a pale light on the
skin which can make people’s complexions look washed out or pallid.

Purple

The paler shades of purple such as lavender and mauve are soft and
calming. If viewed in large quantities, purple can disturb the eye’s
ability to focus.

Brown

Brown varies from rich reddish browns and yellowish browns to almost The colour purple represents
black and can give an opulent feel to an interior with textured fabrics luxury, sophistication, and
and natural leathers. Brown, at its most neutral, i.e. beige, is a safe, and elegance and is often used in
therefore popular, choice in the home. bedrooms.

26
Black

When black pales to grey, it is a neutral, calming colour. Be careful to choose the exact shade of grey that is
compatible with other colours in a scheme. Pure black is generally confined to woodwork or details.

White

White should be chosen with care also – there is actually a wide spectrum of whites from warm pinkish
white to cool blue-white. White is the most used colour on ceilings as it reflects light and we do not notice
the height of the room. Used on walls, it can increase the level of reflected light and make the room appear
larger.

Clean and crisp, white is suitable for rooms such as

bathrooms and kitchens where hygiene is important. Large
amounts of white can look harsh and glaring in some lights
and may cause eye strain unless relieved by some other
colour.

The following video link provides further information on

the use of colour, the colour wheel and creating colour
schemes:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=masWXCvFYZA

Colour for Children Crisp white dining room

Children generally have quite definite colour

preferences which should be incorporated into the design of their bedrooms, childcare centres or
childcare wards in hospitals.

Children often spend more time in their bedrooms than adults do –

entertaining friends, pursuing hobbies and doing their homework –
so they need to feel happy there.

Some suggested schemes would be:

Birth to two years: Soft, warm colours such as a mixture of pinks

and greens in opaque tints to avoid reflections that might tire a
newborn’s eyes.
Toddlers and small children love
Two to four years: Toddlers and small children love bright colours bright colours
and are attracted to multi-coloured, primary hues.

Six to 12 years: A neutral background is good for children at this stage, against which they can add
colourful accessories and images of their choosing.

Teenagers: Teenagers should be allowed to express their own developing taste in their bedrooms and
consulted on the colour scheme, though you could point out that the bright purple they have chosen for the
walls may be a little stimulating and distracting when they are studying for exams!

27
Developing a Colour Scheme

In rare exceptions when you are starting with

a clean slate, most colour schemes have to be
planned around an existing item such as the
flooring or item of furniture the client wishes
to keep. Try and take a sample of any of these
existing features with you when you are looking
for paint colours, surface materials or fabrics
to build up the scheme. If you can’t manage
actual samples, match up pieces of yarn or paint Colour palette and mood board example
manufacturers’ colour samples.

Note down the factors that will influence your scheme. These might include such factors as:
• the clients’ tastes
• the orientation and size of windows and any other openings that supply daylight to the space
• the type and location of artificial lighting that will be used
• when the space will be used and for how long at a time
• the purposes the space will serve and the atmosphere desired.

Establish the general nature of the scheme. This may mean choosing from warm, cool or neutral colours
and selecting the type of scheme based on the theoretical terms outlined previously (e.g. analogous,
complementary or monochromatic).

Next, decide on the dominant colour for the scheme and select colours for the largest surfaces of the room,
such as floor, walls and ceiling. Add the colour selections for elements that will have a significant impact
such as curtains and furniture then, finally, choose selections for accent colours that will only be used in
small areas or single objects.

At this point, it’s a good idea to show your client a colour sample board, showing the colours you have
selected attractively displayed on mounting board overlaid on each other so the dominant colour (which will
cover the largest visible surface area) in the scheme is shown in correct relation to the secondary and accent
colours.

In other words, you should be able to see a large patch of the dominant colour, smaller patches of the
secondary colours determined by their importance in the scheme and small patches of the accent colours. If
you feel several quite different schemes would be almost equally suitable to the space, prepare a choice of
colour schemes for the client to choose from.

Armed with the colour scheme, you can now go about selecting suitable fabrics, surface materials and
furnishings, adding the elements of texture and shape that will bring your scheme to life.

Here is a link with a list of online sites that offer you to work with different colour schemes and provide a
visual representation of how they will look when applied. Find the one that is most user-friendly for you.

https://www.thespruce.com/online-help-for-interior-color-schemes-451977

For more information on colour theory and for colour theory terms we recommend you visit the following
links:

Color Matters at www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory

The Arty Factory at www.artyfactory.com/color_theory/color_theory

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Glossary of Colour Terms

Glossary of colour terms. - Please note, these are for your reference only, you do not have to learn
them ‘off by heart’! However, many names and terms have been deliberately included to enable you to
research (especially over the net) when you need.

Colour has two ‘languages’, the first technical and the second romantic. Certain colours are named for their
historical precedents, for instance, Empire Green, Williamsburg blue, Pompeian red, and can be re-created
accurately from the evidence of the original colour. Others, such as burgundy, orchid, apple green and sky
blue are more evocative than exact in description. The glossary below defines as closely as possible the
names, terms and processes relating to colour in decoration, all of which have become the vocabulary of
colour.

Absinthe: A cloudy green or light yellow-green reminiscent of the colour of the drink absinthe. Much in
evidence in the forties as a wall colour, it has been revived in the 1960s and 1908s under other names.

Accent colour: A colour so sharp and dominant that it must be used with discretion, rather than on a lavish
scale. Such colours are usually added to a room in small doses to ‘accent’ the overall scheme.

Achromatic: Having no colour. In decoration, these are black, white, grey and the metallics.

Acid dyes: Axo or naphthol dyes used in wool, silk and nylon, seldom on cotton or linen for bright,
colourfast hues.

Adam green: Considered an ‘antique’ colour because of its association with the Brothers Adam, who
adopted it as a background colour in eighteenth-century England. This soft greyed yellow-green has a steady
popularity for walls, carpets and fabrics, especially as a flattening aspect for rich wood tones.

Advancing colours: The warm, long wavelength colours of the spectrum, reds, oranges and yellows which
seem to bring surfaces closer to the eye. The opposite of blues and greens, the receding colours. Also known
as warm colours.

Amber: A yellow-orange named for the most familiar shade of this semiprecious stone,
which is actually fossilised resin from ancient buried fir forests. The other colours of amber
are black, brown and bright orange.
Amber coloured
American beauty: In decorating, a long-lived dark purplish-red akin to the colour of the towels
long-stemmed rose introduced in 1890. First a fashion colour, it became a pet floor and
carpet hue of the 1930s and, under other names, is still around in the home furnishings field.

Analogous colours: Closely related colours, neighbours in the colour wheel, for instance blue, blue-green,
green, yellow-green and so on.

Aniline dyes: Dyes derived from aniline or other coal tars; lightfast and washfast.

Antique white: A greyed white with a yellow cast which has become widely accepted both
as a substitute for pure white on walls and as a subtle accent for stronger hues.

Analogous
Antiquing: Artificial aging of wood and painted finishes by various processes. Glazes with
colours washes of earth tones may be used to tone down the bright surface colour of a painted piece,
or wood given an acid bath (or bored with simulated wormholes) to make it look time-worn.

29
Apple green: A yellow-green tint seen in green apples and Chinese porcelains of the K’ang His period.

Apricot: Like the fruit of the same name, a warm pinkish yellow between red and yellow-orange. This
flattering, rosy shade, an eighteenth-century favourite, is returning to fashion for home furnishings.

Aquamarine: A light or medium value blue-green, similar in colour to the semiprecious stone. A stayer in
home furnishings because of its ability to combine well with other colours and with white.

Art glass: A portmanteau term for the late nineteenth-century American ornamental
glass blown, blown, moulded or pressed into fancy forms and colours, often in
imitation of agate or tortoiseshell. Amberina, Favrile, Hob Nail, Peach Blow and
Satin Glass are some of the examples that today fetch high prices. Like other types of
decorative, colourful glass, they make a pleasing accent to a room.
Art glass bowl
Ashes of Roses: A greyed red of medium value which, in rich velvets and silks and
flocked wallpapers, did much to give Victorian interiors their air of plushy opulence.

Aubergine: The dark rich purple of a ripe eggplant, the French Aubergine. The colour, as a glaze made from
manganese, was first used on Chinese porcelains of the Ming Dynasty. The more recent fame of aubergine
has been as a high style colour for walls.

Azulejos: Multi-coloured pottery tiles from Spain, Portugal and Mexico. Originating
in the Near East, these decorative tiles were brought by the Moore to the Iberian
Peninsula, where they were made frown the fourteenth-century on. The name
derived from the Spanish Azul (blue), was probably adopted later when the tiles were
primarily coloured in the traditional blue and white, a combination taken up and
popularised by the Delft Potteries. In Spain and Portugal, azulejos paved courtyards Azulejos example
and fountains, face doorways, stair risers, window embrasures and appear with equal
impartiality on park benches and in palaces. We mostly use them more prosaically, in
bathrooms or as a floor covering for dining and garden rooms.

Balance: A figure of speech in the colour world indicating that two complementary parts of the spectrum are
represented in a colour scheme, one balancing the other.

Barn red: A colour that has been a familiar part of the American rural and domestic scene ever since the
early settlers painted their barns with a mixture of red iron oxide (the cheapest known pigment), linseed
oil and turpentine. We find it cropping up in ‘Early American’ rooms and mass-produced painted furniture,
fabrics and wallpapers with a Colonial mien.

Basalt: Most commonly, the name given to the Wedgwood ware which resembles in colour the inky basaltic
rocks of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Basalt ware is usually self-patterned in relief, but it is
occasionally decorated in the style of Greek pottery with encaustic (baked on) colours.

Basic (or catatonic) dyes: Dyes noted for their brilliant colours, not always fast. They are
used on cotton, wool, silk and on basic-dyeable acrylics and polyester fibres.

Batik: Originally, hand-printed cottons made in the Dutch East Indies. They were patterned
in all-over geometric designs by coating part of the cloth with hot wax, then dipping it into
a series of cool vegetable dyes of different colours, which were absorbed by the unwaxed Batik
portions. When the dye dried, the wax was washed off in hot water. The early batiks
produced by this tedious process depended for their colour on natural dyes, so they are mostly in earth tones.
Now that batik is imitated by machine prints, the colour possibilities are endless and the designs more brilliant.
30
Battleship grey: Camouflage colour for battleships, a drab medium grey paint shade that virtually blended
ship with water. In the 1940s it was infelicitously adopted as a background colour in decoration, a function
for which it was hardly fitted.

Bisque: French word for the warm tan colour taken on by unglazed clay after a single firing. Biscuit is the
English equivalent. White, unglazed porcelain (often used in busts and figures in the classic mould) is also
known as ‘bisque’.

Black: The darkest of the neutrals and one of the most sophisticated colours in the decorating palette.
Black, teamed with its opposite, white, and one strong accent colour, is one of the surest and most striking
colour combinations. Alone it can point up or punctuate any colour scheme. A hardy
perennial, emerging at least once every decade, is the black-walled room, against
which other colours are played off. This decorator’s shock tactic can be remarkably
effective, provided it is confined to a room that is not in constant use. A milder
version is the wallpaper with a black background often seen in powder rooms,
Bisque tiles
entrance halls and other rooms of passage.

Blanc-de-chine: A type of valuable white Chinese porcelain with a high glaze and a range of tones from a
warm pink-tinged white through rich creamy and milky shades to a cool bluish-white.

Bleu-de-chine: A brilliant turquoise blue which, often combined with aubergine, can be found in Chinese
porcelains of the K’ang His period, notably statuettes of divinities, legendary figures, dogs with dragon
heads and similar fabulous animals. While the porcelains are extremely rare today, the colour survives in
fabrics and paint.

Bleu de roi: More commonly known as ‘Sevres blue’, this deep blue was the first of the
family of enamel ground colours used in the Sevres porcelain factory around 1760 and its
name gracefully acknowledged royal patronage. It replaced the earlier under-glaze blue.
Other factories, impressed by its superiority and smoothness, adopted the colour, hence its
appearance on many porcelains such as Royal Worcester. Not only china but also fabrics
and wallpapers now sport Sevres blue. Bleu-de-chine

Bleuet: Euphonious French word for Cornflower, a brilliant reddish blue.

Block printing: A form of design application dating back to the sixteenth-century.

Coloured patterns or pictures are printed on paper or fabric with a succession of
wooden blocks; each reproduces one part of the design in a single flat colour.

Block used to Blond finish: This light wood tone is the product of chemical
block print bleaching, a relatively recent treatment that works best on
medium-dark open-grained woods like mahogany. Once
bleached, the wood is treated with the usual furniture finishes.

Blue and white: A refreshing colour combination that has been in favour since the
seventeenth-century, especially good when teamed with dark woods such as Oak.
The colour scheme was undoubtedly inspired by the prevalence of blue-and-white Blond furniture
china, for up until the nineteenth-century, cobalt blue was one of the few pigments finish
that could be counted on to withstand the fierce temperatures of the potter’s kiln.
Some of the best-known examples of blue-and-white ware are Canton, the Chinese porcelain exported
to Europe from the seventeenth-century on; English Worcester, Lowestoft and Caughley porcelains;
Staffordshire earthenware, such as the famous willow pattern; Delftware; Meissen; and, most recently, Royal
Copenhagen porcelain from Denmark.
31
Blue Persian: Another Sevres porcelain enamel-ground blue, generally known as ‘turquoise.’ The colour
was thought to be Persian in origin, and so named, but in all likelihood it was inspired by seventeenth-
century Chinese porcelains.

Bois de rose: A rich reddish-brown, from the French for Rosewood.

Bone white: A colour reminiscent of the stark, yellowed white of sun-bleached bones in the desert. Widely
varied examples of bone white are the unbleached wools of Indian textiles, the subtle sand tones seen in
Southwest colour schemes, the bleached finishes popular in the 1930s and off-white lacquer finishes.

Bottle green: As the name implies, the deep green with a bluish cast found in the Empoli
glass from Italy and Chianti and marsala wine bottles.

Brick red: A deep orange-red, like a newly fired brick. A colour found in all types of home
furnishings since the 1930s, it has endeared itself to early American enthusiasts because it
goes well with Maple and Pine furniture.
Bottle green
colour
Bright pastel: Clear, light tone of a colour that has been sharpened by the addition of white.

Bristol blue: A rich, almost turquoise hue which takes its name from the widely collected opaque glass
made in Bristol, England. It has subsequently become a ‘decorator’ colour for walls, fabrics and wall
coverings. This shade is not the original Bristol blue; that belonged to a deep cobalt-coloured glass, now
exceedingly rare.

Burgundy: A deep purplish wine-red that was much in evidence as a fashion and furnishings colour in the
late thirties and early forties. Although it has recently appeared in clothes, to date there is little sign of a
revival in interiors.

Burnt sienna: The yellowish or reddish-brown clay pigment that results when raw sienna
is put through a ‘burning’ process and mixed with oils. This characteristic colour of
Renaissance painting is used today, like burnt umber, to ‘grey’ a wall colour.

Burnt umber: A dark bluish-brown earth colour, also favoured by early oil painters.
Another pigment that can ‘grey’ a colour to which it is added.
Burnt Sienna
Café-au-lait: A creamy tan, like the French coffee with milk from which the name is
taken. Much favoured for home furnishings in the thirties and seventies, when the rage for beige was at its
height.

Canary lustre: Pottery or porcelain with a canary-yellow ground colour and a thin coating of platinum or a
gold solution, which produces a silver or coppery finish.

Carnival glass: Also called ‘taffeta glass’, this inexpensive, iridescent glass of the
late nineteenth-century and early twentieth centuries, given away at carnivals and
in exchange for soap coupons, was the poor man’s version of Favrile. By a quirk of
taste (and the fact that it has become increasingly hard to find), it is now considered a
collector’s item.
Carnival glass set

32
Carrara glass: A translucent glass, originally made in a milky white in imitation of the famous white
statuary marble mined in Carrara, Italy. The glass, mostly used for tabletops, now comes in a variety of
colours.

Catatonic dyes: See basic dyes.

Celadon: Chinese porcelain in shades of green ranging from grey to blue, notably the greyish olive-green
which once had the reputation of turning colour if it came into contact with poisoned food or drink. The
name may have been derived from that of the Islamic monarch Saladin, who had the porcelain brought from
China.

Cerise: From the French word ‘cherry’. A strong red with a blue cast.

Cerulean: A cool, clear green-blue, the colour of the sky, also known as ‘turquoise’. As a colour name,
‘turquoise’ is slightly démodé, having been adopted at the mass level. ‘Cerulean’ is considered more
sophisticated parlance.

Chartreuse: Named for the French liqueur of the same name, this can be either of two
shades, a yellow-green or a yellow with a green tinge. Considered a high fashion colour
for clothes and home furnishings in the twenties and forties, chartreuse, under other names,
made a comeback as an accent colour in the sixties.

Checker, Chequer: A decorative design of squares of alternate colours, copied from the
checker-board. The most familiar version is the black and white vinyl floor.
Chartreuse
coloured plates
Chiaroscuro: Artist’s term for a play of light and shade, or black and white, in a painting or
drawing. The spectacular black and white op art derives its effect from chiaroscuro.

Chinese red: The brilliant orange-red of oriental lacquer, a ranking favourite since the eighteenth-century
vogue for Chinoiserie. In Regency times, whole rooms were painted and glazed Chinese red. In the 1930s
the colour was revived in the craze for Chinese Modern. Today it is mainly found in painted finishes and as
an accent colour.

Chinoiserie: The eighteenth-century term for the various outcroppings of the European passion for things
a la Chinois, first manifest in the lacquer secretaries and cabinets of Queen Anne period, later in Louis XV
furniture, Chinese Chippendale, and the ubiquitous willow pattern. In France, Pillament became famous
for Chinoiserie drawings on the walls of palaces, – exotic and fanciful landscapes in the Eastern manner,
as interpreted by the West. Similar decorative motifs appeared on chintzes and porcelains. The Brighton
Pavilion is a famous and outstanding example of Chinoiserie in all its rich profusion.

Chintz: Thin cotton printed with multi-coloured patterns, often floral and usually
glazed. Introduced in the eighteenth-century when the ‘country look’ was much
in favour, chintz has maintained its decorating status, especially in England
where the country house style still flourishes. The name may come from a
combination of the Sanskrit Chitra (many coloured) and the plural of the Hindu
chint, a later word with the same meaning.
Chintz
Chroma: The measurement of a colour’s intensity. As a colour in full intensity is
a pure colour, the chroma of a bright colour is high, that of a dull one, low.

33
Chrome yellow: Package expression for four tones of yellow; light, lemon, medium and orange, made from
lead derivatives.

Ciel bleu: The pale sky blue that tinged the walls and fabric of elegant eighteenth-century French houses.
An enduring decorating colour that periodically gets a new lease of life, it was reinstated in 1952 by House
and Garden as ‘sky blue’.

Cinnabar: Chinese lacquer work, mostly executed in the eighteenth-century and highly
prized today, in which the lacquer was coloured a rich vermilion by the addition of
cinnabar (re mercuric sulphide).

Cipriani Giovanni: A Florentine artist of the eighteenth-century (1727-1785) who was

responsible for the painted decorations of many great English houses and public buildings.
Cinnabar
His style strongly influenced painted furniture of the period.

Citron: Yellow with a brownish cast, nearer the colour of the stone citrine than the fruit from which it is
generally assumed to take its name.

Cobalt blue: A strong blue with a reddish cast, found from the seventeenth-century on in the blue-on-white-
designs of Delft, Meissen, Wedgwood, Canton and Bristol blue glass. Because of the toxicity of the mineral
cobalt under firing, a law forbidding its use was passed in the nineteenth-century. There were lacklustre
imitations, but the true cobalt blue was not to be seen again until the middle of the twentieth-century when a
way was found to produce it synthetically.

Colour dictionaries: The vocabulary of colour, specifically the many names adopted by colourists for
identifying and describing colours. Among the most generally used is The Dictionary of Colour by Maerz
and Paul, which establishes colour names with historical data for more than 7,000 colours (1st edition 1930,
2nd edition 1950 and out of print). A dictionary of colour names published by the Inter-Society Colour
Council which names 7,500 colours in such a way that one colour vocabulary may be translated into another
and colour names related to the Munsell system (see colour systems).

Colourist: One who works with colour, specifically for the home furnishings industry.

Colour properties: The three distinguishing properties of colour are defined as: 1. hue, or the name of the
colour; 2: value (or brightness), a measure of whether a colour is light or dark; 3: chroma (or intensity), a
measure of the brightness or dullness of a colour.

Colour space dyeing: A process used on nylon for random or multicolour effects in which the colour is
dyed at predetermined spaces along the length of the yarn.

Colour systems: Classification and identifications of colours ranging from the simple colour wheel to the
more complicated Ostwald, Munsell and Pantone systems.

Colour wheel: Conventional circular depiction of the relationship of primary,

secondary and tertiary colours and their values, the tints and shades. For the decorator,
a convenient guide to analogous and complementary colour schemes.

Colour value: Semantic measure of the lightness and darkness of a colour, expressed
as low, medium or high value. A tint is regarded as a high-value colour, a shade as a
low-value colour.
Colour wheel

34
Complementary colours: Direct opposites on the colour wheel. Red, blue and yellow are the respective
complements of green, orange and purple. In a complementary colour scheme, each is balanced by the
opposite.

Cool colours: Representing half the spectrum, cool colours are those with a blue or green content that
suggest sky, water, ice, or foliage. Confusion often happens as red with a high blue content qualifies as a
‘cool’ red, while green with a lot of red in it is called a ‘warm’ green.

Coral: The vibrant yellow-red of natural red coral. A firm favourite of the 1930s, first in fashion, then in
home furnishings.

Cornflower: The brilliant red-blue of the flower (see bluet).

Cranberry glass: English and American glassware with a clear, purple-tinged, gold ruby colour, made in the
second half of the nineteenth-century. Old cranberry glass, considered a collector’s item, is now reproduced.

Creil yellow: This ‘bright-as-a-buttercup’ yellow is the most common of the ground
colours found in the eighteenth-century French pottery with black stencil designs made
in Creil-sur-Oise. The type of decoration, subjects in a series such as months of the
year or military battles have made Creil desirable in the eyes of collectors. Other Creil
ground colours are white and water green, the latter now exceedingly rare.

Creil yellow Crewel: A type of bold, early needlework in which coarse worsted yarns are worked
tureen on white or beige grounds. Popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, crewel
is enjoying a revival, but an ironic reversal, while the original designs were frequently
taken from printed cottons (the Tree of Life pattern, for instance), fabrics are now printed to resemble
crewel. Much modern crewel comes from India.

Cross dyeing: A one process dyeing for fabrics that combine several fibres. The process produces a
multi-coloured look since some fibres absorb the colour whilst others will not.

Cyclamen: Like the flower from which it takes its name, red with a blue cast. As a colour name, cyclamen
was superseded by the more fashionable shocking pink, an identical shade introduced in the early 1940s, and
Siamese pink, an offshoot of the 1951 Broadway musical, The King and I.

Cyanic colours: Colours with a predominance of blue, embracing the whole range from pale blue to deep
purple to bluish red.

Damask: A self-patterned and usually self-coloured fabric of silk, cotton, wool or linen,
or more recently, a synthetic fibre such as nylon, dacron, yourghal. Silk damask dates
back to the twelfth-century Damascus, hence the name. After it was introduced to Europe
in the seventeenth-century, Italy became a leading centre of production, and allegiance
to damask as an upholstery and curtain fabric for traditional or contemporary rooms has
Damask
never flagged since.

Decalcomania: The prettiest of manias. A picture printed in reverse on paper is transferred to the object to
be decorated (china, furniture etc.) by first sticking the paper on and then peeling it off, leaving the design
behind. This process is also known as a transfer. In the eighteenth-century, decalcomania substituted for
hand-painted decoration on much Staffordshire ware, but today it had become mainly limited to, and almost
synonymous with, children’s painted furniture.

35
Delft blue: Cobalt blue applied under the glaze gives Delftware this characteristic reddish
blue.

Developed dyes: Dyes which are altered by the use of a chemical developer to produce a
different shade or to improve light and wash fastness.
Delft blue
Diaper: A diagonal pattern of regular repeats, usually small scale. The name comes from
Ypres in France, where this pattern was woven into tapestries as early as the sixteenth-century.

Direct dyes: Dyes applied directly to the substrate or basic material in a neutral or alkaline bath, giving
bright shades but poor wash fastness.

Dove grey: The tender, soft, blue-grey tint of the feathers of the dove. An agreeable colour that has stayed in
favour since the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Dubonnet: The dark red-blue of the French aperitif. A colour that was rife in the 1830s for rugs and
upholstery.

Ebonise: A process by which wood is stained the glossy black of the ebony tree. It was developed in the
eighteenth-century, as an imitation of the real wood which was then extremely popular.

Ebony: A deep reddish-black called after the wood of the ebony tree. A favoured wood of eighteenth-
century English and French furniture makers, ebony was often inlaid with mother of pearl in the Oriental
manner. It had a brief renaissance in the mid-twenties for pianos and cabinets.

Ecru: A beige similar in colour to unbleached linen or raw silk.

Eglomise: A technique of reverse painting on glass named for and attributed to the
eighteenth-century French designer Jean-Baptiste Glomy, although the customary gold
or silver foil backing actually derives from the Near East. These paintings were much
prized in eighteenth-century Europe and America and contributed to the flourishing trade
with China, with many of the pictures painted there to the European taste and depicting
Oriental figures with Western features, or vice versa.

Emerald green: The deep slightly yellowish green of the precious stone.
Eglomise
Emeraude: A rich, deep, vivid green often called ‘Empire green’ because the French example
Empire period was its heyday. Although ‘emeraude’ is French for ‘emerald’, this is not
emerald green.

Empire green: Or ‘emeraude.’ The deep yellow-green that reigned in the brilliant silks and flocked
wallpapers of the French Empire. Reintroduced under this name by House and Garden, it can be seen also in
carpets and cottons.

Enamel: A hard, shiny coloured glaze used to decorate ceramic and metal surfaces, the result of applying
powdered and moistened glass under intense heat. It may be as fine and delicate as antique Battersea
enamels, or as simple and rudimentary as contemporary enamelware from Hong Kong. Cloisonne is enamel
in which minute metal dividers, or cloisons, separate the different enamel colours. If the pattern is embedded
in tiny pits or depressions, it is known as champleve. On wood, an enamel finish is obtained by brushing
or spraying on paint and then rubbing the surface with pumice stone and oil until it shines like satin. Paints
with a high gloss are referred to as enamels.

36
Faience, Fayence: From Faenza, an Italian town that was a prime producer of majolica, this is the name
given by the French to a type of glazed earthenware made all over Europe from the sixteenth to eighteenth
centuries, of which Delft and Majolica are two well-known examples. In early faience from Egypt and the
Near East, metallic oxides were painted on the raw glaze before it was fired, and the colours were limited to
blue, yellow, orange and brown. Later, faience was decorated on top of the glaze and then refined at a lower
temperature, which permitted the use of brighter red and pink enamels.

Famille jaune, rose, noire, verte: French names given to the predominant ground colours found in
polychrome designs of the Chinese porcelains of the Ch’ing dynasty, which dated from the middle of the
seventeenth-century to the beginning of the twentieth. As the first literature on Chinese porcelains was
written in French, the names were adopted into general usage. Verte (green) is the earliest of the ground
colours, and the more spectacular pieces have brilliantly coloured enamelling and refinement of design.
In famille rose, much exported, the opaque pink enamel ground colour is of European origin. Yellow and
a lustrous black are the dominant ground colours of famille jaune and famille noir respectively. The latter,
frequently decorated, is the least attractive of the family.

Faux bois: False wood, a painted surface that imitates wood. The graining is usually exaggerated and the
colour does not always duplicate the real wood tones.

Faux finishes: Simulations in paper, paint and plastics of real surfaces such as wood, marble, malachite,
lapis lazuli, mosaic and ceramic tiles, leather and fur. See faux bois, faux marbre.

Faux marbre: False marble, a form of fabulous fakery that apes the original material at a
fraction of the cost, which gives it an edge over the real thing in decorating. Faux marbre
effects are found in paint swirled marbelised patterns, papers that simulate or exaggerate the
colour and grain of marble or uncannily lifelike vinyl facsimiles for floors.

Favrile: Late nineteenth-century iridescent case glass noted for its exotic colouring and
fantastic decorative shapes, of which the best known and most coveted today is the work of
Faux Marbre Louis Comfort Tiffany. Other types of Favrile are Durand and Aurene.

Flambe: A rich copper glaze, akin to sang de boeuf. Originated for the Chinese porcelains of the K’ang His
era and still popular, the glaze is characterised by streaks of grey, purple, lavender or blue in the red.

Flocking: A Middle Ages stratagem to make inferior cloth resemble cut velvet, this
technique involves applying a powdered material, usually wool, to the surface of the
fabric or paper by means of an adhesive. Flocked wallpaper hangings were introduced
in the seventeenth-century and by the eighteenth, the walls of great houses were
covered with beautiful papers wholly or partially flocked. Not only silk and wool but
also such outré substances as powdered chalk, shells and metallic dust were built up
in layers to give a shimmering two or three-tone effect. Now, because the process was
expensive, flocking is no longer regarded as a decorative disguise, but as a decoration in
its own right.
Flocked wallpaper

Floriated: Decorated with floral motifs. A term often applied to wallpaper and fabrics
with a floral design. If the surface is completely covered, the design is called millefleurs.

Forest green: A deep blue-green reminiscent of trees in the depths of a forest. A favourite wall colour of the
1930s.

37
French grey: A soft grey with a slight purplish tinge. A familiar wall and carpet colour pre-World War II.

Fresco: A painting done on plaster while it is still wet and fresh (fresco). The term is often mistakenly
applied to any type of wall and ceiling painting, technically murals. Fresco painting, a difficult and
demanding technique that had to be executed swiftly and surely, was known to the early Egyptians and
Romans, but it undoubtedly reached its height of glory in the works of the great Italian fresco painters,
Michelangelo (the Sistine Chapel), Raphael (St Peter’s), Caracci (the Palazzo Farnese) and Giotti (the
Scrovegni Chapel in Padua). Today easier methods such as tempera painting have largely replaced fresco.

Fuchsia: Purple with a reddish cast, of very high saturation and medium brilliance, like the blooms of the
plant from which the name is taken. In the 1950s, the Siamese-orientated musical, The King and I, brought
fuchsia into fashion as an accent colour, one of many ‘hot’ hues that graduated from the stage to home
furnishings.

Full tone: A colour with full chromatic value.

Galle: A type of art glass named for Emile Galle (1846-1904) leader of the Ecole de
Nancy, a flourishing centre for the nineteenth-century style based on romanticised
interpretations of nature known as Art Nouveau. Galle’s signed work, which embraces
carved, enamelled and inlaid cased glass vases and a glass he originated called Clair de
lune in which the sapphire tint changes under light, shows a complete mastery of the art
of glassmaking. Original Galle pieces, many of which were shown at the Paris Exhibition
Galle Glass
of 1878, are now much prized and priced accordingly. The work carried on after his
death, although it bears his name, lacks the master’s expertise and inventiveness.

Garnet: Plush colour associated with the Victorians. A deep red named for the stone, also popular in
Victorian jewellery.

Gilding: The golden artefact that transforms the bare face of wood, stone, metal, plaster or leather. The
technique was first developed by those master craftsmen and cosmeticians the Egyptians. They invented a
method of applying gold that had been beaten into thin wafers, the origin of gold leaf. The basic process of
water gilding, oil gilding and fire gilding (for metal) have remained unchanged for centuries. However, most
metal is now gilded by a process similar to silver plating. Vermeil is a surviving example of fire gilding. For
the type of gilding most employed today for furniture, picture frames and book bindings, small thin layers of
gold leaf are applied and fixed with adhesives.

Giltwood: The midas touch that turned plain wood (pine in England and America,
oak in France) to gold. The standard method, developed in the eighteenth-century,
is first to carve the wood, then apply a thin layer of gesso (plaster) and gild it, using
the oil or water technique. The term giltwood is often mistakenly used for wood that
has been covered with silver leaf over gesso and then coated with lacquer to simulate
gold.
Giltwood sofa

Glaze: The glassy coating that gives pottery, porcelain and stoneware its smooth, shiny finish and nonporous
quality. The Chinese were the first to experiment with coloured glazes for ceramics, adding all kinds of
substances to produce a subtle and varied range of colours and effects.

Glazed walls: A painted fantasy finish. A painted wall is coated with glazing varnish in a contrasting or
matching colour and the varnish is then brushed or wiped with cheesecloth before it has had time to dry,
producing the desired strie, stippled or mottled finish. The strie effect, which suggests the grain of wood, is
often used in conjunction with mouldings to give plain plaster walls the appearance of panelling.

38
Gouache: A bilingual word that comes, via the French, from the Italian guazzo, to splash; dipingere a
guazzo me and ‘to paint in watercolours’. In gouache painting, often used for murals, the watercolour is
mixed with gum or some other thickening agent that renders them opaque.

Graining: An artful simulation of the natural grain of wood with paint, graining it is often exaggerated
and does not always duplicate the true wood tones. This technique, also called faux bois (false wood), has
been practised since the time of the early Egyptians, reappearing periodically in Regency England, Colonial
America and again today, as a decorating device to give plaster and cheap lumber the look of expensive
wood.

Grasscloth: A handmade wall covering of loosely woven grass glued or stitched to a

paper backing. Although the modern trend to texture was responsible for the popularity
of grasscloth in the United States, it actually originated two thousand years ago in
China. Even in this age of mass production, grasscloth is still dyed, woven and backed
by hand by craftsmen in Japan and South Korea, where the raw materials (reeds and
hemp) are grown, and then collected and shipped.
Grasscloth
Greyed pastels: The soft pastels, muted by grey, as opposed to the bright pastels. One
falls on the dark side of the colour line, the other on the light.

Grisaille: A type of decorative painting in gouache or oils confined in colour to various

tints of grey (gris in French) and depicting figures in relief. Grisaille was much favoured
in the late eighteenth-century for interior wall panels and for commodes in the Adam
style decorated with medallions showing classical subjects ‘en grisaille’. Such famous
Italian painters as Tiepolo and Guardi were noted for their work in this monotone
Grisaille painting
medium. Artists still use this technique, although it is seldom found in furniture today.

Gris Trianon: An example of things not always being what they seem. This pale grey with a bluish tint seen
today on the walls of the Petit Trianon bears no relation to the original colour, white, but is strictly a product
of time and grime.

Ground colour: The base or preliminary colour on which other colours and designs are imposed.

Half tone: A colour that can claim only half its chromatic value, halfway between black and white.

Henna: This reddish-yellow brown of medium saturation and low brilliance, named for a dye extracted from
the leaves of the henna plant, is one of the earliest colourings for fabrics, pottery and human hair.

High-key colours: See key colours.

Hue: Comprehensive term for the name of a colour within the spectrum, such as red, blue, yellow, orange. A
hue does not have to be pure to claim the family name; it can be one of many tones, from light to dark (pink
is a hue of red). A tint is a hue lightened with white; a shade is a hue greyed with black.

Hunting pink: This sportingly named colour is not, in fact, a pink at all, but the brilliant scarlet of the coats
worn by the English fox-hunting gentry. Considered an appropriate shade for game rooms and studies in the
1930s, it is now most frequently seen in upholstery fabrics that resemble woollen coating.

Hyacinth: A delicate violet-blue favoured for paint and fabrics during the English Regency and French
Empire periods. The name is derived not from the sweet-scented flower, but from the mineral corundum, a
gem the ancients called hyacinth.

39
Imari: A heavy white Japanese porcelain decorated in blue, red and gold. Imari takes its
name from the port. It was originally developed for export to Europe, which explains its
lack of affinity with the mainstream of Japanese design. The Imari was adopted and adapted
by the English potteries of Worcester, Derby Spode and Minton, for their ‘Japan’ patterns.
Antique Imari is hard to find and much more pleasing than the cruder, twentieth century
Imari
examples.

Imperial yellow: A yellow as strong and clear as the yolk of an egg, often found in rich silks and velvets,
but originally in Chinese porcelains of the K’ang and His period. The depth of colour varies from light on
white unglazed porcelain to a darker shade on the glazed.

Indigo: A reddish-blue, formerly the dye of the indigo plant, now manufactured synthetically. One of the
earliest dyes, indigo appears in many of the Colonial calicos.

Inlay: A decorative design made by inserting shaped pieces of ivory, marble, metal, exotic woods, glass,
tortoiseshell, mother of pearl or semiprecious stones flush with a surface. Mosaic marquetry and intarsia are
forms of inlay.

Ivory: The off-white colour, lighter than cream, of elephant tusks and whale teeth. Ever
since natural ivory was made into decorative objects, this colour has been popular in
decoration. The Chinese took the subtle tint of their white lacquer from ivory and today it
is looked on as a harmonious ground colour for fabrics and porcelains, or an alternative to
chalk-white for walls.
Flooring inlay
Jade: A value of yellow-green named for the green version of the Oriental stone (it can be
also be white, brown, yellow and pink) and frequently found in Chinoiserire wallpapers and fabrics.

Japanning: The seventeenth-century vogue for lacquered furniture brought about this poor man’s imitation
of lacquering in which layers of varnish are applied to the surface of wood, metal or other materials,
frequently papier-maché. Most Japanning is black, but colours and transparent varnishes were also used.
Japanning remained in favour in England and America throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
but has since declined sharply in popularity.

Jaune Jonquille: Like its namesake the yellow jonquil, this eighteenth-century Sevres porcelain ground
colour is a soft, fresh shade of yellow.

Jet: A glossy lustrous black named for the semiprecious mineral the Victorians made into jewellery, buttons
and trimmings. Black calendar paper and patent leather have the same shiny quality.

Kakiemon: A coloured-enamel decoration on porcelain credited to the seventeenth-

century potter Sakaida Kakiemon who worked at Arita, Japan. Kakiemon’s delicate,
refined designs were widely copied by European potters at the English porcelain and
Meissen factories and today the word ‘kakiemon’ describes decorations inspired by the
original porcelains

Kauffmann, Angelica: A Swiss painter and decorative artist who worked in England, Kakiemon
1766 to 1781, painting portraits and classical pictures and designing painted wall and
ceiling panels in the Neo-Classic style for the Adam brothers, and porcelain plaques for Wedgwood, many of
which were used to ornament cabinetwork of the period.

40
Kelly green: A variable colour that can range from a strong yellowish-green to a hue slightly lighter than
emerald. Since green is the traditional Irish colour, it is hardly surprising that it should have been given a
name so reminiscent of the Emerald Isle.

Key colours: Another term describing colour value. Bright colours are in ‘high key’, dull colours in ‘low
key’. This key colour can also be the predominant colour in a scheme.

Lacquer: A build-up of several layers of coloured and sometimes opaque varnishes on wood or metal. The
name comes from the basic substance, a resin lac. Originating and extensively practised in India, China and
Japan and other Far Eastern countries, lacquering is distinguished from painting by richness of colour and a
diamond-hard finish that will withstand years of wear.

Lampblack: A jet-black pigment colour culled from the smoke given off by burning oils.

Lapis lazuli: Ultramarine blue. Once obtained by the costly process of grinding the stone
and purifying it, this was a prized pigment first used in twelfth-century Europe. Since
1828 the colour has been reproduced synthetically and is much more common. The stone
has been incorporated into objects d’art, such as urns and jewel boxes, since the days of
Assyrians and Babylonians, but today anyone can have the same effect for considerably
less cash by investing in accessories with a faux lapis finish, in paint or ceramics. Lapis lazuli

Lime green: A variable colour in the yellow-green range, yellower and duller than viridian, greener and
darker than parrot green. Much in evidence during the 1930s in home furnishings, it still remains a popular
colour, especially as an accent.

Lime white: A wash of lime and water, usually called whitewash, which for centuries has been slapped on
the exterior and interior walls of houses.

Low key colours: See key colours.

Magenta: The name given to this unusual shade of purplish red commemorates the battle of Magenta in
Italy, fought around the time the dye was first made. Today magenta is found mainly in rich fabrics, as an
accent colour.

Malachite: The strong yellow-green of the semiprecious stone beloved to the Tsars. The best examples
come from Russia: they are now virtually unobtainable. With the real thing hard to come by, faux malachite
is flourishing in painted finishes on tabletops and boxes and that versatile pretender, vinyl flooring.

Marble: One of the most protean and long-lived materials in the field of art, architecture and decoration,
marble is a limestone endowed with a fantastic colour range from white and grey to green, blue, purple,
red, orange, and black. Historically, it has been utilised for everything from the buildings and sculptures of
antiquity to modern home furnishings.

Marbleising: A painted pretence, either by literal or exaggerated, of the markings of

marble. This false front can be painted directly on a surface or first painted on paper
and then applied. No matter how extreme the design, marbleising should always
simulate ‘cut’ and ‘fitted’ marble in logical shapes. The art of faux marble flourished in
eighteenth-century France and Italy as a means of getting grand effects in rooms at a
nominal cost.

Marbleising
41
Mauve: A delicate hue in the purple-violet range, indelibly in decorating with the turn of the twentieth-
century ‘Mauve Generation’ and reappeared once again with the Art Nouveaux revival of the early 1970s.
Mauve, one of the first aniline dyes, was discovered purely by chance in 1856 by William Henry Perkins,
during an attempt to make quinine artificially.

Mazarine blue: A deep, brilliant colour found in Chinese ceramics of the K’ang His period. In France and
England, it was known as Mazarine blue, presumably because of some tenuous association with Cardinal
Mazarin who lived during the reign of Louis XIV when many Chinese colours were given French names.

Meissen blue: The distinctive cobalt blue of the onion pattern (actually not an onion at all, but a fruit and
flower pattern) and other porcelains from the Meissen factory.

Mercury glass: A type of silvered glass made during the mid-nineteenth-century in imitation of sterling
silver. The interior of the double blown glass was coated with silver nitrate, the exterior often etched or
decorated. Decorative accessories of mercury glass, vases, bowls, candlesticks, epergnes are again popular,
in line with the fashion for silvery metals and fabrics.

Metallic colours: The colours borrowed from metals, gold, silver, chrome, steel, pewter which now play a
decorative role in contemporary room schemes. Other aspects of this trend are plastics with metallic finishes,
shiny threads incorporated into woven fabrics.

Metermeris colour match: A method of matching two colour materials that have been coloured with
different dyes or pigments and are identical in colour under some lighting conditions but not others.

Milk glass: A name shared by two types of glassware. One, of nineteenth-century American
origin, is a translucent white. The other, eighteenth-century Bristol milk glass, comes in
many colours, notably a soft turquoise blue similar to opaline blue, which should not be
confused with the deep cobalt shade of glass known as ‘Bristol blue’.

Millefleurs, millefiori: Literally, a thousand flowers. The French millefleurs were originally
descriptive of Chinese porcelain decorated with an all-over pattern of flower heads, but now Milk glass
implies any such pattern. The Italian millefiori usually refers to glass paperweights in which
the flower pattern is formed by bunching together slender rods of glass, slicing them across and encasing
them in a glass orb

Ming yellow: A rich sulphur yellow glaze found on Chinese porcelains of the Ming period. Today porcelains
in this brilliant hue, still available in reproductions, add a striking colour accent to a room scheme.

Monochromatic: In decorating, a term that describes a colour scheme in which one colour family (a single
colour in all its gradations) is teamed with one or more achromatic colours; white, grey, black, silver and
gold.

Mosaic: A decorative inlay technique practised since Roman times. Small pieces of
wood, stone or coloured glass are set in stylised or conventional patterns or pictures as a
decoration for walls, floors, furniture and so on.

Multicolour: Compound of many colours. The name can be applied to a colour scheme in
Mosaic which three or more colours are used in a room, or to a printed fabric or wallpaper which
combines several tints and shades.

Nasturtium: The bright cadmium yellow flower, an accent colour of the late 1950s.

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Naturals: The colours, generally but not always neutral, that are based on natural materials.

Neutral colours: Such no-colours as black, white, and the metallics, gold, silver, platinum, copper, bronze,
pewter, and steel qualify as neutrals, a category that also embraces tints and shades with a predominantly
grey or brown cast.

Neutralised colours: Colours dulled by the addition of grey or black (also known as greyed colours) or by
being mixed with a small amount of their complementary colours, which destroys their purity of hue.

Nile green: The yellow-green tint nicknamed ‘apartment-house green’, a colour promoted by landlords and
now rarely seen.

No-colour scheme: The bleached look of all white or white plus neutrals that was the decorating innovation
of the twentieth-century, especially in the last three decades.

Obsidian: A lustrous satiny black which takes its name from the volcanic glass discovered, according
to Pliny, by the Roman traveller Obsidius. During the French Empire, the Egyptian campaigns brought
obsidian into the forefront of fashion as a material for household objects.

Ochre: A natural brownish yellow pigment, used in lieu of black to deepen colours.

Off-white: All-embracing term for the many yellowish or greyish whites, cream, oyster, beige. Seen in wall
colours and in room schemes where tons of white in different fabrics and textures are combined.

Ombre: From the French word denoting a shaded or graduated effect in tones of one colour, or in different
colours. In fabrics, the effect is used to suggest a stripe.

One-colour scheme: Also known as ‘monochromatic’. A scheme based on various tints and shades of a
single colour, often with black or white as a catalyst.

Op colours: The strong primary and secondary colours of the spectrum, such as red, blue, orange and
purple, juxtaposed in clashing combinations that have the visual effect of seeming to move and vibrate.
Black and white is another pulsating op combination. Introduced in art, then quickly adopted for fabrics,
plastics and accessories, op colours have progressed from accent to background for those strong enough to
take the visual assault.

Opaline colours: The iridescent, pearly colours borrowed from the opal and translated into the translucent
French opaline glass. Opaline, especially the expensive nineteenth-century pieces, is much collected and the
most admired colours are a blue bordering on turquoise, a vibrant yellow-pink, and a green close to apple.
Opaline is now reproduced from the old French moulds, and in Venetian glass.

Orchid: A medium to light lavender fashionable in the late 1920s when the flower
symbolised chic and affluence. Now considered démodé, except in combination with
other colours, particularly in Thai silks.

Oxblood: See sang de boeuf.

Orchid
Painted furniture: Delightfully decorative furniture which dates back to the early Egyptians and reached its
height of artifice in the exquisitely ornamented pieces of Versailles. Italian craftsmen were especially skilled
at painted finishes and their copies of the elegant court furniture of France, often with painted simulations

43
of inlays and marble, gave rise to a whole genre loosely termed ‘Italian Provincial’. The naively decorated
dower chests and chairs of the Pennsylvania Dutch show the German and Swiss influences imported by
settlers. Although contemporary painted furniture is coming back in fashion, and new processes have been
developed for applying the paint on a mass production basis, the best examples are still handmade, as few
craftsmen can equal the splendours and subtleties of the antiques.

Papier-maché: Expressive French term for the fanciful art long practised in Persia and
the East, which was taken up in France in the eighteenth-century and had its heyday
during the Victorian era in Europe and America. Papier-maché is paper pulp mixed with
glue, chalk and sometimes sand, pressed, moulded into forms and baked, then japanned
and decorated with views, figures, flowers and such added embellishments as mother-of-
Papier-maché pearl inlays. All kinds of objects were turned out, from trays, screens, vases, and boxes
to tables, chairs and cabinets (for strength the papier-maché was sometimes moulded
over wood frames). Most of the pieces we find today are Victorian, although Kashmir is still a source of fine
craftsmanship.

Papier-peint: The French term for wallpaper painted or printed to suggest or simulate a painting or mural.

Pastel: A technique of painting with dry pigments or coloured chalk, also called crayon drawing. Pastel was
an art form frequently utilised by the great masters to make studies for projected works, and the drawings
are now collected in their own right.

Pastels: In decorating, the soft whitened down tints of a colour.

Patina: Softening effect on surface colour and texture that comes with age and wear. On wood furniture and
shellac, oil or varnish finish tends to darken, though still retaining its transparency, while silver and other
metals take on a deeper lustre.

Peach bloom: Chinese porcelains of the K’ang His period which took the graceful shapes of such classic
forms as the chrysanthemum vase and a writer’s water jar. The colour varies from a pink to a liver shade,
with brown and greenish mottlings.

Peachblow: American case glass of the nineteenth-century characterised by colourings varying from white
to rose, greenish yellow to red, and light blue to pink, and named for the Chinese peach bloom that it was
supposed to resemble.

Peacock blue: A light, bright greenish-blue with the iridescence of the feathers in a peacock’s tail. Imported
to Venice in the rich silks from China, the colour travelled to France where it was much in style in the late
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. As an accent colour, it is still in vogue today.

Peking glass: A translucent glass imitative in colour and design of exquisite and expensive
Chinese porcelains that might be called the opaline of the Orient. The colours range from
creamy white and yellow to violet and turquoise blues, apple green and sang de boeuf. The
late nineteenth-century saw the first appearance in the West of Peking glass, in the 1920s its
greatest vogue. Now it is a collector’s item.
Peking glass
Period colour scheme: A particular colour combination characteristic of an historical period such as French
Empire, Adam or Victorian. Paint and wallpaper manufacturers often take their inspiration from famous
restorations like Versailles and Williamsburg, reproducing the exact colours and patterns found in the rooms
and naming them after their forebears. Williamsburg blue and Adam green are examples of period colours
still current today.

44
Periwinkle blue: A variable light purple-blue, redder and deeper than lupine, found in
Peking and other art glass and today in home furnishings and table accessories, especially
glassware.

Persian blue: A pale red-blue, lighter than powder blue, found in Persian rugs. Under this
and other names, a moderately popular shade for fabrics and carpets. Pickled finish

Pickled finish: The whitish patina caused by particles of white gesso that linger after paint has been
stripped from wood. It is now simulated by rubbing white paint into the grain of furniture or walls, where it
supposedly gives a ‘country look’ similar to that originally caused by the flaking of whitewash.

Pigment colours: The basis of all paint colours, made from natural or synthetic materials. Pigment colours
include chrome yellow, cadmium, cobalt, ultramarine, viridian, raw and burnt sienna and lamp black. They
run the gamut of the painter’s palette.

Polychrome: Many coloured. Originally the word referred to a style of Greek painting that flourished in
Athens during the latter part of the 6th-century A.D., but it came to be applied to furniture and objects that
were elaborately painted and often gilded, and to antique porcelains in two or more colours.

Pompeian red: The vibrant vermilion found in the wall painting of the ancient city of Pompeii.

Pontypool: English tole or japanned ware made from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, originally in
Pontypool, South Wales, by Thomas Allgood and his son. The pieces, mainly small useful household objects
such as tea and coffee pots, tea caddies, trays and coal buckets were decorated with flowers, Chinese figures
and scenic views in gold and colours.

Powder blue: A rich blue which is given a mottled or white-speckled look by powdering pigment blown
onto the oiled surface through a pipe covered with gauze. The colour, noted for its ability to combine well
with gilt decorations, was first used on Ming porcelains and later on those made in Europe and America.

Primary colours: Red, blue and yellow. The three pure, unmixed colours from which all
others are derived.

Priming colour: The first or prime coat applied to an object that is being painted. If the final
coat of paint is to be a pale colour, the prime coat is generally a light tint of that colour or
Primary white. If the colour is to be dark, the prime coat is a deep value.
colours
Prismatic colours: The special colours that occur when a beam of sunlight is diffracted through a prism.
See spectral colours.

Prussian blue: A deep greenish-blue originated in 1704 by a Berlin colour maker called Diesbach from
compounds of ferrous and ferric iron. This intense colour has remained popular for fabrics, carpets and
accessories.

Psychedelic colours: Strong vibrant colours usually combined in clashing combinations to produce a
decorative stimulus of the senses akin to the swirling bold colour effects of LSD-induced psychedelic
visions. In patterns and paints, these colours often have the effect of seeming to reform or reshape
backgrounds.

Raw sienna: Reddish-brown clay pigment used for tinting. The raw material for burnt sienna.

45
Raw umber: Earth-tone pigment with a dark greenish-brown cast used like raw sienna
for its tinting qualities.

Receding colours: Colours such as blue and green which by appearing to move back
or ‘push the walls out’ give an impression of space. Also called ‘cool colours’.

Roller prints: Designs printed by means of engraved metal rollers on wallpaper and
fabric. Each roller prints only a single colour, but the process allows many colours to
be printed at high speed. The technique of roller printing, with wooden rollers, was Roller prints
introduced in England and France during the latter part of the eighteenth-century.

Rose pompadour: A soft rose pink enamel ground colour introduced in Sevres porcelain around 1757 and
flatteringly named for the factory’s patroness Madame de Pompadour, who would have been irked to know
that the English erroneously call this colour ‘rose du Barry’.

Rouge de cuivre: French term for the coppery-red underglaze used on Chinese ceramics of the Hsuan Te
period (1426-1435).

Royal purple: A rich red-purple associated with rulers since the days of the Caesars,
hence the phrase, ‘born to be purple’. This exclusivity was undoubtedly due to
the fact that the dye was originally made by crushing the shells of certain types of
Mediterranean snail, and it took a costly 240,000 shells for a single ounce of dye.
Now that the dye is made synthetically, any man can feel like a prince by decking
his bathroom towel rail or living room sofa in royal purple. This colour is also called
Royal purple interior ‘Tyrian red’.

Saffron: An orange-yellow named for the ancient dye and spice made from the dried stamens of the winter
crocus. Saffron, as a dye, is associated with the Romans and with the colourful robes of the Buddhist priests
of India and Tibet. The Siamese colour schemes of The King and I brought saffron into the fashion and home
furnishings fields.

Sang de boeuf: Vividly dubbed ‘oxblood’, this is the French name for the deep, mottled blood-red glaze,
turning a rich sherry-brown on areas of coagulation, developed in China during the K’ang His period.
Revived in the nineteenth-century and again in the 1930s, when vases of this colour were turned into lamps,
the colour is seen now in reproductions of the original vases, lamps and other accessories.

Sanguine: A drawing in red crayon or chalk. Sanguines done by great artists as sketches for
oil paintings are now valuable as well as decorative. The name is derived from the ground-up
hematite or bloodstone (sanguine) from which the colour was made.

Sapphire: Like the stone from which it takes its name, a colour of infinite variety,
predominantly purplish blue with a touch of green, deeper than hyacinth or Mazarine blue. Sanguine
Favoured for home furnishings since the eighteenth-century, sapphire appears in everything
from fabrics to Venetian glass ashtrays.

Satin glass: A late nineteenth-century product, this American art glass was composed of an inner layer of
opaque glass with coloured indentations overlaid with coloured glass, covered by an outer layer of clear
glass and exposed to acid vapour baths to produce the satin-like surface.

Scale blue: The colour of the fish scale ground that surrounded painted panels depicting exotic birds on
early Worcester ware. Occasionally the panels were left blank to allow the decoration to be filled by an artist.

46
Scarlet: A vivid yellow-red of obscure but ancient origin, a venerable standby for
clothes and home furnishings. The name is variously attributed to a rich fabric from
Arabia and the old French word for ‘cloth of fast dyed red’.

Screenprint: Printing technique for wallpaper and fabric developed in France during
the nineteenth-century in which designs are applied with individual screens, originally
in silk, but now also in nylon, metallic thread on paper. A single screen is used for each
Screenprint
colour in the design, with the colour brushed or squeezed through the cut-out part of the technique
screen onto the material to be printed. The original hand process, although still used in
the craft field, has mostly been superseded by mechanisation.

Secondary colours: Orange, green and purple. The products of mixtures of equal parts of the primaries.

Sepia: The yellow-brown fluid taken from the sacs of such slippery sea creatures as octopus
and cuttlefish and used by artists since Roman times as watercolour and ink.

Sevres blue: See bleu de roi.

Sepia-
toned
Shade: The greyed or neutralised result of mixing black (or an unequal proportion of opposing
colours) with a pure colour to produce a darker value.

Shagreen: A dyed skin with a natural texture of tiny overlapping scales or circles.
Although much shagreen is dyed green, the name comes not from the colour but
from the French peau de chagrin (ass’s skin), one of the sources from which it is
made; others are the skins of sharks and dogfish. The unusual surface of shagreen
makes it a hardwearing and attractive covering for accessories from eighteenth-
century writing sets to pre-war cigarette boxes.
Shagreen
Shocking pink: Intense blue-pink identified in fashions of the thirties with the
designer Elsa Schiaparelli and, under that name, an accessory and background colour of the forties.
Also referred to as Siamese pink.

Siamese pink: Catchy, cashing in on the name given by House and Garden magazine, in the wake of the
trend-setting colours and costumes of Broadway’s 1951 hit, The King and I, to the strong, vibrant blue-pink
that had been known in other incarnations as ‘shocking pink’ and ‘cyclamen.’ A perennially popular accent
colour in decorating.

Sienna: An orange-yellow earth pigment containing iron oxide, named for Sienna, Italy, where it was first
found, and an important component of the artist’s palette. Now produced synthetically, this colour crops up
in fabrics, wallpapers, carpets and painted finishes as part of the so-called ‘Mediterranean Look’.

Sky blue: See ciel blue.

Solution dyeing: A process used to dye synthetic fibres while they are still in a liquid
state, resulting in good clean colours and lightfastness.

Spatter: A decorative technique in which colours were spattered or splashed on a

solid colour ground. Two well-known examples are the eighteenth-century English
spatterware made in Bristol and Liverpool, a type of pottery in blue, brown, yellow or
purple with fan or shell-shaped medallions, in the style of the then-popular Chinese
wares and the painted spattered floors decorated with an all-over design or marked out Spatter technique
panels common in Colonial America.
47
Spectral colours: The rainbow colours of the spectrum that occur when white light is diffracted through a
prism. The dominant spectral colours in the rainbow are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

Split complementary: A complementary colour scheme in which three colours are used; for instance,
yellow with the colour either side of its complement violet, those being the split complements.

Stained glass: A form of decorative art dating back to the Middle Ages in which colour was fused into glass
in the melting pot and, later the kiln. Devised for the adornment of great cathedrals and churches, stained
glass eventually embellished houses too. The Victorian and Art Nouveaux periods saw a great revival of this
art form. Today, because of its cost, real stained glass is limited to small areas, such as room dividers. For
large scale use its jewel-like tones are simulated in plastic.

Staining: A method of colouring wood with a stain first used for furniture in seventeenth-
century England. The colouring agent was then a reddish oil stain containing vegetable dye.
The seventeenth-century favoured red and black stains, but in later centuries, following the
fashion for pale wood finishes, lighter yellow colours were adopted.

Stencilling: Decorative technique of applying a design to a surface by covering it with a

stencil pattern on oiled paper and brushing paint, dye or stain through the cut-out openings.
This inexpensive, easy way of adding pattern to plain walls, floors, doorways and furniture Staining wood
was widely practised in Early American houses.

Stipple: Originally, a way of giving a soft mat finish to walls covered with oil-based paint by pounding the
wet surface with a stipple brush which obliterated previous brush marks. On freshly
plastered walls, the rough textured look of old plaster can be simulated with the same
process, using a brush or piece of burlap or crumpled paper. Now the laborious process
is considerably simplified by applying a special, extra thick stipple paint.

Stock dyeing: A process in which yarns are dyed before spinning or blending,
producing good colourfastness and lightfastness.

Sulphur: A bright greenish-yellow with the hue of the chemical. A favoured accent
Stipple technique from the seventeenth-century on, and now popular as a background colour.
and brushes
Sulphur dyes: Water-insoluble dyes used mainly on cotton to produce inexpensive
dark shades with fair qualities of wash fastness and lightfastness.

Tapa: A rough cloth fashioned in the islands of the Pacific from the bark of the mulberry or breadfruit tree
and decorated with geometric patterns in earth tones. The cloth, hard to imitate, is sold mostly to tourists or
kept for ceremonies, but it has been copied in fabric and wallpaper.

Tempera: A water-soluble pigment paint. The addition of the white of an egg, a trick used by the great
masters, makes the paint more permanent.

Terra cotta: Like the clay from which it is made, the colour of terra cotta ranges from pale buff to deep
red. Traditionally associated with Greek and Roman sculptures and reliefs and the tin enamelled terra cotta
works of Andrea della Robbia, terra cotta is found today mainly in interiors as a floor material, though more
recently it can be seen as curtain wall panelling.

Tertiary colours: In between colours resulting from mixing two of the three secondary colours (orange,
green and purple). The proportion determines the tone. Tertiary colours are also known as intermediates.

48
Tête-de-nègre: Descriptive French term (in translation, head of a negro) for a rich black-brown colour with
a purplish tinge introduced in the eighteenth-century and frequently found in lacquer pieces, or as a wall
colour in a high style decorating scheme. To obtain the best and deepest colour, a coat of black is applied,
allowed to dry and then covered with a coat of Vandyke brown oil colour thinned with glazing liquid or
varnish which lets the black show through.

Tie and dye: A hand printing process in which small areas of the fabric are tied with
thread and then dipped in the dye colours, forming a design. When the thread is tightly
knotted, the dye does not penetrate and leaves a ring of ground colour. When tied
loosely, the dye penetrates giving the fabric a blurred look.

Tiffany glass: More recently, Favrile glass. The late nineteenth-century glass made
by Louis Comfort Tiffany, among others. Tiffany’s work, distinguished by fantastic
Tie and Dye result designs and shimmering iridescence, was signed Favrile, or L.C.T., or with his full
name. It is the most sought after, the most expensive and, the most widely copied
glass. The leaded glass shaded and table lamps are especially prized.

Tint: Light value of a colour by mixing a colour with white; in decorating often called pastels.

Toile de Jouy: The felicitous French name for the finely woven printed linens and cottons originated in
1760 at Jony. The designs, mostly pictorial and often classical scenes, are printed on one colour on a white
or natural ground and remain as much in the decorating foreground today as they were in the nineteenth-
century.

Tole: Painted metalware, especially tin, turned into such decorative but useful objects as
trays, teapots, coal scuttles, candlesticks, chandeliers, lamps, jardinières and boxes. The most
celebrated examples of tole were made in France and England from the late seventeenth
through the nineteenth centuries, and America has some charming if naïve pieces. The most
common of the tole ground colours are black, deep red, mustard yellow and olive green.
Blue, white and tortoiseshell are the rarest. There is still a steady demand for tole, both the
contemporary ware and reproductions of the early designs.

Tonal value: The gradations on one colour, from light to dark. Pink is a light value (or tint) of
red; maroon is a dark value (or shade). Tole lamp

Top dyeing: A process used to produce thread used for colour blending in which fibres are combed and spun
on tops and then dipped in vats, forcing the dye through the fibres.

Tortoiseshell: The beautifully coloured and marked shell of certain sea turtles,
particularly the hawksbill. As an ornamental element in decoration, it reached its
height in the metal and tortoiseshell marquetry of Andre Charles Boulle, the famous
cabinetmaker of the Louis XIV period. In the eighteenth-century, tortoiseshell often
tinted red or green was used as a veneer on boxes, tea caddies and similar small
decorative objects. Today, the rich brown tones and the subtle shadings are often
emulated in plastic and paint.

Tortoise shell Transfer: See decalcomania.

inspired table top

49
Triadic colour scheme: A colour scheme that uses three colours equidistant on the colour wheel (i.e. yellow,
blue and red; orange, green and purple) of values of these colours that belong to the same family. The triadic
colour scheme is used in two ways to give a multi-coloured effect, in muted tones for the traditional look, in
vibrant colours for a modern or psychedelic look.

Trompe l’oeil: Decorate deception in paint or paper designed to ‘fool the eye,’
either for practical purposes or as a charming conceit. In Pompeii, the walls of
rooms were painted with realistic vistas of the world outside. Later centuries
saw painted trompe l’oeil versions of architectural details, costly marble and
boiserie, or furniture ornamented with make-believe but lifelike depictions of
three-dimensional objects. Now, when painted versions can cost as much as,
or more then, the real thing, wallpapers have emerged as a (not much cheaper) Example of Tromp l’oeil
alternative.

Turkey red: A moderate red made from iron oxide widely used in American Colonial days and now in
documentary prints on fabrics and wallpapers. The name was probably derived from the Turkoman rugs of
Central Asia, noted for their rich reds.

Turquoise: A brilliant greenish-blue that takes its name from the mineral of the same colour. Probably
introduced to Europe in the eighteenth-century through the silks of the east, it has been a steadfastly popular
accent colour ever since. It has been known as ‘cerulean,’ the name given to the colour by House and
Garden in 1951.

Tyrian red: Another name for royal purple, the ancient dye colour extracted from snail shells found on the
shores of the Tyre. Its current use is primarily as an accent colour.

Ultramarine: A brilliant blue with a reddish cast, sometimes called ‘French blue’.
Originally the pigment was made by pulverising lapis lazuli. This was a favourite colour of
the great masters.

Umber: A colour that takes its name from the brown earth used by artists as a pigment,
Ultramarine
either in the raw state of calcined (burnt) to give a reddish cast. In decorating, raw umber
pigment
is added to ‘grey’ a white to an antique white for walls, or to ‘antique’ a painted finish on
furniture.

Underglaze: Decoration or colour applied to china under, rather than over the glaze.

Underglaze colour: The pigment colour with which pottery is decorated before glazing.

Union dyeing: A one-process dyeing of a combination of fibres, such as silk and Dacron, to produce the
same colour in each one.

Vat dyed: Dyed after weaving.

Vat dyes: Water-insoluble dyes made from indigo, anthraquinone and carbazole which can be used on all
types of fibres. The dyes most resistant to washing and sunlight.

Vegetable dyes: Dyes from natural substances animal and mineral as well as vegetable. They are usually
expensive and have a limited colour range.

50
Venetian red: An orange-red pigment colour, originally a natural product of the earth but now made
synthetically from iron oxide and calcium sulphate. As an under colour, it gives a rich and rosy glow to gilt
furniture and gilded mirrors.

Verdigris: A greenish-blue poisonous pigment produced by the action of acetic acid on copper. Dating from
the Roman days, this was one earliest artificial pigments. Throughout the centuries it has been widely used
for outdoor metal furniture and garden ornaments, although seldom in interiors.

Vermeil: Gilded silver or bronze with a warm rose tone (vermeil is French for
vermilion and it is the vermeil, or rouge, mixed with gold amalgam that gives
the metal its colour). Vermeil or argent dore (silver gilt), which resembles gold in
everything but price, is included in French inventories as far back as 1316, but its
credit soared in the reign of Louis XIV when it replaced the gold plate confiscated by
the crown and melted down to fill the royal coffers. Now vermeil is no longer looked
on as a canny substitute for the more desirable gold but a sought-after shining asset to
any table. Vermeil room

Vermilion: A vivid red, shading from crimson to orange, that takes its name from the fiery pigment
originally made from cinnabar, and beloved of artists. Under such pseudonyms as ‘lipstick red’ or ‘fire
engine red’, it can be found throughout the range of home furnishings.

Vernis Martin: A brilliant glossy varnish for furniture developed during the reign
of Louis XV by the Martin brothers, probably in an attempt to emulate the lustre
of the more durable Oriental lacquers. Today it is simulated, in its turn, by plastic
finishes.

Vignette: In painting, the gradual shading off of a subject. In decorating, emphasis

French Louis XV placed on a particular area of a room by pinpointing only that portion.
‘Vernis Martin’
Viridian: A cool, transparent yellow-green of medium saturation and brilliance.
First introduced in Paris in 1838, the pigment was made by a secret process eventually published in 1850
by Guignet (the colour is also known as Guignet’s green). From the artist’s canvas, it found its way into the
decorating palette, where it has remained ever since.

Warm colours: Those colours in the red and yellow half of the spectrum that suggest sunlight and flame.
Also known as ‘advancing colours,’ these attention-getters have the effect of making walls seem to close in
and space shrink, or of making a small object look more important.

Wash. A thin mixture of one colour applied over another, similar to a glaze.

Wedgwood blue. A light purplish-blue that takes its name from the best known of the Wedgwood pottery
ground colours. In decorating, primarily used on walls of period rooms.

Wet Look. One of the decorating fashions in the 1960s that arose from the prevalence of and vogue for
surfaces that were shiny and slick, foil, patent leather, mirror, glass, chrome, steel, high-glass lacquer and
plastics. The Wet Look, which could be found in furniture, fabrics and accessories, was achieved not so
much through colour, as through materials.

51
White. The lightest of the neutrals and one of the most universally relied on to accent, punctuate or relieve
a colour scheme. Stark white walls have long been regarded as the best foil for contemporary art or bold,
bright colours. Lately the trend has veered to the softer values of white, the off whites, which are frequently
combined, in varying textures and materials, for the all-white room scheme.

White lead: The base for all but the darkest oil paints. White lead gives the paint its covering quality when
mixed with linseed oil.

Williamsburg blue: The greyed green-blue uncovered during the Williamsburg

restoration; a trade name used by the Martin-Senour Company and by far the
most popular colour in the Williamsburg paint palette for exterior and interiors.

Wood colours: The natural tones of furniture and veneer woods, ranging from
white to the deep black of ebony.

Woodcut: A design cut in intaglio or relief on a block of wood and then

impressed on paper or fabric in black or coloured inks. Before the days of
machine printing, most wallpapers and fabrics were patterned by the woodblock
technique, but now mainly serves the art world. Woodcut tools and
results
Wood tones: Inclusive term for colours borrowed from those of various woods,
walnut, mahogany, oak etc., and reproduced in stains, paints, fabrics, ceramics.

Xanthic colours: Colours with predominance of yellow, from pale yellow to orange and red.

Yarn dyeing: A process in which fibres are dyed before being woven or knitted into fabric.

Self-Exercise #2.

You have just read the above glossary of colour terms which contain a mass of regular and
obscure but relevant terminology. Further in this tutorial, you will come across a glossary
of paint terms, and you will notice that some names are repeated from glossary to glossary
throughout the course, also with differing slants on the subjects. This reveals the subjectivity of
the industry! Therefore, it is apparent that there is an interrelation between the two areas, which
after all are very close to each other!

From this information have a look at your own environment, this can be your own home, workplace,
local café, or retail outlet - anywhere that interests you.

See if you can note down any colours, textures, styles and so on that are mentioned in this tutorial.
You will be surprised to find how many there are. Even a humble post box could be considered as a
‘lipstick red’ paint colour and an Ikea throw as being ‘French grey!’

This exercise will assist you later on to more readily identify elements in a client’s property when
consulting for them.

52
Colour Consulting

The beginning . . .

It is considered that the first ‘colour (and image) consultant’ can be

attributed to Michel Chevreul (1786-1889). As the director of a tapestry
firm, Chevreul discovered everything he could about colour. He noted
that colours interacted with each other when they were placed side by
side. When viewed alone, however, the very same colours appeared
quite different. When a client gave Chevreul a fabric swatch of her
yellow curtains, for example, he was expected to incorporate that exact
shade into the client’s tapestry.

When the carpet was completed, the yellow appeared not to match.
However, when the yellow fabric swatch was placed next to the yellow
pattern in the carpet, the two yellows did match.

Chevreul discovered that the yellow in the carpet had been influenced or
manipulated by the other colours alongside it, so that it only appeared Michel Chevreul
different from the yellow of the curtains. The curtains, of course, hung
completely alone, so they were not subject to the influence of another colour.

He also realised that the eye simultaneously demands that the opposite or contrasting colour on the colour
wheel be generated. It is thought that the eye has a precise equilibrium, so that when looking at red,
for example, the eye generates green, even though we are not aware of it. He called this phenomenon
Simultaneous Contrast.

Chevreul greatly influenced the French Impressionists and Georges-Pierre Seurat in particular became
fascinated by Chevreul’s theories with his Pointillism style. He learned to ‘manipulate’ colours in his
paintings and the mixture of the colours he used would very often take place only in the eye of the beholder,
and not on the canvas.

So what has this beginning become? . . . Colour consultancy.

What is colour consultancy?

In simple terms, colour consultancy is the invitation to the Interior Designer or Interior Decorator by
the client to advise on the selection and specification of colours for a relevant building or property.

Colour is the most important single ingredient in preparing a scheme. It is a relatively inexpensive method of
expression and can add value to a property.

Skilful use of colour improves the proportions of rooms, while at the same time creating a feeling of
harmony, which enables a client to move between different areas without loud colour changes, creating
‘unity and flow’.

Colour has a significant impact on a person’s ‘wellbeing’ and can evoke passions, stimulate the senses and
set the right mood. Thoughtful colour selections, therefore, need to be considered carefully along with the
specific usage of the rooms.

The outside of your home or business sends welcoming messages to everyone who sees it. Not only is
it an extension of the occupiers but also part of the surrounding environment and needs typically to sit
comfortably into that space.
53
By selecting colours, the commission may take wall, trim (such as doors, windows, picture rails and cornice)
surfaces, window coverings, ceilings, soft furnishings and exterior wall surfaces taking into consideration
doors, windows, guttering and so on.

The client may request any of the following:

• Recommendation and selection of interior wall colours only (usually including all above mentioned trims).
The client may have existing furnishings that have to be worked around, or there may be none. If the latter
is the case, then it is typical that the client wishes to choose new furnishings after the colour consultation
has taken place. However, this is rare, and if the case, then the designer is advised to sight the proposed
furnishings to make a final colour selection. However, traditionally furniture and furnishings exist onsite,
so the designer will have to evaluate these items and whether the client wishes to retain all items when
selecting colours.

• Recommendation and selection of interior wall colours and soft furnishing selection. As above but also
including any so-called soft furnishing. For instance, cushions, furniture upholstery, curtains, throws, rugs
or carpets. The selection of soft furnishings can involve two different paths. The first being the general
recommendation of a proposed colour and pattern style of fabric or, the actual recommendation of the
relevant fabric or covering.

• Recommendation and selection of exterior wall colours

(usually including all abovementioned trims). However, some
caution must be employed when undertaking exterior work
on a building or residence. Namely the ‘legality’ of what the
designer selects. It is all to easy to assume that the owner
of a property can do what he or she likes to the exterior or
façade, but this is a fallacy. Local councils have rules and
guidelines which have to be adhered to. For instance, if there
is a heritage issue, (be it the building involved or even the area
that it is situated), then there will be specific colours that can
and cannot be specified. Or, if the façade is visible from the
street, then there could well be limits on what strong colours
can be used. The view of the building is referred by council as
Sample potential paint colours on a blank
street-scape. If you are not sure, it is your responsibility as the
white wall to see how the new colours will
commissioned interior designer to check with a local council look in the room’s natural light
planning officer PRIOR to any work commencing.

• Your commission could be a mix of any of the above points!!

NOTE: Whilst on the area of legality, it is the commissioned designer’s responsibility to recommend only
to the client what changes that are proposed. Under no circumstances does the designer allow the client
(however persuasive) to pay the interior designer any money into the interior designer’s bank account to on-
pay to any relevant trades or retailers.

Apart from any illegality of such practices, the interior designer becomes liable for any quality of
workmanship or defective products to the client. The client always pays for such services direct, leaving the
interior designer out of the loop. In other words, the only money that the interior designer directly receives
from the client is the agreed fee only.

54
Fees

Typically colour consultation is paid hourly, at an agreed hourly rate between client and designer.

This can be verbal or in writing from the interior designer to the client after, as mentioned, agreeing on the
fee. Do note that if you are registered for VAT, this should be added on to the cost.

An average fee is £25.00 - £50.00, both excluding

taxes.
design in action
A colour consultation averages from between 1 - 2
hours.

Having understood the above, then it is time to

consider what actually happens during a colour
consultancy.

The interior designer has to consider the ‘psychology’

of the client. They vary! Therefore, do not march
around a property making disparaging comments
about the client’s environment; there is a strong
chance that you will be shown the door! Your first
few minutes will be gauging the client’s character, for
instance, is there an apparent sense of humour? If not,
you know to tread more carefully!

Your client will show you around the property,

explaining the requirement for your commission.
Therefore, take a notebook, and a digital camera to Yellow is said to induce feelings of
document the relevant areas. However, remember happiness, summer, friendship and
to ask the client’s permission before producing your familiarity.
camera!

It is well worth having paint fan decks or paper sample swatches with you for instant reference and a quick
start to selecting colours. (These vary from country to country and you should refer to the web sites of any
paint companies you wish to use).

If you decide that your consultation will end with your providing colour names and swatches, then you will
need to bring as many as possible with you. However, it is reasonable for the interior designer to bring a
simple fan deck, and then order sample swatches for the relevant paint company to send on.

You will also find that as you gain experience in this field, that you will have a mental set of ‘pet’ colours in
your head that you can instantly refer to.

It is hard to do the same with fabrics, though if the interior designer has an idea as to what fabrics are needed
prior to the consultation, then a simple option is to borrow the fabric books form your fabric retailer. The
retailer can issue you with the samples that you will require for your client.

If you are to supply samples to the client after the consultation, then let the client know that there will be a
small lead time for delivery. It is safe to allow up to two weeks, it usually takes less, but will stand you in
good stead.

55
Here are the basic colours and the keywords that can define them. There are many differing definitions, but
this is a great start.

Grey: Elegance, humility, respect, reverence, stability, subtlety, wisdom,

old age, boredom, decay, dullness, dust, entanglement, pollution, urban
sprawl, strong emotions, balance, neutrality, mourning, formality,
March.

White: Light, reverence, purity, truth, snow, peace, innocence,

cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, sterility, winter, coldness,
criticism, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, unimaginative, air, death
(Eastern cultures), life, marriage (Western cultures), hope, Aries, Pisces
A white room evokes purity and (star signs), bland, empty and unfriendly (interior), January (Winter).
simplicity
Black: Absence, modernity, power, sophistication, formality, elegance,
wealth, mystery, style, evil, death (Western cultures), fear, seriousness, conventionality, rebellion, unity,
sorrow, life, rebirth (ancient Egypt), professionalism, slimming quality (fashion).

Red: Passion, strength, energy, fire, love, excitement, speed,

heat, arrogance, ambition, leadership, masculinity, power, danger,
blood, war, anger, revolution, socialism, communism, aggression,
summer, autumn, stop, Mars (planet), respect, Aries (star sign),
December, conservatism (U.S. politics), radical/ socialism (UK,
European politics) wealth (China), marriage (India). Studies show
that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration
and raising blood pressure; red also is said to make people
hungry (McDonalds); the red ruby is the traditional 40th wedding
anniversary gift. Red is also the colour of the devil in modern
Western culture.
Deep red room evokes a bold
Blue: Seas, men, productive (interior) skies, peace, unity, harmony,
atmosphere
tranquillity, calmness, trust, coolness, confidence, conservatism, water,
ice, loyalty, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter, depression,
coldness, idealism, air, wisdom, royalty, nobility, Earth (planet), Virgo (light blue), Pisces (pale blue) and
Aquarius (dark blue), strength, steadfastness, light, friendliness, July (sky blue), February (deep blue),
peace, mourning (Iran), truthfulness, love, sadness, liberalism (U.S. politics), conservatism (UK & European
politics). In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, believed to keep the bad spirits
away.

Green: Great intelligence, nature, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, money, good luck, vigour,
generosity, go, grass, aggression, coldness, jealousy, disgrace (China), illness, greed, corruption (North
Africa), life eternal, air, earth, sincerity, Cancer (bright green, star sign), renewal, natural abundance, growth,
health, August, balance, harmony, stability, calming, creative intelligence, Islam, the ordinary. During the
Middle Ages, both green and yellow were used to symbolise the devil. Green is believed to be the luckiest of
colours in some western countries including Britain, Ireland, and the U.S.

Yellow: Sunlight, joy, happiness, earth, optimism, intelligence, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air,
liberalism, cowardice, illness (quarantine), fear, hazards, dishonesty, avarice, weakness, greed, femininity,
gladness, sociability, summer, friendship, Gemini, Taurus, Leo (golden yellow, star signs), April, September,
deceit, hazard signs, death (Middle Ages), mourning (Egypt), courage (Japan), God (gold). Yellow ribbons
were worn during times of warfare as a sign of hope as women waited for their men to return. During the
Middle Ages, both green and yellow were used to symbolise the devil.

56
Purple: Nobility, envy, sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, ceremony, mystery, wisdom,
enlightenment, arrogance, flamboyance, mourning, exaggeration, confusion, pride, Scorpio (violet, star
sign), May, November, riches, romanticism (light purple), delicacy (light purple), penance. Purple is the
colour of mourning for widows in Thailand, favourite colour of Egypt’s Cleopatra, and the Purple Heart is
given to soldiers who have been wounded during warfare.

Orange: Hinduism, Buddhism, happiness energy, balance, heat, fire,

enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, arrogance, warning,
danger, autumn, desire, Sagittarius (star sign), September. Orange has less
intensity or aggression than red and is calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow.
Orange is the colour of the Royal family of the Netherlands.

Brown: Calm, boldness, depth, natural organisms, nature, richness,

‘rusticism’, stability, tradition, fascism, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty,
roughness, earth (classical element), October, Capricorn, Scorpio
(reddish-brown, star signs), down-to-earth. Brown can stimulate appetite,
wholesomeness, steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, and dependability.
Pride and creativity is associated
Pink: Spring, gratitude, appreciation, admiration, sympathy, femininity, with the colour purple
health, love, June, marriage, joy.

To conclude, this is a fun area of the industry that does not require huge overheads, but an enthusiasm for the
area and enjoyment with interacting with clients!!

The Interior Designer’s Guide to Colour Analysis by Brett Tudor

An experienced homes and interiors writer and editor, Brett Tudor has written for a range of British
publications on interior design including three years as features editor for Concept For Living
Magazine, one of the UK’s most respected interior design titles.

Brett is currently working as a freelance journalist specialising in home interiors and garden design. A self-
confessed interior design addict fascinated by the nuances of fashion in the home, he has a keen interest in
being hands-on and taking charge of the process of decorating from start to finish.

Here are Brett’s insights on working with colour.

What works where and why?

The first thing any interior designer needs to understand is the importance of colour. The right choice
of colour is an absolutely vital element of any interior design project.

When choosing a colour, the first thing to consider is how all the shades you will be working with
complement each other. It is important to always have an idea of the overall look you are aiming to create
then experimenting with colour to achieve it.

Colour can inject a sense of glamour into an interior scheme; it can add drama, romance or it can be laid
back, cool and subtle.

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Getting started

At a basic level, a colour wheel is a particularly useful tool to have when you need to decide which
colours will work well together, whether the aim is to combine colours which are harmonious, toning
or complementary.

Looking at your colour wheel, you will notice that

colours belong to either the hot side or the cold
side with gradients between the two extremes.
This will help you create a mood which can, for
design story
instance, be made cosier by opting for warm
shades or cooler by opting for say, shades of blue.

Neutrals are another option and include grey,

Colourproperties
black, white or sometimes even brown and In your career as an Interior Designer, knowing
beige. Neutrals are a popular choice because colours and how to harness them to a room’s
they can be mixed and matched easily with
advantage is one of your biggest responsibilities.
the minimum of experience. Neutrals work
well in stylish contemporary interiors; white is In this case it pays to get to know the difference
particularly effective in buildings creating a sense between ‘advancing’ and ‘receding’ colours.
of spaciousness, particularly in high ceilinged loft
apartments. Advancing colours like reds, browns and yellows
bounce off the walls, creating an intimate mood.
Neutrals are all very well, but if your aim is to add Receding colours like blues, greys and greens are
a bit of punch to your interior scheme, introduce more muted and should be used to create a feeling of
accent colours in small quantities. For example,
spaciousness.
if you take black and white as your base neutrals,
you can then introduce strong elements of colour. Taking control of these properties will help you solve
Red always adds drama or if you want to maintain the problem of a small room and help disguise such
the effect of light and space, you can opt for light things as ugly architectural details.
shades of green or turquoise. A more homely,
traditional mood can be achieved when you
introduce furniture and accessories in rich neutral
shades against a backdrop of black or white.

How should I select a colour?

Your choice of colour should absolutely

depend on the space you are working with.
The features and architectural qualities of a
room should guide your choice of colour.

Think about the dimensions and purpose of your

room before you select a shade and then look at
the range of shades in your chosen colour. Be
sure to consider the effect of natural and artificial
light carefully on the colour in the room before you go ahead and paint your dining room red, for example!

Examine its aspect carefully and be aware of how much light you have coming into the space. Also, be
aware of any lighting effects, natural and artificial, that you can bring into the space and also within the
space you are working with. The interplay of light and shadow can create dramatic effects or if you get it
wrong, lighting can drain colour, particularly with soft neutrals after dark. Overhead lighting can prove to be
a particular problem where light is cast directly down.
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A handy tip is to use the amount of light coming into a room and working
with what is already there in terms of natural daylight. Each colour you
choose will be something a client has to live with for some time, so be very
sure they like it before proceeding.

With your base colour chosen, you can begin to introduce your colour in
small amounts. For example, even the right choice of cushions can be a great
way of introducing a splash of colour. Above all as an interior designer, don’t
be afraid to experiment with colour and don’t be scared to paint a wall in a
dark colour or use carpets. For the less confident however, keeping your main
colour fairly neutral and incorporating accent colours always works well.
This neutral floral wallpaper
It is easy to get carried away with colour; therefore a handy tip is to clear blends well with the room’s
your mind 100% before you make any colour decisions. I would also furniture allowing for a
introduce another important aid; mood boards can demonstrate the impact of simple yet effective look
introducing a new colour into a room. They are easy to make and if you are
looking for inspiration, a handy tip is to simply attach a few different samples and room sets from a home
interiors magazine you like. This will be a great way of focusing the mind and trying out a few ideas.

While it is important to push the boundaries in your experiments with colour – be careful!

Steer clear of sugary pinks, acid yellows or greens because while they might be strong statements on paper,
they can be very hard to live with in a room on a day to day basis.

Direction classic combinations and what works well

Modern florals are currently in big demand and cream shades will continue to do well because they
work well with any colour. It is also easy to opt for a neutral scheme over something more daring,
particularly when compared to the introduction of patterns which require a more experienced eye.

Colour, like everything in design, is subject to the ebb and flow of moods in fashion. In recent years we have
gone from extreme vivid colours to neutrals which is something that a lot of people feel more comfortable
with. Neutrals tend to be easy to live with and if you want to change the colour scheme you can do so very
easily with your choice of cushions, artwork or even flowers.

While neutrals are fine for the novice, designers are not afraid to
introduce radical combinations of colour. We are now accustomed
to seeing colour splashed across the schemes of many homes in
magazines and used in ways that would have been unthinkable a
few years ago.

Colour shows that you are not scared when approaching a scheme
but it is how you choose your colours and how you use them
together that counts. It is really a question of being sensitive with
your palette and making sure the scheme as a whole doesn’t clash.
Colour is something you shouldn’t be afraid of as a designer as all it
takes is confidence and a little practice and thought to really get your
choice of colour right and when you do, it can transform a room.

Feature wall

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What colours should you choose to define a space?

Red is a lush, sexy colour that will look good all year round. People will often opt for shades with lots
of orange which are not true reds and they lack impact.

Soft and warm neutrals such as caramel, camel tones and olive green are excellent combinations. Calming
blue is also good in the right setting as is duck shell and rust for the same cosy calming effects.

On a structural level, the dimensions of a room are an important consideration. Small box type rooms
require a little more thought. Try painting three walls in a pale shade and then allocate one wall as a feature
by choosing a strong toning shade behind, for example, the bedhead.

Larger rooms, on the other hand, can be a problem, particularly when the ceiling is high. Avoid light colours
if you want to avoid creating a scheme that feels chilly or soulless. Darker colours really come into their
own in a large room so look to introduce richer shades of red or violet, or you can opt for strongly patterned
wallpaper. Again, you can use the three-wall technique, but this time in reverse by painting three walls in a
deep shade and one wall in a neutral shade.

Paint Finishes

There are a vast array of innovative new paint finishes on the market. Isobel King gives an overview
of what’s on offer.

Not so long ago, settling on a colour was the biggest challenge of any paint job; the finish generally came
down to a simple choice between gloss or satin. It’s a very different story today, with paint finishes now
mimicking a range of natural looks – stone, metal, glass, suede, velvet, sand, marble – that give interior
designers the ability to marry colour and texture to stunning effect.

Many industrial-strength paints on the market also allow for applications never previously possible. Kitchen
and bathroom tiles can be painted in a range of modern colours that stand up to the rigours of steam and
grime; splashbacks can be treated with glass-like paint; and kitchen cupboards can be coated with robust
paints that look great and wear well.

Practicality Versus Aesthetics

The choice of paint finish must take into account the wear and tear it will be exposed to. A matt finish is
great when you want to camouflage bumps and imperfections, and is one of the popular finishes of the
moment, but it is generally harder to wipe clean than a gloss or satin finish. For high-traffic areas, like
hallways, wet areas like bathrooms, and kitchens exposed to grease and steam, careful thought must be
given to the type of paint used – ideally a gloss or washable satin. A large wall in a lounge or dining area is
often a good choice as a feature wall, providing a blank canvas for some of the spectacular finishes now on
the market.

Getting the Look

Brett Lambie who specialises in unusual paint finishes, says many of the special effects paints available
will often take more time to apply than conventional finishes, because they are best applied with a brush,
not a roller, to bring out their qualities. Rag rolling or sponging may also be required, and some of the more
specialist finishes will need to be done by the manufacturer or other professional.

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However, Lucy Sutherland, marketing
manager for a leading paint brand, says
design story
Paint types
customers today are looking for less fussy
applications that give them a two-toned,
textured look – ‘the flatter finish the better’
– without having to mess with a variety
of products and applicators. This is why Matt Finish: Whether called flat finish or wall paint, this
most of the major paint companies are now type of interior paint has a matte surface. This paint finish
coming up with all-in-one products in a is usually used on interior walls. It’s especially good if
range of popular effects.
you have to camouflage small wall bumps, cracks or other
imperfections, as this finish does not reflect light.
Suede Effects
Flat Enamel: Flat enamel is paint with a durable flat,
The rich look of suede has been ingeniously matte finish. It’s a good choice for powder rooms and
captured in a range of paint products on the halls, as it holds up to occasional cleaning.
market, but they are not recommended for
wet areas such as bathrooms, laundries and Eggshell Finish: If you can picture the very low sheen of
kitchens, and are generally applied with the shell of an egg, you have an idea of how an eggshell
a roller coat first, followed by criss-cross
paint finish will appear.
strokes with a brush.

For example, Crown offers ‘Crown Fashion Satin Finish: Satin finish paint has a smooth, velvety look
For Walls® Suede’ paint. The brush strokes with a bit more gloss. It is most often used for windows,
create an uneven, textured, flat finish that doors, trim, or ceilings, but can also be used as wall
almost resembles a velvety fabric, and paint. Paint with a satin finish is formulated to hold up to
works beautifully at night to capture a cleaning and light scrubbing.
warm, relaxing mood or during the day,
with the play of natural light. Semi-Gloss: Semi-gloss paint is most often used on doors,
trim, and cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. It is easily
cleaned and lays down a nice, subtle shine, without being
Metallic Finishes
too glitzy. Take care with pre-paint preparation work, as
For a funky metallic look, Opulence offers poorly prepared surfaces can be a bit distracting when
a metallic paint. They are great for feature highlighted by a semi-gloss surface.
walls, furniture and areas that will reflect
their pearly sheen, and are relatively Glossy: High gloss paints have an almost reflective
easy to apply. Available from quality, as their shiny finish mimics the look of enamel
www.designerpaint.com or plastic. Though not widely used in home interiors, it is
becoming more popular for a dramatic look on cabinets,
For an actual metal finish made from the
trim, and furniture in very formal and very contemporary
real thing, Axolotl is popular for specialist
jobs, such as foyers, restaurants, kitchen settings. This finish
cupboards, splashbacks, doors, or even to will magnify any
coat a sculpture. surface imperfections,
so careful preparation
It’s not cheap, but managing director Kris and sanding are
Torma emphasises it is a unique product essential before
that uses real metals such as bronze, copper, painting with high
brass, stainless steel, aluminium, nickel
gloss paints.
and zinc in a spray-on product that can be

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applied to almost any surface. In fact, they can be mixed and matched to create about 200 different finishes.
Visit www.designerpaint.com and click into the Special Paints section to see some of the striking new-age
finishes available. Contact Designer Paint for prices and application options.

The Weathered Look

The limewash look was probably one of the first breakthrough finishes that the domestic market embraced
with enthusiasm, because of its many creative applications. Its dusty, mottled matt finish is achieved
by blending a lime-based coating with natural pigments designed to create the soft, weathered patina
reminiscent of buildings in Tuscany and Provence. Popular for courtyards and house exteriors, the
‘weathered look’ is now catered for by many companies and many products. They are also tailored for
interior walls and furnishings.

Mike Wye & Associates Ltd. has an extensive range, both for interior and exterior uses, and they also offer
a colour matching service for £20 + VAT. Go to www.mikewye.co.uk for more information.

Glazed Looks

Paint consultant Brett Lambie says paint companies have found canny ways
to create different textured finishes – often the secret is to use glass beads in
products. ‘It creates luminosity and texture, and allows for very practical,
washable surfaces,’ he says, explaining that different sized beads are used to
create various finishes.

These glass finishes are applied onsite by the supplier, primarily used as a
feature in foyers, nightclubs and feature walls in homes. It costs between £50-
£100 a square metre, depending on the degree of difficulty and can be applied as Paint effects
transportable panels.

Practical Finishes

Sophisticated new paints now double as hardwearing finishes for surfaces like tiles, splashbacks, kitchen and
laundry cupboards, and even ceramic baths and basins. Ronseal, for example, has tile paint that can be easily
applied. It goes straight over the tiles and grout to produce a high-gloss, hardwearing, waterproof finish.

For helpful hints and advice about decorating with Dulux paints visit
www.dulux.co.uk/en/decorating-tips-and-advice

If you are looking for a paint company to match the perfect colour, contact www.colorite.co.uk. They also
offer an aerosol paint colour-matching service.

For more information regarding paints for general finishes, wood care and innovative finishing products,
please visit General Finishes at www.eurofinishes.com. They also offer environmentally friendly paints.

For a great one-stop-shop for paints and information about finishes and what is available on the market, visit
www.designerpaint.com. They offer all leading paint brands and deliver to all UK mainland addresses for
just £5.95 usually within 48 hours of your order being placed.

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Different Strokes

Using some of the basic paint products on the market,

design in action
interesting decorative effects can be achieved with a
little ingenuity. Products like scumble – an additive that
extends the drying time of paint – allow for patterned
faux effects through techniques like sponging, ragging,
bagging and colour washing.

Colour washing is an easy ‘broken colour’ layered effect

for walls, which generally uses two shades of the same
colour. The base colour is applied and left to dry, then the
second shade is mixed with scumble and applied using a
paintbrush and then a rag to smudge the strokes. It gives
an uneven mottled effect that blends the two shades.

Playing around with different shades, quantities of

scumble and applicators like scrunched up plastic or
feathers can also give you marble-like effects.

Distressing is popular to give furniture an aged look.

Simply apply several layers of paint and then roughly
sand back to expose the different layers.
The muted blue tones of this wall
Another popular paint finish for furniture is crackle- colour are enhanced by a distressed
glazing. Use a crackle medium between two coats of finish, creating a deep moody texture.
colour and as the topcoat dries, small cracks appear,
exposing the base colour, giving the crackle-glazed look
of old pottery.

Stores like your local craft shop or the haberdashery department at John Lewis are an eye-opener when it
comes to tapping the variety of craft finishes available.

With the pressure on paint companies to continually experiment with new pigments, additives and formulas
to keep up with current trends, the good news for interior designers is that the range of innovative, easy-to-
apply paint finishes promises to break new ground. It’s already possible to recreate with paint just about every
imaginable textured finish; the real challenge is deciding which one will set the right tone for your interior
design.

Colourful Advice from Leading Interior Designers

‘Paint is one of the most inexpensive wall finishes. Be bold – don’t be afraid to experiment with colour.
Treat each room individually, as colour registration will vary. Check colours at night as artificial light has an
impact on colour, sometimes positive, sometimes negative.’
Neometro, interior designers

‘I feel strongly that colour is an element in architecture. Le Corbusier said it was as important an element as
the plan and section. It affects our reading of space because colours retreat and advance – dark colours go
back/light colours come forward/cool colours go back/warm colours advance. Different textures appear to
move in space. For me, there is a ‘right’ solution for a particular space-related, not to fashion, but the space’s
scale, aspect, function and materials.’
Virginia Carroll, architect

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‘Ceilings always work better white or a lighter colour. A full gloss glaze in a pale blue like the sky is
wonderful.’
Briony Fitzgerald, interior designer

‘I like a ceiling to be 20 to 30 per cent paler than the walls so that

a room has an overall colour background.’
Leslie Walford, interior designer

‘Black is the most difficult colour to use successfully. It should be

used in moderation and preferably knocked down by blending it
with white.’
Neometro
Although pale, this grey colour on
‘I never touch bright, pure colours. By ‘dirtying’ them, there is a the walls allows for contrast with the
better chance of avoiding problems and achieving attractive hues.’ detailing around the edges and windows
Pia Francesca, interior designer

‘I use white as a prima donna. I hardly ever team it up with something. If I do use white, I like it to dominate.
And I do like ‘warm white’ – adding just touches of black and red to have a white glow that is not icy.
White, I think, should be used with as much care as red.’
Leslie Walford

‘White can be used in starkly modern architecture to show the ‘bones’ of

different planes; light sources can, in turn, change white into other colours.
White always picks up from the dominant colour in the room (i.e. if there are
blue walls it may turn slightly blue) and reflects accordingly.’
Ann Gyngell, interior designer

‘I like using white as a colour in contrast to others, not as a non-colour used

as a blanket coat over everything as an easy solution.’
Virginia Carroll

‘ Everything is in the preparation. Putting on paint is simple. But you must

Minimal paint colour on
have everything sealed, flat, smooth, even, well sanded back, before the
walls allows for colourful
accessories to dress up lovely colour goes on. Then it will look good, last well and be easier to do
the room next time.’
Leslie Walford

‘Curiously, I often find myself incorporating a colour which, to the client or myself, has zero appeal in
isolation, yet it is absolutely great in a given situation. I think of colour as a soccer field – it’s a team sport
and making selections is about winning combinations, locations and balance.’
Denis Holland, interior designer

‘Blue is not used enough. It can be so great, in many tones and combinations. I think it deserves more love.’
Leslie Walford

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‘I find success with colour when it is either used minimally or dramatically (intense or very rich) but not
when a number of mid-tones are used together.’
Angus Leendertz, interior designer

‘I like strong, intense colour relationships as seen in the work of

Picasso and Kandinsky. Evergard System is one of the few paint
ranges to match these strong colours.’
Tim Allison, interior designer

‘I do not subscribe to the philosophy that white or pale colours

make a room larger – I believe that going this route makes rooms
disappear! A room is a space and, as such, needs definition. Painting
everything in a room the same colour also makes the room disappear
– the room becomes nondescript and characterless. Small hallways,
entrances and small rooms can become important-looking if treated
boldly with colour, wallpaper or special finishes. In fact, they often
fare better than larger rooms with a similar treatment.’ Using wallpaper in smaller rooms e.g.
Ann Gyngell bedrooms can work well

‘Often, if a room is dark, my tendency is to push it further in that direction and light it well. If one paints
a very dark room, white it often does not mean that you can do without artificial lighting during the day –
only that the room becomes characterless. Better to accept that it is dark, light it well and go for dramatic
character.’
Virginia Carroll

‘Hallways act as light tunnels and highlight any problems with walls. As imperfections are virtually
impossible to avoid, textured or distressed finishes are best used as they help to break up the light playing
on surfaces and tend to conceal any flaws. Textured cement render can be mixed with powdered pigments
to create a rough, earthy finish, or finished with paint. Raw plaster mixed with standard paint tinters also
creates a great textured finish.’
Neometro

‘Fabric-covered walls are not only beautiful and smart but long-lasting and super as sound insulation. They
have an allure, too, that is very special and one can use such beautiful fabrics.’
Leslie Walford

‘Hang fabric across walls, not in the manner of curtains but more as continuous banners. The feel of a room
is then easily changed, perhaps even seasonally.’
Tim Allison

‘In most cases, internally, I prefer to use flat paint on ceilings, flat or low sheen on walls and gloss or satin
on woodwork, depending on its condition. Gloss can draw attention to defects but by and large, the greater
the contrast between wall and detail, the more I like it. Shiny paint holds the surface, i.e. because you can
see a reflection you know where the plane is in space whereas a matt surface is ambiguous in its reading.
Consequently, matt walls are inclined to enlarge a space.’
Virginia Carroll

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Glossary of Paint Terms

Acrylic colours: Quick-drying artist’s colours, which are excellent for STENCILLING. The PIGMENTS
are mixed in a water-soluble polyacrylic base, resulting in clear, matt colours. Can be used diluted with
water for a transparent effect or undiluted for an opaque effect.

Acrylic varnish: See VARNISH.

Antiquing: Artificially ageing paint, usually by rubbing over the new paint surface with a ‘dirtying’ GLAZE
or a COLOURWASH of raw umber, burnt umber or burnt sienna. (On furniture, the surface may then be
wiped over with a cloth, leaving the darker colour in the crevices.) Antiquing also applies to rubbing off new
paint with wire wool to give a patchy, threadbare look.

Badger softener: Finest badger-hair brush to blend and soften COLOURWASH or a

GLAZE that has been applied with a different brush, a sponge or a rag and is not yet dry.
A DUSTING BRUSH is a less expensive substitute.

Bagging: Creating a textured finish by wrapping a rolled-up cloth in a plastic bag, and
then working over a newly applied oil-glazed surface either in a particular pattern or at
random. Never do more than 2 square metres at a time, or the GLAZE will dry before it Badger softener
has been textured.

Base coat: Applied before topcoats of paint or glaze to give a good surface and coverage. If you are painting
over a dark colour with a light one, you may need two coats of base coat and one topcoat. (It is a good idea
to thin the first coat with a little water.) If you are painting a dark topcoat over a light base coat, tint the base
coat with a little of the topcoat or buy an appropriately tinted standard base coat. A PRIMER is usually used
on a new surface like wood or plaster before applying a base coat.

Blackboard paint: Used for creating a blackboard on a surface, such as on a portion of the wall in a child’s
room or on a large piece of primed and undercoated board fixed to a wall.

Broken colour: Two or more coats of different-coloured paint, in which the top layer(s) have been partially
removed to reveal the colour beneath.

Brushes: Many different specialised brushes are used in painting, depending on the method used. These
include a BADGER SOFTENER, DECORATOR’S BRUSH, DRAGGER, DUSTING BRUSH, FITCH,
FLOGGER, MOTTLER, OVER-GRAINER, STENCILLING BRUSH, STIPPLING BRUSH and
SWORDLINER.

Buttermilk paint: See MILK PAINT.

Button polish: See SHELLAC.

Casein paint: A paint made from pigments in a casein (milk-curd) medium. It is

opaque and powdery (though less powdery than DISTEMPER). Use it thinned with
two parts water for a COLOURWASH, or with white casein for cream and pastel
Casein paint shades. Tough, water-resistant and inexpensive, but not widely available.

Cissing: The reverse of SPATTERING, this is achieved by applying a GLAZE or COLOURWASH to a dry
base coat, and then, while the glaze or colourwash is still wet, spattering on white spirit or turpentine (for
oil-based paint) or water (for water-based paint).

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Colourwash: A delicate, transparent wash of colour. It was traditionally achieved with watered-down, tinted
DISTEMPER but today it is generally done using a proprietary product or an EMULSION, GOUACHE or
ACRYLIC paint diluted with water.

Combing: Broken finish, or a pattern such as basket-weave, achieved by dragging

a coarse comb of specially cut stiff cardboard or plastic, or wood or steel, through a
wet GLAZE.

Crackle-glaze: Obtainable from specialist paint shops to imitate the effect of old
peeling paint. Crackle-glaze is applied between two different-coloured coats of
water-based paint, producing a network of cracks in the top layer of paint through
which the underneath layer is visible. Combing effect

Craquelure: A method in which two VARNISHES that dry at different rates are applied to a painted surface
to imitate the crazing that develops in layers of old varnish. It produces finer crazing than CRACKLE-
GLAZE but is expensive.

Decorator’s brush: A thickly bristled brush ranging from 12mm to 15cm in width
and used for painting walls and other large, flat surfaces.

Distemper: Powdery paint which can be mixed to make extremely pretty pastel
colours and COLOURWASHES. Also known as whitewash, it is made from
animal glue, whiting (finely ground chalk), pigments and water.

Crackle glaze effect Distressing: Making surfaces look older and time-worn, through techniques such
as BROKEN-COLOUR.

Dragger: A long bristled brush used for dragging.

Dragging: The process of dragging a dry brush such as a DRAGGER or FLOGGER

through a wet GLAZE or COLOURWASH to produce an irregular, fine-lined effect.

Dusting brush: Used for small-scale stippling work, such as on a skirting board, but
can also be used for softening and blending instead of a BADGER SOFTENER, or
for dragging instead of a DRAGGER. The soft, medium-length bristles should be very
carefully cleaned and immersed in solvent or the bristles will drop out. Distress and milk
glaze effect
Emulsion: Water-based paint consisting of pigment bound in a synthetic resin. It is
available in matt or flat, silk, satin or sheen, and gloss finishes. Soluble in water, it is quick-drying and does
not necessarily need an undercoat. Matt and vinyl silk emulsions are available; the vinyl silk is more durable
and is wipeable.

Enamel: Oil-based paint, which is so dense that only one coat is needed; most often used for small areas of
wood or metalwork.

Epoxy enamel: A tough oil-based ENAMEL paint with a hard finish that resists dirt, grease and scratches.
Ideal for painting over ceramic tiles as well as over porcelain, fibreglass, masonry and metal.

Fitch: A small, rather stiff-bristled brush used for small-scale work, such as detailed STIPPLING work and
SPATTERING. Available in fan, angled, oval and flat shapes.

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Flogger: A long-bristled brush used for DRAGGING and GRAINING, as it picks up
the GLAZE easily when pulled across the surface. The brush is used with a slapping
technique.

Gilding: Adding a gold finish. Traditional gilding uses gold leaf, or some other metal leaf,
which is fixed to a surface with GOLD SIZE. A gilt effect can be reproduced using bronze,
silver or aluminium powders.

Glaze: Traditionally a transparent oil-based finish also known as scumble, but a water- Flogger brush
based, acrylic glaze can now be obtained which is much faster drying. A tinted glaze has
to be applied before any sort of broken finish can be produced.

Glue size: See SIZE.

Gold size: A rapid-drying VARNISH, usually oil VARNISH, usually used as

an adhesive in traditional GILDING and as a medium for some quick-drying
paints.

Gouache: Beautiful concentrated colours in a water base which give an

Gilding process
especially clear, fresh, matt finish. They can be used neat to decorate panelling
(or furniture) or can be used to tint water-based colours or COLOURWASHES.

Graining: A highly specialised art reproducing every sort of wood grain using paint in a most realistic manner.

Japanning: Old term for LACQUERING, dating back to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century
imitations of imported lacquer work from the Far East.

Lacquering: A technique involving the patient application of many coats of VARNISH, one upon another;
sanded down each time when dry before another coat is applied, to create a smooth, lustrous finish. The
original lacquering technique, which was developed in the Far East, involved applying many layers of
lacquer made from the sap of a lac tree. Lacquering is used for furniture, but a lacquer effect on walls can be
produced by applying eggshell or high gloss varnish over paint (with a roller to avoid brush strokes) or by
using a tinted GLAZE.

Limewash: A version of DISTEMPER that uses slaked lime instead of whiting in its
composition. It has a caustic action and so can irritate the skin.

Liming: The process of ‘whitening’ wood, particularly oak. Excellent for timber floors,
new panelling and oak furniture. Use the new liming paste, which incorporates an inert
white pigment and no caustic lime.
Limewash
Lining brush: A thin brush used to make narrow decorative lines. Artist’s sable brushes application
work very well, or a SWORDLINER can be used.

Marbling: The technique of producing faux marble. This can either copy a
particular type of marble as closely as possible or give the general effect of marble.
The latter approach is sometimes known as marbleising.

Milk paint: A simple CASEIN PAINT, in which powder colours are mixed with
buttermilk or skimmed milk. It was widely used in Colonial America and produces
Marbling effect lovely, clear colours and a smooth, flat finish. Protect with matt VARNISH.

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Mottler: A brush used to mottle, highlight or distress GLAZES when GRAINING.

Oil paint: This comes in three finishes: gloss, semi-gloss and matt or flat. It is soluble in white spirit or
turpentine and takes much longer to dry than water-based varieties.

Over-grainer: Very small brush with clumps of soft hairs like individual long-pointed artist’s brushes. It
is used to add fine detail or a darker grain to GRAINED surface – in other words, to delicately add colour,
rather than take it off as most paint-finish brushes do.

Pigment: The colouring element of paints. It is available in many forms, including powder; compressed cakes
or blocks; artist’s oil, GOUACHE or ACRYLIC colours; and universal STAINERS. In general, like should be
mixed with like – SOLVENT thinned pigment with SOLVENT thinned paint, and water-thinned powders with
water-thinned paint – but universal stainers can be mixed with either oil- or water-based paints.

Polyurethane varnish: See VARNISH.

Priming: A primer is generally used on new surfaces (wood or plaster) to seal it before applying an
UNDERCOAT and then final finishes.

Ragging: Using rags to achieve a particular painted finish. The exact finish
depends upon the type of fabric used.

Rag-rolling: Using a rolled rag to get the desired effect when RAGGING.

Rottenstone: Fine, grey abrasive powder, bought from specialist paint shops. It
is mixed with lemon oil, baby oil or sunflower oil to form a paste, which can be
used to give the final polish to a wall that has been varnished.
Ragging effect

Scumble: See GLAZE.

Shellac: A quick-drying spirit-based VARNISH, available in ‘transparent’ form (actually, a yellowy-brown);

orange or white (which is almost clear) and a form called ‘knotting’. The knotting variety is used to seal
knots on new wood surfaces. Orange shellac, also known as button polish, can be used to go over metal leaf
to simulate gold.

Size: Also known as glue size, this serves as a medium to bind paint. In addition, it can be used as a sealant,
instead of PRIMER, to prevent fresh plaster (and also unpainted wood) from absorbing too much paint
when being painted, or too much paste when being wallpapered. Plastic- based sizes such as PVA (polyvinyl
acrylic) are used with synthetic paints like EMULSION, and animal sizes with natural paints such as
DISTEMPER and CASEIN PAINTS. The best quality is made from rabbit skin.

Solvents: Used to dilute paint, GLAZE or VARNISH and to clean brushes. WHITE SPIRIT and
TURPENTINE are both solvents for oil-based products, and water is the solvent for water-based products.

Spattering: A simple, BROKEN-COLOUR technique that consists of

spattering a dry surface with dots of colour. It is an additive technique.

Sponging: This technique can either be additive (by sponging colour onto
a previously painted surface) or subtractive (by dabbing GLAZE off for a
distressed effect). Either way, it is one of the easiest finishes to achieve.
Sponging effect

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Stainers: Synthetic dyes, which are obtainable in good artist’s suppliers and paint shops. They can be used
for tinting paints and GLAZES. Universal stainers can be used for either oil-based or water-based paints.

Stencilling: The application, usually repeated, of paint though cut-out shapes in

a stencil, using a STENCILLING BRUSH or sponge. A stencil that will be used
on walls should be cut from oiled manila card or acetate to make it long-lasting.

Stencilling brush: A short, plump brush with shorn-off hog’s hair bristles, which
looks rather like a shaving brush. It gives a more interesting effect with a crisper
edge than an ordinary brush.
Stencilling with a
stencil brush
Stippling: A good, soft finish for a large area. The effect is produced by gently
dabbing a STIPPLING BRUSH against a wet GLAZE or coat of paint.

Stippling brush: A rectangular brush with long and short detachable handles.
The long one is used for STIPPLING walls, the short for close work. It lifts
off fine flecks of paint to produce the typical stippled and freckled effect very
well indeed. Cheaper alternatives are a man’s old hairbrush or an old clothes
brush.
Stippling brush
Swordliner: A type of LINING BRUSH used for making fine, thin lines, particularly in MARBLING. Its
bristles taper to a point.

Trompe L’oeil: Literally, to trick or deceive the eye by painting illusionist effects, particularly
using shading and highlighting, and perspective.

Turpentine: A SOLVENT used for cleaning brushes as well as for thinning artist’s oil paints.

Undercoat: Standard paint to apply as a thin, dry coat before main coats of paint for a better
finish.

Universal stainers: See STAINERS Swordliner

Varnish: Final transparent layer to harden and protect a decorative finish. Varnishes come in matt or flat,
semi-gloss and gloss finishes. The quick-drying acrylic varnishes, which are water-based, are superseding
polyurethane and oil-based varnishes.

Verdigris: The blue-green shade that copper and bronze turn with age. It can be
replicated in paint on any surface.

Wash: See COLOURWASH.

White spirit: A SOLVENT used to dilute oil-based GLAZE or paint and to soften old
EMULSION finishes.

Verdigris Whitewash: See DISTEMPER.

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end of tutorial two (2).
We hope you are enjoying and benefiting from your course.

Please make a point of revising these notes until you are totally
familiar with the content and techniques presented.

Please find guidelines for your assignment on the following page.

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assignment two
For this assignment, choose no more than TWO of the colours scheme types
from the list on pages 24 and 25 of the tutorial. Then, using the colour wheel,
create two colour schemes (one for each type). The purpose of this assignment
is to assist you in grasping the concept of the colour wheel. Your schemes are
to comprise of paint colours only.

Each colour scheme should be created for a specific room - either real or imagined.
Traditionally, paint swatches would be collected from your local paint or hardware store,
however, sometimes people find it difficult to find the time to get to a store. As such, we will
provide you with suggestions below on how to complete the assignment without leaving your
own home. Please see the ‘Complete your assignment 100% online’ section below.

Presentation:
In most instances, paint swatches will be arranged on an A4 backing card of a neutral colour,
such as pale cream or grey. You should always avoid a white backing, as this affects the
perception of colour and a neutral colour will have more impact if including in your portfolio.
When arranging the swatches on your page, the key colour (intended to cover the most surface
area) should be the largest block, with secondary colours shown smaller and accent colours
smallest.
Balance the colours on the board as they would appear in a room, with the ceiling colour at the
top and skirting colour at the bottom.
If the swatches you find are too small to cover enough space, collect multiples and stick them
together to create your desired size.
For the purpose of this assignment, creating your schemes electronically using online samples
is acceptable. Do keep in mind that for an actual client you would need to show real samples/
colours for approval and sign-off.
This will help to differentiate between the key, secondary and accent colours.

Next to each colour swatch, include the following information, clearly labelled:
• The colour status, i.e. whether it is a Key, Secondary or Accent colour.
• The colour as stated on the colour wheel, i.e. Yellow-Green, Violet etc.
• The colour type, i.e. whether the colour is pure, a tint, tone or a shade.
• The location of the colour in the room, i.e. walls, picture rails, architraves, ceiling.
• The paint finish you would specify i.e. matt acrylic, gloss enamel.

Please include all labels. If some are missing, you will be asked to resubmit this assignment.
At the bottom of the card, include the scheme title and the colours that make up this scheme.

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assignment two (continued)

DO NOT:
• Recreate the colour wheel itself.
• Recreate colour schemes from magazines or your own home (for this assignment, you are to
only focus on the painted surfaces)
• Include descriptive writing about the space – this exercise is focused purely on your grasp of
using colours together.
• Include the names of the paint colours devised by the paint company e.g. ‘Sunset Glow’.
Instead, refer to colours by their name on the colour wheel e.g. yellow-orange.

Complete your assignment 100% online:

You are welcome to obtain your colour swatches online if you don’t want to go to a paint shop. To
do this, may we suggest you use an online paint supply website and right-click on the paint sample
image and select ‘save as’ to save a JPG image of each of the colours you wish to pull together
in your scheme for this assignment. You may also prefer to use the Snip & Sketch tool from your
computer if you are familiar with this.
You will need to save the photos/pictures of the colours (as above, right-click and save to a folder
on your computer). From there you will be able to crop images and insert them into your document
so you can present your colour scheme.

Here are some links you will find of use to complete this assignment:

www.dulux.com.au/specifier/colour/colour-atlas
This is the best online paint site we know of. It has a great selection of colours. You will need to
click on download colour and then you should be able to copy/paste it into your document).
The great thing about the Dulux site is that all colours link back to the colour wheel. Visit:
www.dulux.com.au/specifier/colour/colour-atlas and then click a colour on colour range bar
and it will take you to a selection of like colours.
Or
www.homebase.co.uk/our-range/paint-and-decorating/paint (if you use images from this site, it is
best to crop the samples so they will be square/rectangle for presentation on your board.
Or
www.porterspaints.com/colours
Or
You may find another site you’d like to use after a quick Google search.
To submit, please scan, photograph or save a pdf of your colour schemes and email them to the
College.

HOT TIP: If you are using Word click here to read how to change the background colour of your
page to present your colour scheme on. If you are using another program, a quick Google search
should provide you with instructions.

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colour scheme info
When developing your colour schemes, keep the following
points in mind:
• Always analyse colours in natural light. You won’t be
able to do this with online colours and in addition, they
will look different from screen to screen. As such you
will need to use your judgement with these.
• The key or dominant colour is the colour that will cover
the largest visible surface area in a room, not the boldest
colour in a scheme.
• Further to the above, if using a colour wheel, the apex/focal point of the equilateral
and isosceles triangles should point to the dominant colour in either a triadic or split
complementary scheme, then the other two colours in your scheme will lie at the other two
points of the triangle you are using.
• For a tetrad scheme, the apex/focal point is where the dotted rectangle and square shapes
converge, and this point should be aligned with your key colour on the colour wheel. After
lining up your key colour with this point, the other three colours for your scheme will lie at the
other three points of the square or rectangle, depending on which one you are using.
• All colour sectors on the wheel are regarded as ‘pure’ colours but are grouped into: primary
colours (red, blue and yellow), secondary colours (green, violet and orange), and tertiary
colours (yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange and yellow-orange)
• When you create your schemes use the colour wheel for reference only, don’t replicate the
colours from the wheel as these are only a guide.
• We highly recommend that you select your two scheme types from pages 24 and 25 of Tutorial
(2) first, and then find swatches (of various tones, tints and shades of the specific colours) that
correspond to your chosen schemes.

frequently asked questions

Q: Where do black and white fit on the colour wheel?
A: Pure black and white can be used in any colour scheme without changing the scheme. For
example, if you decide on a split complementary scheme, but have a white ceiling, you include the
white on your colour board but choose three other colours to form the split complementary scheme.

Q: Do I have to use all of the two, three or four colours that the scheme I have chosen points
to on the colour wheel?
A: Yes you do, but you don’t have to use them in the same strength that they appear on the colour
wheel. For example, if you chose a split complementary scheme using yellow, blue-violet and red-
violet you could use a very light tint of yellow for the ceilings and various tints, tones and shades of
the other two colours for the walls etc.

Q: Can you use one of the colours from the colour scheme for furnishings instead of paint colours?
A: No, for this assignment, you must focus purely on paint colours.

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assignment two examples
Please click here to access examples of Assignment Two.
These examples will demonstrate how previous students have approached the task and we hope
they can provide you with further guidance as to what is required. You will still need to apply
your own thoughts and concepts to the task and ensure you meet the task requirements within
your own presentation.
If you do have any remaining queries or require further clarification, please review the
guidelines and contact us by email with any questions you may have.

submission details
Submit via email: assignments@britishcollegeofinteriordesign.com
OR
Submit via Student Portal: log into the Student Portal, select ‘My Assignments’ then ‘Submit
Assignment’ in the left hand menu, and follow the prompts to upload.

Include: Name & assignment number in the subject line of your submission.
e.g. John Smith A2

Format: Please compile all work into one document. Send as a PDF (preferred) or a
Microsoft Word file, and ensure file size is kept under 10MB. When naming
your file, ensure you use text only, no special characters (such as # ‘ - , { etc.).

Please Note: If the College receives your file and it is larger than 10MB, it will
be returned to you with a request that you resave your document so that you are
able to practise the skills required, so you are industry-ready. See Emailing Under
10MB in Tutorial (1) for further instruction. Keep in mind that in this instance your
tutor is your client. Please ensure you present your work to the best of your ability.

Please ensure you save copies of your work.

Send any assignment questions to: questions@britishcollegeofinteriordesign.com

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