apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

When your color is feeling a little lopsided or "out of whack" try checking your planes. Not the ones in the sky, but the surface levels that your architecture and furniture create. For instance, check out the photo above...

The red/orange that graces the curtains can also be found in the rug on the floor, the throw on the chair, the painting on the wall and faintly, on the book resting on the side table. Likewise, the light pink color in the pillows on the couch can also be found on the lampshades against the wall, and a book on the credenza where the lamps rest.

Test The Theory: Hold your hand up to the screen and cover the red/orange in the carpet and in the throw. The room instantly feels heavy on the one side. The curtains would be too dominating without the repeating color on other surfaces around the room. You can do the same thing with the pink and eliminate the throw pillows on the couch (although by now your co-workers and family might be wondering why you keep holding your hand to your face). If it were only present in the lamps and the book, the color would feel lost and too pale to hold up to the vibrant curtains.

Sometimes making a room balance out can be a matter of switching the color of some of the major players in the room (furniture, window dressings, floor coverings) but often times problem spaces can be fixed (or ok rooms kicked up a notch) but rearranging a few accessories or stacking a few books in a different place. Think about the color choices your making by the commitment to location of your decor, it can make all the difference in the world!

(Image: Amanda Nisbet Design)