Holi Special, Some Tips for Interior Designing

Holi is just five days away and you are bound to think of colours. You may even be thinking of giving a new look to your home and office using new colours.Admittedly, all colours are beautiful, and choosing the right ones is not easy.
As it is, children, who enjoy Holi the most, would not mind if you were to start talking about colours for their room. Talking about the colour of your kids' bedroom, it is said that as a child grows into adolescence, it would be appropriate to use a brighter or darker shade of a colour. Just remember to keep it cheerful and not too overpowering.
Children also require an environment that induces relaxation and proper sleep. The paint should be durable and one that can be kept clean with a simple soap and water solution.
Asha Thakur, a Delhi-based interior decorator, says that the colour for a drawing room depends on the ventilation of the room and the amount of sunlight it receives. A north-facing room should not be painted blue as it will look cold. Paint it in slightly pinkish cream or warm beige; something with a bit of red in the mix.
Pale green is always nice and restful and makes a good background for most furnishing fabrics; it all depends on the composition of your soft furnishings. It is a good idea to pick a lighter shade of one of the colours you already have.
If you have dark furniture, it's important not to have dark walls. In any case, remember to pick a hue two shades lighter than the effect you want, as paint always looks darker when you get a lot of it on the wall. A warm ivory colour is always safe and always looks classy. If you have a fairly definite colour on the floor keep the ceiling white as it will pick up a reflection of the floor colour. A friend says: "We had a green carpet and pale green walls and the ceiling looked very pale green. But, it was painted white."
Your bedroom is a very private and personal area of the house; so, many people paint their bedroom walls a shade of their favorite colour. This is not just pleasing to their eyes, but subconsciously this colour also vibrates positive energy. It is the color that makes them feel at ease and they can identify with.
"A bedroom should have walls painted in a colour that promotes a sense of well being and security," says Sanjay Khanna of Kailashnath Khanna Projects. He talks about the colours of buildings with a great deal of authority. "Pastel shades of almost any colour are preferable to darker shades of any colour. These lighter shades are soothing to the eye and give the room the appearance of spaciousness," he offers. Painting a room white can create a bright and airy impression, but white can also be uninspiring or sterile. Adding colour to a room can give the space personality. Sticking with lighter colours will make the space look larger,but a darker colour can make a room feel cozy and welcoming.
"If you want the room to look larger, use cool shades in lighter tones. Cool colours give the impression of the walls being further away and opening up your space. Painting the trim and moldings around a room can also have an effect on the room's apparent size," Nuzat Alim, the director of ILD group, says.
You may want to make your bathroom a relaxing, stress-free spa with watery colours reminiscent of the sea. Or you may want to nudge your family to get going in the morning and inject some energy with splashes of zesty acid pastels. Take your inspiration from nature.
If you are planning new colours for your home, you can also think of giving new colours to your office as well.
Asha Thakur says that if you're working on projects that require intense concentration and focus, you'll need to be surrounded by non-stimulating, relaxing colours. There are just two colours that work well for most office environments. Light green with a yellow or blue base is a refreshing but restful colour that can add some warmth to the office and provide comfort if you're working alone. It's a soothing colour that won't make you sleepy; choose a medium green colour or sage to stay in productive mode all day long. These colours can enhance productivity and help create a semi-relaxing and comfortable ambience.
Gaurav Mittal, the managing director of CHD group, says: "I have observed that many big-ticket CEOs prefer light orange for their offices. It looks lovely. I thought orange evokes excitement, creativity and happiness."
And lastly, remember there are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations that can make or mar the overall effect.


HAPPY HOLI