Introduction

The use of colour in decor is at its best when it is appropriate to context and expresses the mood of place and the intentions of the contractor. Most artists depend upon their sensibility to colour and their training in design. Others fall back on aesthetic theories (see AESTHETICS) or pattern books and manuals.

An important aspect of colour decor is the relationship it might have with the environment, whether it camouflages, harmonises, stands out or shocks.

Sometimes colour decor has to create a very specific effect, as in banks, factories, hospitals, schools and churches, where the colour schemes may be devised for status, legibility, stimulus or sedation, motivation and contemplation.

In the history of colour decor the eras have expressed both zeitgeist and spirit of place in very different ways. The richness of materials in Byzantine art gave it a lavish and golden depth of colour. In Early Renaissance decor there was often a lightness and freshness of expression and the use of a dragée sweetness of colour.

A heavy depth of colour and chirascuro is characteristic of Baroque ornamentation as against the spectral brilliance of Rococo colouring.

The Significance and Usage of Individual Colours

Colour for Offices

DIY and Professional note

Bibliography and Colour Dictionaries

 

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