Bridget Beari Color Rule #68 Contrast is the Key to Expansion
Contrast is the Key to Expansion
People always ask me "If I paint that room a dark color then the room will look smaller" or vice versa "Light colors will make it look bigger - right? " While in general these statements may be true it is really the creation of contrasts or lack of that diminishes or expands a room size.
Let's look at examples of this:
This foyer has a dark charcoal wall and ceiling with charcoal carpet as a runner on the stairs. While the dark color adds to the drama it is the white contrast trim that stops your eye and makes the room seem more intimate.
In this dining room it is the artwork that stops your eye on the navy wall which makes the dark color come closer to you.
On the opposite side less contrast in colors whether dark or light create spaces that recede.
Here the room is different shades of the same blue green color. This allows your eye to travel around the room creating volume and room seems larger even though it is painted a darker color. Painting the ceiling a lighter shade of the walls is another trick to heightening the ceiling.
Again in this room the use of low contrast makes the colors recede creating a larger room. Low contrast doesn't have to mean white or neutral. Here the room is paint a soft green - trim, doors, cabinetry and walls.
So remember " Contrast" when discussing expansion or diminishing a room size!
Happy Painting …
Bridget Beari Holiday Gift Guides 2022
'Tis the season for holiday gatherings with loved ones. For the special hosts who deserve something more thoughtful than a bottle of wine, (not that we don’t love a good Barolo or bubbly!) surprise them with a gift that they will enjoy long after the party is over! Consider these beautiful and stylish gift ideas for the exceptional hosts in your life.
Tablescape For The Holidays
Are you ready with your tablescape for the holidays? We can help!
A few fun and simple ideas
Bridget Beari Color Rule #56
How to Use a Bold Green
As Pantone announced the color of the year as Emerald green, Bridget Beari was already busy introducing our Exotic paint color line - 49 bright and brilliant colors. I find that using a bright color is very much a technique because you need to know how much is too much or garish. Green is a great color to do as a bold.
Here are our new bold greens - named after dogs of course! I mixed these so they would give just the right amount of punch without being too electric. Green is a cool color and as most cool colors do, it has a calming effect. You might say these bright colors are not calming but I feel it is all in the way they are used.
The adjectives that characterize green include money, growth, fertility, freshness, and natural. Other adjectives include envy, jealousy and quilt.
I love looking at things around me for inspiration in my color choices.
My everyday Green drink!
My love of succulents! Did you see my Echeveria at the Showhouse? I love the softness of these greens.
The best way to use these bright greens is to balance it with a contrasting color. Here they used a navy to set it off and cool it down.
Quadrille Fabrics
In Tory Burch's home they kept it clean with the high gloss white trim. Such a pretty shade. Similar to my Waikiki E27
The Bridget Beari showhouse octagon bookcase in high gloss also shows this crisp contrast with white. This is Pickle No. 37 from the Classic Collection.
Such a beautiful and dramatic contrast here as carpet in a black and white room. This is similar is Dizzie E25. Almost like that 70's Papagallo green!
So remember to venture into the exotic and order your Bridget Beari Paint deck at Bridget Beari Colors.
TIP
I thought this was a great idea for some smells in the powder room without a candle. Put a few drops of essential oil on the cardboard roll. The scent will fill the room.
HAPPY PAINTING
Find Your Palette
In today’s Bridget Beari Design Tip video, interior designer and color expert Susan Jamieson shows you how to find your decorating style and color palette. Look in your closet to discover starting points for designing a home that truly suits your unique personality. Susan is a classic-neutral!