Interior Design – Considering the orientation of a space

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We happened across this extremely interesting and useful blog by Little Greene and thought we would share it with our readers. Particularly since receiving an influx in the requirement of our own interior design services, decorating and renovating seems to be at the forefront of many minds. One of our top questions when completing a client design brief is “What is the orientation of your room”.

 

When selecting a shade for your home, the orientation of the room is a big consideration.

The amount and direction of light entering a room can completely alter the appearance of a colour. Once you have created a shortlist of options from our colourcard, we always recommend sampling the colours in situ to ensure you select a colour that sits comfortably in your scheme.

Whether a space is bathed in natural light or has vastly changing light throughout the course of the day, the orientation of each room should be considered separately to ensure that you pick a shade that compliments the space.

 

South Facing Rooms

 

South facing rooms tend to experience warmer light, so colours can often appear more yellow. This means cooler whites such as ‘French Grey Pale’ or ‘Gauze’ will read as more neutral whites. Warmer whites such as ‘White Lead’ or ‘First Light’ will appear quite cream in tone.

Strong, bold yellows like ‘Yellow Pink’ or ‘Mortlake Yellow’ will radiate warmth, whereas dark blues like ‘Marine Blue’ and ‘Hicks’ Blue’ can be used in place of greys and blacks to achieve a neutral scheme with more depth.

 

Wall - Royal Navy
Wall – Royal Navy
Wallpaper - Zingara - Cerulean Sea, Skirting - Jack Black
Wallpaper – Zingara – Cerulean Sea, Skirting – Jack Black
Left Wall - Sage Green, Right Wall - Mortlake Yellow
Left Wall – Sage Green, Right Wall – Mortlake Yellow
Wall - Yellow-Pink, Door frame and skirting - Lamp Black
Wall – Yellow-Pink, Door frame and skirting – Lamp Black

 

North Facing Rooms

 

Colours in North facing rooms tend to appear consistently flatter and cooler than they would do bathed in natural light. Paler blues and greens may appear cold but experiment with stronger green-blues such as ‘Air Force Blue’ or ‘Canton’ for a warming impact. If you’re looking for something more neutral, shades with a pink or yellow undertone such as ‘Rolling Fog’ or ‘Stock’ provide an uplift when used in an all-over scheme.

 

Walls - Mushroom, Highlight Stripe - Pompeian Ash, Cabinets - Flint
Walls – Mushroom, Highlight Stripe – Pompeian Ash, Cabinets – Flint
Wall - Stock, Tiles - Sunlight, Units - Woad, Stool - Heat
Wall – Stock, Tiles – Sunlight, Units – Woad, Stool – Heat
Outer Stripe - Air Force Blue, Middle Stripe - Carys, Inner Stripe - Light Gold
Outer Stripe – Air Force Blue, Middle Stripe – Carys, Inner Stripe – Light Gold
Walls and woodwork - Linen Wash
Walls and woodwork – Linen Wash

 

West Facing Rooms

 

The natural light in West and East facing rooms changes dramatically throughout the day, so the function of the room is an important factor. Maximise the changing light by varying the strength of shades used within the neutral colour scheme. The ‘Colour Scales’ families provide four strengths of the same pigment which can be used in combination for a harmonious scheme. Utilise bold accent colours on architectural features or woodwork for a strong highlight.

 

Far Wall - French Grey Pale, Right Wall - Portland Stone Dark, Woodwork - French Grey Pale, Chairs - Sage & Onion
Far Wall – French Grey Pale, Right Wall – Portland Stone Dark, Woodwork – French Grey Pale, Chairs – Sage & Onion
Wall - Carlton House Terrace - Pompon, Desk - Tea with Florence, Dado Rail - French Grey - Dark, Lower Wall - French Grey - Mid
Wall – Carlton House Terrace – Pompon, Desk – Tea with Florence, Dado Rail – French Grey – Dark, Lower Wall – French Grey – Mid
Wall - Dorchester Pink - Mid, Door and Woodwork - Dorchester Pink
Wall – Dorchester Pink – Mid, Door and Woodwork – Dorchester Pink
Upper Wall - Aquamarine, Lower Wall - Ambleside, Back Wall - Aquamarine - Pale
Upper Wall – Aquamarine, Lower Wall – Ambleside, Back Wall – Aquamarine – Pale

 

East Facing Rooms

 

If the bedroom or perhaps kitchen faces East then make the most of the morning light with a strong or radiant colour to wake up to. Neutrals with a cool, blue or green undertone will help to create balance and will appear more subdued and restful in the evening light.

 

Panelling - Scree
Panelling – Scree
Upper Wall - Celestial Blue, Lower Wall - Marine Blue
Upper Wall – Celestial Blue, Lower Wall – Marine Blue
Upper Wall - Acorn, Lower Wall - Hopper
Upper Wall – Acorn, Lower Wall – Hopper
Upper Wall - Gauze, Lower Wall - Gauze - Dark, Side Table - Basalt
Upper Wall – Gauze, Lower Wall – Gauze – Dark, Side Table – Basalt

 

For further information regarding Little Greene products please refer to their website.

We hope you enjoyed this very useful blog from Little Greene. If you require unique designs for your home, please contact our experienced team of interior designers.

E-mail – Clare – clare@clarehollandinteriorcreations.co.uk

Telephone – Clare – 07971 091727

Website – www.clarehollandinteriorcreations.co.uk

 

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Telephone –07971091727
E-mail – clare@clarehollandinteriorcreations.co.uk