Expert advice: five tips for open-plan living
A colour changes depending on the light and this is the most common reason why a colour scheme that you might have copied from another room or magazine doesn’t look quite the way you had hoped. You need to consider at which time of day is the room used most, what direction does the room face and what is the main light source.
Natural light:
- A south facing room will have weak, cool natural light: use warm pale shades of yellow, gold and pink.
- A north facing room will have strong light with plenty of sunshine. Balance the brightness with muted pastels and cooler shades like green, blue and mauve.
Artificial light
- Ordinary tungsten bulbs cause a yellow glow that robs colours of their yellow tone. For a room that will be used mostly at night, compensate by choosing warmer colours that have a little more yellow in them.
- Low energy and fluorescent bulbs cast a cool watery light that robs colours of vibrancy. Choose from fresh, warm and rich colours to compensate.
- Halogen light cast clear white light and is the best artificial light to display all colours to their maximum potential.
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