Canadian Living – September 2019

Coordinating colour

Designers often advise using

a palette made up of three

shades in varied proportions:

the main colour that would

go on the walls (60%), a con-

trasting colour to accentuate

a feature (30%) and a com-

plementary or highlighting

colour for accents (10%).

Pick Your Palette

Amalgamating all the

disparate pieces of a room’s

refresh often relies heavily on

unifying everything using

colour. So although you may

be tempted to start slapping

your favourite shade of paint

on the walls, hold off until

you’ve considered all the

components that need to be

incorporated.

Using pale shades

Canadians are drawn to whites

and pale neutrals, especially in

kitchens and bathrooms, but

these light shades are not all

created equal. To get it right,

think about the existing light

in the room; if any windows

are north-facing, for example,

chances are the light is cool,

so a white with a blue under-

tone will work. Spaces with

warm light can benefit from a

white with a yellow undertone.

Using dark shades

Charcoal, ebony, chocolate,

ink, midnight—luscious dark

colours can make a room feel

luxurious and dramatic and,

contrary to popular belief,

they don’t make a space feel

smaller. The key to using a

bold shade is to start small

(in a powder room, perhaps),

and not overdo it. Dark rooms

can seem quite formal, so

incor porate layers of natural

textures to lighten things up.

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66 | CANADIAN LIVING SEPTEMBER 2019

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