Don’t Be Afraid of Color

Color is a key component in decorating. Whether in the Hamptons, New York City or points beyond, it can completely change the mood of a room. So how can you use color to its greatest impact? We turned to David Kaplan of David Kaplan Interior Design, LLC. for the answers.

The Question: How can we use color without getting tired of it in a short time?

The Answer from David Kaplan of David Kaplan Interior Design, LLC: Don’t be afraid of using color in decorating schemes. If you have a favorite color, why not use it in the room or rooms in which you will spend the most amount of personal time? For variety, you can use a darker range in one room and a lighter range version in another or combine it with other varying colors. For a simple yet bold color scheme I would recommend using mainly light neutrals (white/off-white, beige, grey), plus one or two accent colors.

The easiest and most flexible way to introduce color is with paint on walls or with color accessories that can be easily changed out in the future. All rooms under the same roof should relate in some way but especially in larger homes try changing it up from one room to the next (even subtle changes help) since too much of the exact same thing throughout the house can be too repetitious and uninteresting.

Not only are accent walls an obvious and effective option but, to create dynamic visual interest I often form separate spatial volumes within the same room or space, wrapping one color into corners and around bends or turns to define a certain area, contrasted with a second color in another part of the room or space. Maintaining an overall visual balance is important when utilizing this method.

In my opinion, the most interesting and sophisticated color palettes are comprised of tertiary colors (colors made by mixing two secondary colors together or by mixing a primary color with the secondary color closest to it in the color spectrum) and those that are muted, in unexpected combinations. I find these color palettes that are a bit hard to define in simple terms remain intriguing and appealing over longer periods of time.

Have your own questions about using color in your home or another interior design project of your own? You can contact David Kaplan at David Kaplan Interior Design, LLC at 212-462-4329 or online at www.dkidllc.com.