sbid feature – colourful character… the importance of colour in interiors

Karen Haller 01
Karen Haller

SBID - Society Journal Winter 2013 - Karen Haller.

When the prestigious Society of British Interior Design (SBID) called to say they would like to feature an extract of my colour in interiors* chapter in their Winter 2013 issue of their Society Journal, it was a resounding yes! So just for my blog readers, here’s a sneak peek of just a few things written in the SBID feature.

The benefits of clever colour use are often underestimated and there is much to be gained from architects and designers bringing colour psychology to their projects.

Colour is at the heart of everything we do. Interior designers and architects have an incredible social responsibility as they can often directly influence millions of people’s lives every single day by the colour choices they make.

“Colour is at the heart of everything we do.”

colour psychology
Colour is used to influence us through our behaviour and mood, making us move more quickly or slowly, feel more relaxed, eat more, increase productivity and even spend more. Get this right and you will attract your ideal customers, clientèle. Get this wrong and it will repel them.

power of colour
It is vital designers understand the power of colour and the long term effects for those using the space. Colour tone, combination, proportion and placement is key in any project both from a visual perspective and the overall mood. Even using the right colour but in the wrong tone and you could end up with adverse effects.

“We have a responsibility to get it right.”

We have already reached the dipping point in the UK where more people live in cities than in rural areas. We are changing from being rural to urban species, and by 2050 this will be a global phenomenon. The role of architects and designers in aiding the health and well-being of the global population is going to be more critical and vital, so the on-going colour research is of significant importance. We have a responsibility to get it right.

“I hope this will lead to the elevation of teaching colour.”

Continual colour research can only have a positive effect in raising the profile and understanding of all aspects and influences of colour. I hope this will lead to the elevation of teaching colour in the interior design and architectural syllabus.

Extract: Society: The official journal of the Society of British Interior Design | Volume 2 / Issue 1 / 2013

SBID – Society of British Interior Design www.sbid.org

*Colour design: theories and applications

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