COLOUR PLANNING FOR INTERIOR DECORATION

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28985, 28 August 1959, Page 2

COLOUR PLANNING FOR INTERIOR DECORATION

Although only some fully enjoy colour in its artistic form, everyone appreciates colour both in the natural world and in man-made surroundings. With thought and study everyone can also plan harmonious colour schemes' to enjoy at home. But there is more to colour scheming than meet the eye. Unknown to most people much research on colours is going on in laboratories. Tests on the emotive and psychological effects of colours were conducted by a group of Swiss scientists last year The results clarified vague popular opinion on the subject of colours.

Inmates of public and private buildings are deeply affected by their surrounding colour schemes, according to results of the tests. Tension can be minimised and ability to concentrate increased with subtle planning of colouring.

Children react happily to plain, bright primary colours in their leisure time. When they are working more restful tonings are an aid to concentration. Adults in general should prefer muted tonings on most occasions. For working quarters relaxing colour schemes are important and a clean sweep could well be made throughout New Zealand of all the varnished office desks; neutral grey-topped desks have a better effect. Standard Scheme A fair number of New Zealand homes would be probably be found to include colour schemes with cream and brown predominating —varnished woodwork and cream W’allpaper with a faint pattern Dulled individuality was 'the effect of this national stereotyped scheme, said a senior interior decorator, Miss Vera Mackay, who is colour consultant for a city firm As a result an initial inertia must be overcome before people would venture into imaginative colour scheming.

Once interest was aroused people approached colour in one of three ways, said Miss Mackay The first group had a cautious approach and used only greys and neutral colours. Second came the “middle-of-the-roaders” who achieved muted colour harmony with blended tints or shades. The third and popular approach was to create colourful discord. The trend in modern interior decoration in New Zealand was from the old-fashioned drabness towards over-bright designs. Distinguishable. in the general trend were two currents, one masculine and the other feminine. Men prefered a tailored functional scheme, favouring greys and browns. A woman often chose pink for its subtle unselfconsciousness —when she was planning for another woman. For herself, she chose something softer and more-com-fortable than the masculine scheme and was likely to use soft greens, she said. Education Much education was needed for people to be able to interpret lines of colour and unerringly match shades and tints from memory. Colour intelligence was similar to musical intelligence, said Miss Mackay. Tonal values must be appreciated and satisfactory harmony achieved. Popular and professional tastes were not compatible in New Zealand at present: architects and colour consultants were aware that most interior decors were a compromise between the two, said Miss Mackay. The gap between academic and lay taste on the matter was manifest in a kitchen colour scheme competition at present being conducted by two citv firms.

This was proving to be an interesting survey of popular demand for certain colours and of popular reaction to a free choice Results so far were most illuminating, said Miss Mackay. There were hundreds of entries and two tendencies were worth noting. Young married housewives tended to favour the middle-of-the-road course and the older married women favoured a variety of bright colours. After the competition there would be a display of a crosssection of entries in model form in a city store.