I love working with color.
It was validating to read this fascinating research from 1963:
…brain wave activity was LOWER in the colorful room than in the grey room and heart response was SLOWER in the colorful room. Therefore, we may conclude that a dull environment tends to prod brain activity, which may induce anxiety, fear, and distress …
from Frank & Rudolf H. Mahnke’s book “Color and Light in Man-Made Environments”, commenting on Rikard Küller’s paper entitled “The Use of Space — Some Psychological and Philosophical Aspects”.
Cover photographed by Michael Larsen. Home with gorgeous red walls photographed by Brittany Ambridge.
Here’s a good example: one of the recent InsideWright’s interior design projects has been featured in HGTV Magazine.
This client has impeccable taste and didn’t need hand-holding. She asked me to weigh in on colors and furniture before she purchased. I recommended where to shop, and found pieces which she couldn’t find on her own. It was a true collaboration. She wasn’t in a rush and I didn’t rush her. We spent 2 years adding design elements to her home.
I love the contrasts here: soft, muted tones in the rug, art, and wall… with an earthy red, dead center, flanked by black. The balance of colors and shapes create a grounded movement.
The visual scale is everything in design. The marble statue used to live on a nearby credenza. I placed it on the floor near the chair because I had a hunch that it would work. To the client’s surprise… this favorite figure by Deborah Luna worked beautifully on the floor. It was eventually flanked by the slender, bottom-heavy drink table.
- Project Year: 2018
- Project Cost: ~$25,000
- Country: United States
- Follow my other projects: https://insidewright.com/
