Color your world
By Jessica Feldheim

Selecting the most appropriate colors for your home or business, indoors or outside, can be a psychologically
motivating and spiritually enriching process. The right colors can do so much more than simply imbue your
environment with their own unique qualities and beauty; they can engage and stimulate the mind in new and creative ways, creating a feeling of general health and wellbeing.

Arriving at the optimum combination of colors for your space requires a great deal more than intuitive or ''gut''
feelings; a mastery of ''the psychology of colors'' is a prerequisite.

My objective in selecting colors is to create a visual flow from one room to the next. Color harmony can be achieved in any environment, even where there are separate levels and/or rooms. Often I might suggest painting a wall with an intense accent color, to help create visual movement and heighten interest.

When working with clients, be they architects, contractors, or business / home owners, I try to remain alert to clues that may prove to be the key to choosing the most appropriate color combinations.

Not everyone reacts the same to any individual color. Among the many possible responses are one or more of the following: enhanced feelings of wellbeing and happiness; modified perceptions of warmth or cold; enhanced comfort, security; dark spaces seem brighter and glare in sunfilled spaces is muted; dull areas seem somehow to be exotic, mysterious, romantic, and static areas are energized.

In New England's generally cold, dark climate, where the days are short and the winters long, it is advisable to choose warm colors. Red is considered to be the warmest color in the spectrum. It is powerful, can elicit excitement and vitality, can generate high energy, and help create a sense of intimacy, passion and sensuality.

Because red can stimulate the appetite, it is frequently recommended for use in restaurants and dining rooms. But be careful not to use too much red; it can prove overstimulating. It can aggravate certain conditions like high blood pressure, heart conditions or mental disturbances.

Orange, too, is an effective space warmer, creating a feeling of liveliness somewhat less dramatic than red. Orange's general mood or attitude is friendly and welcoming; it is often an excellent choice for a living room, family room, or as an accent wall in a child's bedroom.

Ah, yellow, the eyecatcher, attentiongrabber; it can instill contentment, optimism and joy. It's a great color to use wherever mental clarity is required. It's ideal in dim spaces hallways, foyers and basements. But you must exercise care when choosing yellow for an infant's or an elderly person's sleeping space; too bright a yellow could cause anxiety.

If your orientation is more toward seascapes and ocean vistas, go with the cooler colors: blue, green, violet and their intermediates. They elicit feelings of peace, tranquility and relaxation. Blue awakens one's artistic expression, and can be an inspiring color for a bathroom, bedroom, meditation room or living room.

Blue is known also to suppress the appetite, so keep it away from areas where food is served, such as the kitchen and dining room. Too much blue could cause weariness, lethargy or coldness.

Green is the dominant color in nature and is welcome anywhere in the home. It can be lifegiving, and can elicit feelings of health, balance and growth.

There are so many greens and blues; selecting precisely the right one can be an intimidating problem. Light green works well in bathrooms and living rooms. Its calming effect makes it popular in hospitals, schools and work environments.

Throughout history, purple has been associated with nobility. It has a regal quality ideal for luxurious spaces, such as guest rooms. Although it can be considered an exotic color, purple can be a great choice for a child's bedroom or play area, because it can foster creativity.

Then there's pink, a great choice for little girls' rooms, powder rooms or bathrooms. It creates a feeling of happiness and trustworthiness.

Let's not overlook the browns, which are great for libraries and dens. They make people feel comfortable, secure and content. The combination of brown with a pale powder blue is fabulous.

The right shade of gray is ideal for creating tranquility and serenity in the office and other professional spaces.

For a rich, elegant, sophisticated appearance, look toward taupe.

Finally, create a highly contemporary, sleek look by going with black in combination with white, gray or chrome. The results can be dazzling.

7 steps to a colorful home

Step 1: Set the parameters. Discuss all essential aspects of the spaces involved dimensional overview, function, light sources, desired mood or ambience, project scale any and all considerations of importance to you.

Step 2: Daytime site walkthrough. Have the consultant visit your home and, together, verify and confirm your Step 1
impressions.

Step 3: Cost estimate. The consultant prepares and submits a detailed cost estimate.

Step 4: Hiring the consultant. With your questions answered and doubts allayed, you hire the consultant, and provide a deposit and your approval for the consultant to visit the project spaces intermittently during the next several weeks.

Step 5: Color palettes. About two weeks after being retained, the consultant will present two color palettes for your
consideration. At this point, you may need more time, in which case you bring the palettes home, live with the
swatches on the project's walls, ceilings, wherever they're destined to be, and let the mood permeate your being.

Step 6: Try on the new colors. It's best to buy a quart of the selected colors and apply them in 3foot by 3foot areas. As many as 3 coats are sometimes required. A minimum of 24 hours curing time is required. Priming may also be required. The consultant will help coordinate the purchase of selected color paints or mixes.

Step 7: Giving the goahead. You may wish to ''tweak'' a color. Now, if you are satisfied with the selections, you may
give the goahead. You're on your way!

Jessica Feldheim is an architectural color consultant