| Throughout history, people have known about and | | | | least three but no more than six separate colours to |
| taken advantage of the power of colour. Colour can | | | | decorate. Of these one should be the lightest, another |
| influence behaviour, trigger emotional responses and | | | | should be designated as the accent and the other |
| there are those that believe colour has the power to | | | | colours should be somewhere in between the two. |
| heal. It's undeniable that colour has had an enormous | | | | The accent colour should be either the brightest or |
| influence on the development of humanity. | | | | darkest of all the chosen colours, and used in at least |
| The earliest civilizations used colour very much as we | | | | three different positions within the room. |
| do today. Roman Emperors wore the "Toga Picta" (a | | | | The majority of the bathroom should be decorated in |
| royal purple toga with gold embroidery) as a means to | | | | the lightest colour. Medium colours should be used in |
| indicate their status, Celtic tribes used the woad plant | | | | secondary areas such as shower curtains, window |
| to produce a deep blue dye which they used all over | | | | blinds and mirror frames, leaving the accent colour to |
| their bodies before going into battle and most | | | | be used on items like towels, rugs, soap dishes and |
| amazingly Indian tailors are recorded as making use of | | | | other small but important bathroom accessories. |
| many different colours of dye to produce printed | | | | For a small bathroom a popular alternative is to tile |
| cotton as early as 330 B.C. | | | | three walls in white or very light colours and have the |
| With colour being so vitally important to our everyday | | | | fourth wall painted in a dramatic and contrasting colour. |
| lives, it's only natural that we want our houses to be | | | | The white tiles will pick up hues of this colour and |
| coloured just the way we like. You may be surprised | | | | project them around giving the illusion of depth and |
| to know that over their lifetime the average person will | | | | making the whole room seem larger and less plain. |
| spend more than 2 years in the bathroom, so its only | | | | Applying Emphasis |
| natural that we should spend an appropriate amount of | | | | If you're really proud of a certain feature of your |
| time on making sure that the colours we use to | | | | bathroom and want the eye to be drawn naturally to it, |
| decorate it will compliment how we want our | | | | here are some tricks you can use to this effect: |
| bathroom to look and feel. | | | | To emphasise the floor, colour it darker than either the |
| The Temperature of Colour | | | | walls or the ceiling. |
| Everyone knows about the association of colours with | | | | A tray ceiling is an attractive way to add depth and |
| emotions, such as Red for passion, Blue for tranquility | | | | break up an ordinary flat ceiling line, and can be |
| and Green for peace, but were you also aware that | | | | inverted or recessed. Pick one colour and use a |
| colours have an associated temperature? | | | | darker shade of it on the tray and a lighter shade on |
| - Reds, Oranges and Yellows, the colours of the | | | | the rest of the ceiling. This will draw the eye naturally |
| burning sun, are warm. | | | | upwards. |
| - Blues, Greens and Purples, the colours of the grass, | | | | Add a decorative border along the skirting boards or |
| sea and sky, are cool. | | | | along the upper sides of the walls to focus attention in |
| - Blacks, Browns, Greys, Silvers and Whites, the | | | | those directions. |
| colours of the soil, are neutral. Warm colours make a | | | | Remember to make sure you buy and use special |
| room appear smaller and cosier & objects appear | | | | bathroom paint, designed with a high tolerance for |
| larger and heavier. Time appears to pass more quickly | | | | humidity. The more glossy the paint, the more light will |
| in warm spaces and warm colours & earthy | | | | reflect off the surface of your walls, and the brighter |
| tones encourage and maintain body warmth. Warm | | | | and more cheerful your bathroom will appear! |
| colours are a great way to re-energize the body if | | | | Say Goodbye to Clutter! |
| your job involves a lot of physical activity. | | | | There's nothing worse than feeling uneasy in your own |
| Cool colours make a room appear larger and more | | | | bathroom. You could have the most relaxing colours in |
| spacious & objects appear smaller and lighter. | | | | the world but if your bathroom is or feels cluttered |
| Time appears to pass more slowly in cool spaces. | | | | then the effect you're aiming for will be lost. However, |
| Cool colours are more conducive to mental activities | | | | there are a number of simple and inexpensive steps |
| and "dampen" sound effects. Cool colours are | | | | you can take to deal with this problem. |
| effective to encourage the body and mind to relax | | | | Painting bathroom furniture white makes it seem to |
| and unwind, and are well suited to those with jobs | | | | take up less space and thus a small room appears |
| where intense concentration is required for long | | | | larger than it actually is. Painting furniture in dark colours |
| periods of time. | | | | will naturally have the opposite effect, and is an |
| Neutral colours as the name suggests are not | | | | possibility where you have a large bathroom with |
| considered especially warm or cool. Neutral colours | | | | plenty of light. |
| depend largely on the colours around them and tend to | | | | Adding extra lighting can open up the look of your |
| reflect the attributes of those colours rather than | | | | bathroom. Wall sconces are highly affordable and will |
| possessing their own. Neutral colours are seen as quiet | | | | add warmth and depth to your room. If you're looking |
| and calming, and ideal for those with extremely | | | | to spend a little more on your bathroom, you can fit |
| stressful occupations! | | | | florescent tube lights, have larger windows installed or |
| Natural Expectations | | | | even add a skylight! |
| We may be several thousand years away from those | | | | Last but not least an increasingly popular step taken by |
| who lived outdoors all their lives and never knew a | | | | many designers is to install either one large or multiple |
| town or city, but the human brain still remains | | | | small mirrors above the bathroom sink. Mirrors reflect |
| conditioned after all this time to expect the darkest | | | | the light in the room, pick up the subtle shades, tones |
| colours at our feet, mid-range colours at eye level and | | | | and patterns and project them around the entire room, |
| the lightest colours high above us. | | | | making it appear larger and more colourful. For even |
| Some people like to take advantage of this ancestral | | | | more depth, install two full-length dress mirrors on |
| recall in their bathrooms to give the impression of | | | | opposite walls facing each other. You'll be amazed at |
| bathing in the great outdoors, using earthy tones of | | | | the results! |
| ceramic floor tiles, painting the lower halves of the | | | | Taking the Final Step |
| walls green and the upper halves and ceiling different | | | | While adding colour to a room is the cheapest and |
| shades of blue. To complete the experience, plants | | | | easiest way to dramatically change its appearance, |
| are often placed around the room and some people | | | | reactions to colour are personal to each individual. |
| even go so far as to have soothing music playing in | | | | What relaxes one person might put another's nerves |
| the background. | | | | on edge. Ultimately, it all comes down to a combination |
| Make Colour Work for You | | | | of past experiences, emotional associations and |
| However, regardless of your choice in bathroom | | | | personal preference. If it "feels" right, then follow your |
| colours, it is strongly recommended that you use at | | | | gut instinct and go for it! |