Apartment is no place for plain white walls

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/03/2004 (7858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HERE is an all-too-common scenario. You are living in an apartment, the walls were painted white when you moved in, and you haven’t had the time or the courage to make a change yet. You’ve heard that white is supposed to make a place look and feel bigger. All the rooms flow into each other and so you don’t know where to start and stop. Or, maybe you are only going to be there for a couple of years, so why take the trouble to paint?

I’ve heard all these excuses and more for living with a dull, builder’s white décor, and I’m not buying into any of them. There’s no need for the layout of a space to infringe on your desire for colour. The truth is that the colours you choose to live with should be dictated from within you, and not from the size or configuration of a few walls. It takes only one or two weekends to vastly change your surroundings, and there are plenty of tricks you can employ with colour that will enhance any living space.

Add a few drops of your favourite colour to a can of white paint and you’ll have a light pastel that will make all the difference. A pink or peach blush complements everything it touches; the softest blue is clean and peaceful, the palest tones of yellow are youthful and cheerful. Choose one as a backdrop for all your rooms, then add special character with colour accents, variations in sheen and texture.

Build a dramatic mood in the dining area with a wall drenched in colour; move to the other end of the spectrum and match up raspberry, burnt orange, royal blue and burnished gold with its corresponding pastel. Opt for neutral upholstery on a major furniture investment such as a couch, but play up the living room with a riot of cushions, jewel-toned light pendants, and art objects. There’s ample opportunity to inject colour in the kitchen. It can be as easy as lining up a row of glass or ceramic canisters along the counter, or applying tiles to the backsplash. For the bedroom, why not focus attention upwards and add a delicate pastel to the ceiling?

The reflection from mirrors, metallic finishes and glossy sheens will always produce an illusion of space. Light bounces off these surfaces, multiplying its effectiveness throughout a room. When I updated a basement apartment that was to be a young lady’s first home of her own, both colour and reflection played major roles. The existing dark panelling was painted in white, and then striped with gloss varnish. A grid of large mirrored glass squares covers one wall. The pale, glossed walls and mirrors allow the small amount of natural light to be maximized, and evening (artificial) light glows warmly.

The tiny kitchen, which is an extension of the living area, was a perfect place for colour. Upper cabinets have been painted metallic gray and the lower cabinets painted the same Retro orange as the existing countertops. The backsplash combines both elements — mirrored tiles grouted with more orange. And finally, to create a cosy sleeping nook, a partition was built, which I painted in Emma’s favourite colour: a deep, luscious raspberry.

Colour rules can be both confusing and intimidating. In this tiny apartment there are strong contrasts between light and dark, shiny and matte surfaces. By paying attention to the need for light, and Emma’s penchant for colour, there were no compromises. Small spaces love colour.

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Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.