TOO DESIGNS FOUNDERS THOMAS & SUREEN ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOUR
As creatives whose lives are saturated in colour 24/7, we consider ourselves pretty well versed in best practice when it comes to incorporating hues and tones into our interiors.
With many years of experience in the design industry, our little creative team of two know that understanding how colour affects our feelings, moods and actions is key. Read on to hear about our design processes, our thoughts on colour psychology and interior decorating, and our trend predictions for 2021.
From architecture to product design…
Originally, we both had backgrounds in architecture and had our own practice for 17 years in South Africa before taking a leap and moving to Melbourne with our two young daughters. We started TOO Designs to explore a different side of our creativity and our passion for design and art. Funnily enough, we met on a blind date through a mutual friend but it turns out we both have the same taste for art & design! Despite what you might think, working together as a husband and wife team is very easy and fulfilling for us, and we see ourselves as lucky to be spending so much time together doing what we love!
Interiors rule our day-to-day experiences, and how we feel within them comes down to the colours we choose. We spend 90% of our lives indoors, so it makes sense that how you decorate and what surrounds you contributes to your attitude, emotions and daily behaviors. The decor and design with which you choose to fill your home can have a profound effect on your mental and physical health. Colour causes emotion so the design process begins with understanding how you want the room to 'feel' and then sourcing inspiration from there.
It’s all about the science... Though we may not always be aware of it, colour can actually have a strong influence over how we feel, think and even act. What is referred to as “colour psychology” is a study of that connection.
Ignoring colour psychology completely when decorating a space would be like watering a fake plant - a little pointless all in all! Colour psychology is a powerful interior design tool that impacts the mood of a room more so than any other factor. Different shades evoke certain emotions so, when choosing your colours, it’s important to consider the kind of atmosphere you wish to create and which colours will help you achieve this. For example - where red would bring high energy and strength to a space, green will evoke feelings of freshness, healing and calm.
Pantone’s Colours of 2021 have just been announced… And in a break from the usual, they have chosen not one but two colours to represent 2021 - Ultimate Grey and Illuminating - and we’ve fallen in love with them. Ultimate Grey is a balanced colour meant to evoke stability and calm and Illuminating is a yellow-toned colour that suggests enthusiasm, confidence and fun. Together, according to Pantone, they are designed to create a sense of fortitude and happiness - a pretty good way to start the year if you ask us.
When it comes to the interior design landscape, we can see exactly how this trend will work. We predict that Illuminating will be used more as a highlight and Ultimate Grey as a base colour from which to build a palette. When it comes to interior design, we often like to refer to the 60-30-10 rule. In this scenario, 60% would be your walls in white or light backdrop colour, 30% would be Ultimate Grey - this could be furniture, bed linens and rugs - and 10% would be Illuminating, acting as an accent - think pillows, a door, decorative accessories like lamps or clocks and artworks. We’re big fans of the 60-30-10 rule, and in the case of the new Pantone colours it would make incorporating them into your home easy whilst maintaining all-important balance. We’d also recommend pairing these colours with different textures like timber, fabrics, and metals to create more interest and warmth.
Over our years in the industry, we’ve found that it may not always be the colour that you like, but more the colour you need that is important to incorporate into your space. We need different colours throughout different life stages and scenarios to properly enhance our wellbeing and reap the benefits. The beauty of our products is that they give our customers the option to easily adapt to their unique needs and to change the mood of their interiors effortlessly.
