You will read short texts, explore key vocabulary, and complete exercises to check your understanding. Get ready to describe colors, match styles, and express your own design ideas — all in English!
Let’s begin!
Colour theory encompasses a multitude of definitions, concepts, and design applications. As an introduction, here are a few basic concepts.
A colour circle, based on red, yellow, and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colours in 1666.
Primary colours – red, yellow, and blue. In traditional colour theory, these are the 3 pigment colours that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other colours. All other hues are derived from these 3 hues.
Secondary colours – green, orange, and purple. These are the colours formed by mixing the primary colours.
Tertiary colours – yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green. These are the colours formed by mixing one primary and one secondary colour.
Colour harmony
There are many theories for harmony. Here are some basic formulas.
A colour scheme based on analogous colours. Analogous colours are any three colours which are side by side on a 12-part colour wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually, one of the three colours predominates.
A colour scheme based on complementary colours. Complementary colours are any two colours which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green, and red-purple and yellow-green.
A colour scheme based on nature. Nature provides a perfect departure point for colour harmony.
When you choose a colour scheme, you're also choosing a mood. Research shows that colours can have a powerful effect on your state of mind: choose the wrong colour for a room, and it could make you feel depressed, sluggish, irritable, or anxious every time you walk into it.
To make your home work for you, it's a good idea to decide which particular feelings and activities you'd like each room to encourage, and then choose your colour schemes accordingly.
White provides a blank canvas and allows your feelings full play. Choose it if you want to feel open to new ideas and need space to think. Avoid it if you're feeling unsure or insecure.
Like those one-size clothes, cream fits everyone but only really suits a few. Choose it as a calm backdrop to an intense lifestyle. Avoid it if you feel uninteresting or lacking in sparkle.
Red is a stimulating colour if you're confident and versatile, overpowering if you're not. Bright reds spell sexiness. Choose it if you're an extrovert in all areas of life. Avoid it if you suffer from claustrophobia, tire easily, often feel pressured or irritable.
Orange is impulsive and friendly. It is often chosen by fatalists who take life as it comes. Choose it if you're outgoing and want to create a sociable atmosphere. Avoid it if you're under stress.
Pink blends caring and passion, hence its romantic associations. Choose it in warm shades for the bedroom. Avoid it in cool pastel tones, if you don't want to blunt your drive and energy.
Yellow is the colour of sunshine and optimism. Yellow is the choice of those who want to compensate for a lack of control in the outside world. Choose it if you're feeling depressed or mentally sluggish. Avoid it if you tend to be impulsive or slapdash.
Green is extremely restful and can have a deadening effect in activity areas. Choose it if you're introverted or bookish. Avoid it if you're lethargic or withdrawn.
Turquoise combines a soothing effect with a great sense of renewal and energy. Choose it to promote positive relaxation and to help fight insomnia. Avoid it: hardly ever.
Blue appeals to conventional and conformist types. Choose it to bring relaxation and harmony, to calm a driven nature. Avoid it if you feel passive and unambitious about life.
Violet is a spiritual and meditative colour. Paler shades indicate emotional immaturity. Choose it if you're extrovert and to create grand impressions. Avoid it if you're an introvert in any way.
Brown is the colour of achievement, but it can be depressing if the shade is too dark. Choose it if you're insecure, but lighten it with bright colour accents. Avoid it if you're easily depressed.
Black is the ultimate achievement colour. Choose it if you're assured and successful. Avoid it if you're low on self-confidence or anxious.
Grey expresses achievement if used in darker tones. Lighter ones suggest a need to impress. Choose it in small quantities to make a confident statement. Avoid it over large areas if you feel uninspired.
A well-chosen palette can add depth to your design, but too many multi-coloured elements may create chaos rather than harmony. A monochromatic design using different shades of a single colour creates an elegant, unified look. If you prefer something simpler, an achromatic approach—using just black, white, and shades of grey—can make a powerful statement, especially in modern interiors.
For those who love bold contrasts, a black-and-white colour scheme is timeless and sophisticated. Transparent or translucent materials can help to lighten up a space and create an airy, modern feel. For a room that feels full of life, use colourful accents, but keep the overall design balanced.
If you prefer more natural tones, consider incorporating dark green for a restorative effect, or light green for a refreshing, vibrant feel. Yellowish tones, such as soft mustard, can bring warmth and coziness to a room. If you need something neutral, beige works well as a calm, versatile backdrop to other colours.
For a dramatic touch, you can experiment with a scarlet red accent wall, or use lilac to add a soft, romantic element. Turquoise is another great choice for bringing energy into a room, while azure can evoke feelings of the sky and ocean.
If you're after sophistication, jet black can add depth and elegance to any space, while grey tones can create an atmosphere of understated achievement.
1. Colour harmony is always based only on using complementary colours.
2. Red is a stimulating colour and is suitable for confident and versatile people.
3. If you are feeling mentally sluggish, you should choose the colour yellow to improve your mood.
4. Pink is associated with cool shades and is not recommended for the bedroom.
5. Green is a colour recommended for active people as it stimulates energy.
6. Dark green in interior design helps create a restorative atmosphere.
7. Yellowish tones, such as mustard, add warmth and coziness to a room.
8. The colour azure can evoke feelings of the sky and ocean.
9. People with low confidence should avoid using jet black in their interior design.
10. Using transparent or translucent materials can create a light and modern atmosphere.
Contemporary style of decoration
You might like a contemporary style of decorating if you like to keep current with styles, enjoy things that are modern, of today, right now. While it's been thought that modern interiors are cold and minimalistic, today's contemporary interiors are comfortable and welcoming without being cluttered and dark.
It's a style that is equally appropriate for stores and lofts, retreats and homes. A contemporary style home can be a quiet and comfortable retreat. To achieve the look of a contemporary home, it's important to stick to some basic rules. Fundamentally, simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define contemporary style decorating. Interiors showcase space rather than things. By focusing on colour, space, and shape, contemporary interiors are sleek and fresh.
Colour
Neutrals, black, and white are the main colours in contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up and accented with bright and bold colour. With walls painted in a basic neutral, you have a wonderful backdrop for bold coloured accessories. If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral. If a wall is a bright, bold colour, neutrals should be used everywhere else.
Line and space
The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary style interior design is line. It's found in architectural details, use of bold colour blocks, high ceilings, bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture. The bare space, on walls, between pieces of furniture, and above in upper areas, becomes as important as the areas filled with objects. In contemporary interiors, less is more. Each piece stands out as individual and unique. Take advantage of structural elements. Air ducts may hang from a ceiling, broken bricks provide texture and stability, and exposed plumbing pipes are perfectly acceptable in a contemporary style interior. To draw the eye, paint these structural details in bold contrasting colours, or to diminish their importance, blend them with the walls.
Contemporary Style Furniture
Smooth, clean, geometric shapes are essential for contemporary style furniture pieces. Upholstered furniture often wears black, white, or other neutral tones in textured natural fibres.
Cover it in a neutral, black, or bold fabric. Fabrics often have a natural look found in wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute, and add textural appeal. Furniture pieces should be simple and uncluttered, without curves or decoration. Sofas, chairs, and ottomans have exposed legs. Beds and chairs usually have no skirt, trim, fringe, or tassels.
Keep in Mind
Use furniture and accessories to make a bold statement in a contemporary style interior. Use a basic background and shout out with your favourite colour on a piece that will stand out.
Less is more! In a contemporary style interior, don't use ruffles, excessive carved details, fringe, or floral prints. Abolish cute and small. Go basic, bare, bold, and structural.
Floors in a contemporary style home should be bare and smooth in wood, tile, or vinyl. If you must use carpet for sound control or warmth, choose commercial grades. Add colour and texture with plain or geometric-patterned area rugs.
Instructions:
1) Choose a room type: It could be a living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, or store.
2) Use key vocabulary: In your description, make sure to incorporate the following categories of words:
- Adjectives: such as contemporary, current, modern, bold, unique, sleek, etc.
- Nouns: like simplicity, texture, ceiling, ducts, palette, neutrals.
- Verbs: such as achieve, stick to, define, showcase, stand out, draw, etc.
4) Use descriptions: Explain how you will maintain simplicity and restraint while making the space interesting and comfortable. How will you use color and form to create a harmonious space?
Tropical chic is one of the most popular looks today. It includes comfortудобство, warmthтепло, and a touchприкосновение of the exoticэкзотика, using jungleджунгли themesтемы, restfulспокойный coloursцвета, and naturalнатуральный texturalтекстурный elements. It's a style that has fresh appeal with touches of traditional. This is not the multi-colouredмногоцветный jungle look you might chooseвыбрать for a child's room. Instead, it might be defined as "lush minimalism" since it mixesсмешивает lots of textureтекстура and intricate patternузор with simple details and a few large accessoriesаксессуары. Common motifs includeвключать stylized palm trees, large leafed banana plants, monkeys, animal prints, rattanратан, leatherкожа, and grass cloth. This look is most often used in living rooms and family rooms, but can be adaptedадаптирован for master suites and bathrooms as well. Here are some of the underlying elements and themes of a tropical look room.
- Comfortable upholstered furniture is a must in a tropical room.
- Long horizontal lines underscoreподчеркивать a casual look and addдобавить to a restfulспокойный mood, while taller elements such as plants, screens, or artworkискусство addдобавить a grand scaleмасштаб.
- Neutral tones including ivory, beige, camel, tan, deep brown, soft gold, and pale yellows are the foundationоснова of a tropical themed room. Greens are also a major element in shades that range fromколебаться от light sage to avocado and from yellow-greens to a green that is nearly black. Accents might be in dark brown, black, or even muted reds.
- Furniture in a tropical room is often large in scaleмасштаб and selectedвыбранный for comfortудобство and utilityполезность. Accent pieces in wickerплетеный, bamboo, iron, and rattanратан will also fitподходит well with the look.
- Fabrics should be soft and lush. Neutral solid chenilles are perfect for the major upholstered pieces. Pillows, ottomans, and chairs might be done in jungle prints and leaf designs.
- Wood furniture pieces and wood flooring fitподходит well into this look. Light woods can be used but addдобавить more weight to the room by mixing in some dark tables, lamps, or furniture feet.
- The main motifs used would be the tropical jungle look and animal designs (monkeys, elephants, etc.) used in fabrics, accent itemsпредметы, and accessoriesаксессуары.
- Animal designs figure prominentlyзаметно in a tropical room. Consider using both animal hide designs such as leopard spots and zebra stripes as well as animal images such as monkeys, lions, and elephants.
- Large plants, especially palm trees, are a perfect addition to a tropical themed room. Considerучесть using them in corners and uplight from underneath using inexpensive can lights.
- Because island prints, leaves, and animal prints are a feast for the eye, avoidизбегать overdoingпереусердствовать the room's accessoriesаксессуары. A few large plants, lamps, books, and some carefully selected large-scale accessoriesаксессуары will usually be enough. Keepсохранять it simple and spare.
- Window coverings should exhibit a naturalнатуральный quality. Bamboo or matchstick blinds, breezy linen panels, or plantation shutters are all choices that will fitподходит into this look.
- Grass cloth, baskets, rattanратан, and wickerплетеный in naturalнатуральный tones addдобавить another layer of textureтекстура to the room. Considerучесть these materials for wall coverings, corniceкарниз boards, folding screens, ottomans, and more.
- Flooring might be hardwoodдеревянный, though tile or stone is another possibility. Accent the hard floor with area rugs of naturalнатуральный sisal.
- Artworkискусство will look best if it sticks to the colourцвет palette of the room - pale golds, ivory, browns, and greens. Hang prints with stylized leaf designs, exotic looking palm trees, and jungle animals.
- Light fixtures can addдобавить some whimsyприхоть with decorations in monkey, leaf, or jungle accents. Dark lamp shades will addдобавить more weight to the room.
- Tablewareпосуда looks might includeвключать naturalнатуральный coloured stonewareкаменная посуда, textured placemats, loosely woven fabric napkins, and sturdy glassware. Accessorize with wooden bowls, baskets, and bamboo.
