INTERIOR SERVICES LECTURE NOTES JAN 07 2025

LIGHTING AND COLOR IN INTERIORS

Introduction
• Colour is an important element of art which when used in interiors
can be the most fascinating tool to work with.
• It is the most fundamental and influential aspect of interior design.
• Colours can affect the mood of the room, can increase or
decrease stress, can relax or energize a person, cause excitement
or cheer up a tired person.
• Colours may be used to create illusions of space, luxury, warmth, or
coolness.
• As colour is a source of pleasure to most people, so everyone
should try to have beautiful colour schemes in their homes.
• The white light contains a full spectrum of colours. When light is
passed through a prism, the white rays of sunlight are separated
into the colours of the rainbow.
• These colours are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and
red.
• All objects around us can absorb one or more of these colours.
• Rays that are not absorbed are reflected in the eyes.
• These rays when fall on the retina of the eye (the light-sensitive layer
inside the eye) stimulate the optic nerve. This in turn produces the
sensation of light and colours in the brain.

DIMENSIONS OF COLOUR
1. Hue
2. Value
3. Intensity or Chroma

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Hue
It indicates the name of the colour. E.g. Red, blue, green. These are pure, bright,
and fully saturated colours. This characteristic of colour sets each colour apart
from all others. Colour wheel has 12 basic hues. Black, white, and grey are not
hues. When neighbouring hues on the colour wheel are mixed they are likely to
produce new hues that are harmonious and closely related. But when hues
opposite to each other are mixed they produce neutral hues. S hue can be
divided into three categories:
1. Primary hues: These hues cannot be created by mixing any other hues.
Example: Red, blue and yellow. All other hues are derived from the
combination of these three. These are placed equidistant to each other
on the colour wheel.
2. Secondary hues: These stand midway between two primary hues with
which it is produced. E.g. Violet (Red + Blue), Orange (Red + Yellow),
Green (Blue + Yellow) Green (blue+ yellow); Violet (Red + Blue), and
orange (Red + yellow).
3. Tertiary or intermediate hues: These stand midway between one primary
and one secondary hue with which it is produced. E.g. Blue-green, blue-
violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, and yellow-green

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 Value
• It indicates the amount of darkness or lightness of a colour.
• White is the lightest value and black is the darkest value.
• When white is added to any hue its value is raised and it is called
Tint. E.g. Red+white=Pink. These are values lighter than the normal
as indicated on the colour wheel.
• When the neutral colour gray is added to any hue, the hue
becomes dull and it is called tone. When colours are toned, the hue
remains the same, but colours look less vibrant and becomes subtle
and more pleasing to look at. Once a hue is made subtle its
brightness will not be regained.
• When black is added to any hue its value is lowered and it is called
shade. E.g. Red + black = Maroon. Sky blue is a tint of blue, navy
blue is a shade. Pink is the tint of red, whereas maroon is the shade
of red.
• The value of a colour is changed when you tint, shade, or tone a
hue.
• There are different ways in which tints, shades, and tones can be
used in your designs, but it depends upon what you are trying to
create.

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Intensity or Chroma
• It refers to the saturation or purity of a colour i.e. the dullness or brightness
of pure colour.
• Colour as seen on a colour wheel is at full intensity (bright). But when it is
mixed with black, white, or gray, it becomes dull.
• Colours also lose intensity when they are mixed with their complement
(the opposite colour on the colour wheel) E.g. bright green or dull green.
• It is the property describing the distance of the colour from grey or
neutral. While mixing colour, a bright colour may be subdued by mixing it
with a little of its complement or opposite colour.
• Light colours may have high intensity but dull colours have low intensity. To
reduce the intensity of colour, make a colour dull with its complement
colour.

QUALITIES OF COLOUR
a. Warmth or coolness: The colours that contain much yellow or red are
considered to be warm and those which contain blue and green are
regarded as cool. Warm colors are the colours of sunshine and cool
colours are associated with sky, water, ice, and foliage. Warm colours
can be used for rooms facing north because in these rooms less light is
received whereas cool colours are good for those houses, which face
south.
b. Heaviness or lightness: some colours appear to be light and some
appear to be heavy. Pink, blue, and purple are the lightest in weight of
all colours. Green seems a little less heavy. Red and yellow are the
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 heaviest. When the colours are grayed they tend to become alike in
weight. In-home decoration, heavy colours should belong to the lower
part of a room. For example: Tints and shades of reds, greens, and
browns are used for carpeting.They are also good for a man‘s room
and a woman‘s room. Heavy colours are good for heavy furniture and
light colours are for light furniture.
c. Advancing or receding colours: Warm hues appear to advance and
cool hues recede. The most strongly advancing colour is yellow then
orange, red, green, violet, and last of all is blue. In interior decoration,
advancing warm colours make a room seem smaller, whereas cool
pale colours make the walls appear to recede and enlarge the room.
Intense colours advance more than gray ones.
d. Earth and acid colours: Earthy colours are those made from the earth
such as umbers and ochres etc. They are red, yellow and green.
Vegetable dyes have the earth's character. The colours which are
made by certain chemicals are called acid colours. Usually, these
colours are magenta,blue–green and certain violets.
COLOUR SYSTEMS/COLOUR THEORIES
The study of colour in art and design often starts with colour theory. The
basic tool used is a colour wheel. It was developed by the Scientist Isaac
Newton in 1704.
1. The Physicist’s Theory
This theory signifies the colours of light, not pigments. According
to this theory, there are three primary colours in light and these
are red, green, and violet. Secondary colours are – Yellow
(slightly orange), Blue, and violet (Magenta). The
complementary colours will neutralize one another and look like
white light if thrown on a screen together. The three primaries will
also produce white light if combined.
2. The Psychologist’s Theory
This theory is based on the visual perception of colour.
Psychologists are mainly concerned with preset reactions and
after-effects in mind. According to this theory, the four primary or
fundamental colours are green, blue, red, and yellow. The
secondary colours are orange, yellow-green, blue-green, and
violet. A simple way to determine what colour is complementary
to another colour is to look for a half minute at a coloured disk
against a white background. When the disk is removed, a round
spot of colour is. which is complimentary to the removed colour
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 appears as an after-image. E.g. when yellow is removed green
blue will appear.
3. Ostwald Colour Theory
Understanding the science behind colours became one of the
many ways Ostwald believed chemistry could contribute to art.
According to him, colours are grouped into three categories The
first category comprises neutral colours- the ones which are only
made from black and white and do not contain any colour. The
second category was pure full colours, which contained no
black and white. The third group contained blended colours i.e.
combination of colours with black and/or white. Ostwald
identified that all these groups had at their core four basic hues:
red, blue, yellow, and sea green. Four further hues when placed
in between these core hues created purple (between red and
blue), orange (between yellow and red), turquoise (between
blue and sea green), and leaf green (between sea green and
yellow). Finally, two further hues between these colours created
a circle of twenty-four evenly spaced colours.
4. The Pigment Colour Theory or Prang Theory
According to this theory, the three primary or fundamental
colours are red yellow, and blue, which can be mixed to form all
other colours but which themselves cannot be made by mixing
any other colours. The secondary colours can be obtained by
mixing two primary colours.
Yellow + Red = Orange
Blue + Yellow = Green
Red + Blue = Purple

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 The tertiary or intermediate colours are made by mixing a
primary colour with its adjoining secondary colour. These six
(primary and secondary) colours are called standard colours. On
the colour chart, we have six pairs of complementary colours
that are opposite to each other on a circle. When any pair of
complements is combined equally they neutralize each other.
5. Munsell Colour Theory
This theory is named after a painter and teacher of art Albert H.
Munsell. According to this theory, there are five principal hues-
red, yellow, green, blue, and purple (RYGBP). Five inter-mediate
hues between these are - yellow red, green-yellow, blue-green,
purple-blue, and red-purple (YR, GY, BG, PB, RP).
In the Munsell system of colour rotation, colour has three
attributes, i.e., hue, value, and chroma (intensity), and each
colour is designated as Hue Value/Chroma. Hue is the colour
name. Value is the lightness or darkness. The study of colour
theories and qualities is essential for planning colour schemes for
interiors.

Colour Wheel Using all these colours, a colour wheel was developed to
understand the relationship between various colours and to develop beautiful
colour schemes for interior enrichment. This colour wheel consists of 12 colours –
primary, secondary, and intermediate colours.

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COLOUR SCHEMES/HARMONIES
• The concept of colour harmony is one of the keys to understanding the
theory that lies behind the development of various colour schemes.
Harmonious colour combinations are those that make you feel good
when you put them together.
• There are a few things to keep in mind when creating colour harmony:
warm colours and cool colours go together naturally, so warm colours
should go with warm colours, cool colours with cool colours, and so on.
Warm hues that are slightly advancing tend to blend in with the other
colours and make a great background, while cool hues tend to pull away
when different colours are used against them. T
• he most beautiful colours are those that give off a single impression - an
impression of warmth with a hint of coolness to make it stand out.
• Colour harmonies fall into two major categories:
I. Related colour harmonies –
These are composed of one or several neighboring hues and lead
towards harmony and unity.
There are three types of related harmony:
• Monochromatic
• Achromatic
• Analogous
II. Contrasting colour harmonies – These are based on hues that are far
apart on the colour wheel and offer greater variety as well as a balance
of warm and cool hues. Contrasting colour schemes are of five types:
• Complementary
• Double Complementary
• Split Complimentary
• Triad
• Tetrad
a) Related Colour Harmonies
i. Monochromatic Colour Schemes: This colour scheme is based on
the use of only one hue with its different values and intensities. These
are the simplest to use as compared to other colour schemes as
they are based on a single hue. As unity and harmony are
established, a certain level of success is almost guaranteed.
Generally, spaciousness and continuity are emphasized and the
effect is quiet and peaceful. To avoid the monotony of single
colour, mono-chromatic schemes are often sparked with neutrals -
black, white, grey, orbeige - in many varied textures. By using the
simplest combination of one pure hue, one tint and one shade, a
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 good effect can be obtained. For example, the use of beige brown
and orange is a truly monochromatic scheme because the tans
and browns are simply the tints and shades of greyed orange. A
bright orange can be used on smaller areas as an accent. Avoid
the use of any other hue as the scheme will no longer be
monochromatic. To avoid boredom, contrast can be provided
through pattern, texture, furniture shape, etc

b) Achromatic Colour Scheme: It is also known as a neutral colour

scheme. It is monochromatic in nature but possesses no hue. They
are formed by the use of black, white, and variations of grey. But in
interiors, wheat, beige, off-white, and the high values of each hue
are also considered neutrals and they all can safely be used. The
very low intensities of warm colours (e.g. ivory, dark brown) are
neutral when used for the majority of surfaces & furnishings. Colour
schemes built entirely around neutrals are very restful, but texture
and patterns must be used to prevent the design from becoming
dull, boring, or monotonous. As the colour scheme only uses value
variations, some accent colour is required to be added to
accessories or furniture. An accent colour is used to give the colour
scheme more vibrancy, and it can be used with any colour
harmony.

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 c) Analogous: Colours that lie adjacent to each other on the colour
wheel form an analogous colour scheme. Each of the colour
contains a common hue. The hues fall within a segment of the
colour wheel that is no more than halfway around it. Thus, if the
common hue is yellow, the colours could be as closely related as
Yellow green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Analogous colour
schemes add more variety and interest than do monochromatic
colour schemes.

Contrasting Colour Harmonies

a. Complementary Colour Scheme: The basis of this colour scheme is
any two hues on the colour wheel that are directly opposite to one
another, such as orange and blue, yellow and purple, and red and
green. In all, there are six complimentary colours in the colour
wheel. They provide an abundance of options. Complementary
colour schemes balance opposites, which when combined form
neutrals, and warm and cool hues. Although they tend to be livelier
than related harmonies, their success depends on careful handling
of value and intensity. Yellow and purple can be as bright as gold
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 and aubergine or as moderate as ivory and amethyst.
Complementary colours clash when used in strong intensities and
equal amounts. This colour scheme can be used in living,
teenagers, children‘s, and drawing rooms. This colour scheme is not
suitable for the dining room as the attention is distracted from food
more so when the room is a small one. When used in large rooms,
they can be suitably mixed with a few neutral colours to avoid the
extra stimulating effects of the contrasting colours.
b. Double Complementary Colour Scheme: This scheme is built on the
two sets of compliments. Two adjacent colours and their
complements when used together form a double complementary
colour scheme.
yellow-orange with their respective complements purple and blue-
purple. Orange, red-orange with their respective complements blue
and blue-green. This colour scheme is lively, exciting, and
sophisticated. It provides more variety than a simple
complementary colour scheme. It can be used in rooms of any size
whether big or small as it provides a combination of both warm and
cool colours.

d) Split Complementary Colour Scheme: This colour scheme is made

up of any colour and the two colours that lie on the adjacent sides
of its complement. For example yellow with red-purple and blue-
purple. Similarly green with red-purple and red-orange. This makes
the contrast less violent than in the simple complementary type and
adds interest and variety. There are three colours to work with. By
differing their values and intensities, some interesting combinations
can be worked out.

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 e) Triad Colour Scheme: When any three colours that are equally
spaced apart on the colour wheel are used, it forms a triad colour
scheme. For example Red, yellow and blue; Green, orange and
purple. Red, blue and yellow may be used as mahogany, grayish
blue and cream. Triad harmonies can be vigorous but they can also
be subdued. To achieve a balanced colour combination, select
the colour with the lowest intensity for the largest area, the next
larger area with an intensity slightly higher than the previous, and
the smallest area with the brightest colour out of the three. Such
combinations may work well in playrooms or nurseries when the
tones are strong, but when the colours are softer, they become the
typical combination seen in elegant spaces.

f) Tetrad Colour Scheme: Tetrad colours are just two sets of

complementary colour pairs that appear on the colour wheel
across from one another. When only one of the four colours is used
as the dominant colour, these kinds of colours look their best.

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 g) Shibui colour scheme: Shibuis the Japanese approach to beauty as
well as the intrinsic nature of their culture. This concept means
following principles found in nature and applying them to the
interiors. Nature has thousands of colours, but none of these match
or are uniform. In nature, darker, more solid colours occur at the
ground level.
Colours become lighter and more delicate as one moves upward.
Patterns and textures are found everywhere in nature in the form of
stones, leaves, tree trunks, etc. Every tree has texture, every leaf has veins.
However, it takes close examination to verify that this is the case. The
various colour shades go well with this patterning and texturing. Nature‘s
colours, patterns, and textures appear simple and natural but on scrutiny
prove complex. To get the shibui effect, use colours found in nature and
combine them in the same ratios. Colours found in the largest areas are
quiet and undemanding (neutralized). Bright, vibrant colours are found in
small proportions.
Procedure for Selecting a Colour Scheme for a Room
a) Select a colour scheme from a fabric, a piece of artwork, or an area rug
that appeals to you. Consider the colour scheme of the adjoining rooms.
b) Decide on the background colour Plan the colour proportions for large,
medium, or small areas. Generally, the rule applied is 60:30:10. It states
that sixty percent of the main colour should cover the larger area (walls,
sofas, the main colour of the carpet of the area); thirty percent should be
a secondary colour or texture (curtains, chairs, bedding) and ten percent
should be an accent colour (decorative accessories, pillows, flower
arrangements).
c) Plan the values of the chosen hues (light or dark).
d) Plan the variations in intensity of the chosen hues (bright or greyed).
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 e) Draw floor plans marking areas for draperies and furniture. On the plans
write colour names or paint the colours.
f) Assemble the completed colour scheme.
g) Look critically for any modifications.
h) Estimate the quantities of the materials required.
i) Procure the necessary material
j) Execute the plan

Factors Affecting the Use of Colour Schemes in Residential Areas

i. The Room:
• Its size, shape, and exposure to light. Smaller, simpler homes look
better with fewer colours and too few colours on a larger home can
make it look flat. You can use as many as seven colours in large,
elaborate homes.
• To create a sense of balance, subdued colours should be used over
a large area and striking contrast should be used over small areas.
• The general rule in contrasting colour schemes is the larger area,
duller colour.
• Cool colours go well with cool ones, and warm colours go well with
other warm colours.
• A colour scheme should have a predominant warm or cool colour,
with a small amount of the other colour added. In natural and
artificial light, colours appear differently; in natural light, they are
brighter.
• Colour changes can be quite dramatic when artificial lighting is
used. For example, incandescent lights have a golden glow, but
cool white fluorescents have a bluish cast.
ii. Use of Room
• Entrance Hall- The entrance hall is the room that introduces people
to the home. The entranceway should emphasize the theme that
has been chosen for the major rooms. Colour in this area should be
cheerful and bright and can be somewhat dramatic and daring.
• Living Room- Living areas used for more formal purposes should
generally have neutralized colour schemes to produce an
atmosphere of tranquility. More informal living areas, such as family
and recreation rooms, need more lively colour schemes to produce
a cheerful, informal atmosphere.
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 • Dining Room- Dining rooms are at their best when the colour
schemes are unobstructed, thus permitting a variety of table
decorations as well as a serene dining atmosphere. Using colours
like lettuce green, lemon yellow, watermelon, or tomato has
refreshing and delicious implications.
• Kitchen- Kitchens and other work areas are usually more desirable
when large areas of colour are light, fresh, and clean looking, with
bright accents of strong chroma. So colour scheme should be
cheerful, light, and bright with cool colours.
• Bedroom- Bedrooms and bathrooms are the private areas of the
house, and personal preference should be the determining factor in
the choice of colours. As a general rule, the master bedroom should
be done in restful tones. Colours in children‘s rooms may be the
choice of the individual occupant.
• Mood: Colour can influence the general mood of a room, more
than any other element. Rich, muted tones produce a mood of
tranquility and lively contrasting colours produce an informal mood.
• Style: Colour scheme should be according to furniture style, home
style, and accessories use
• Gender: Men's rooms should have monochromatic and analogous
colour schemes, while women's rooms should have contrasting
colour schemes. Brown, blue, grey, maroon and some shades of
green colour are suitable for men while softer hues like yellow, pink,
and turquoise are meant for women.
• Fashion: In the selection of colours, current trends should be taken
into account; they should not, however, be the determining factor.
Keeping up with fashion means almost constant redecoration since
it changes rapidly. Regardless of what colours are in fashion,
individual preference should always be the main consideration.
• Season: White and pastel shades are cool, quiet, and soothing and
are suitable for summer. blue, black, and maroon feel warm and
vivid, hence are suitable for winters. Purple, navy
• Personality: Colour should reflect the personality of the individual for
whom it is chosen. Colour is the most valuable decorating tool and
gives an unlimited opportunity for individuality. The person may
choose bold and modern colours, which need not be garish.
Unusual combinations should be used if they are personally
pleasing. If neutralized colours are preferred, they should be used
but they need not be drab. Neutralized colour schemes are more
difficult to achieve than bright contrasting ones, but when
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 accomplished have a lasting quality. Possessions: like carpets,
furniture, etc. which were purchased earlier should be considered
when selecting a colour scheme for a room.
USE OF COLOURS TO TREAT PROBLEMATIC AREAS IN RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS
• A well planned colour scheme can help to alter visually the size of the
room and hide the imperfections in the walls.
• A Small room can feel confining and uncomfortable.
• They gain spaciousness and appear larger with light, cool and
receding colours in the background and in the furniture too.
• Light and bright colored walls are more reflective making a space feels
open and airy, which will help to maximize the effect created by
natural light.
• While dark colors absorb light, making the room look smaller, light
colors make your room look bigger and brighter.
• Whites and off-whites, cream colors, icy blues, light tans, pale blues
and greens, and light yellows-any muted colors will work. For e.g.
colors, such as sienna, can appear rich but also read like a neutral
tone. Paint the remaining three walls a coordinating lighter neutral
tone such as light amber.
• Paint all trim this same lighter tone to give a unified effect.
• Walls can be painted in light colours and wall trim and moldings a
lighter color than the walls. When you paint your moldings light, the
wall appears further back, making your living room appear bigger.
• Incorporate surfaces that reflect light: metals, mirrors, polished surfaces
and glass.
• These open up a room, making it appear more spacious.
• A large room with hardly any furniture can give the impression of being
cold, drab and uncomfortable.
• To make your large rooms seem cozier and comfortable paint it with
deep, rich and warm colors in varied hues and intensities. If there is a
really high ceiling, paint it the same deep color as the walls.
• This will help bring it down visually.
• If your bigger room has more than one function, you can create
differently colored areas in one room.
• Eventually create ―light‖ and ―dark‖ places, based on the same color
scheme.
• A place to relax on the couch may be nice in darker colors, while your
working corner may look more attractive in the light or in other darker
colors.
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 • Add plants and accessories as these are a quick inexpensive way to
make a room cozier.
• Since the room is large, you will want to purchase large plants and
accessories. Small knick-knacks and smaller plants and flowers will look
like clutter in a large room
• A long narrow room can be made to appear wider and of better
proportion if the end walls are decorated with warm advancing
colours and side walls with cool receding colours.
• At least if one of the end walls are done with warm colour, this wall will
appear to be closer and can help to reduce the length of the room.
• Shape of the room can also be altered by using colours cleverly- a
rectangular room can be made to appear like a square one and a
square room can be made to look like rectangular one. This can be
done by altering receding and advancing colours on the four walls of
the room, thereby changing the shape of the room.Thus the room can
be made to appear in better proportions.
• The badly-proportioned rooms can be corrected by using striped wall
papering. Vertical stripes add height to a short room by drawing your
eye towards the ceiling, making it appear higher, whereas horizontal
stripes give width. It is important also to consider ceilings, crown
moldings and baseboard as well.
• If you paint baseboards the same color, it will make the walls appear
taller. Also, painting the ceiling in a lighter shade than the walls will also
give the illusion of a taller room. Moldings should also be a lighter color
to draw the eye up. Large windows should be farmed with a warm
colour.
• If there is a room with many doors which break up the walls into small
ugly sections, paint the doors, frames and all in the same shade as the
surrounding walls to camouflage them. The rooms facing west, south
and south-west receive the maximum sunlight and therefore, become
very warm in summers. Cool colours should be used in such rooms. In
contrast to these, rooms in the eastern and northern direction receive
comparatively lesser sunlight. So these are cool, especially in winters.
So warmer colours should be opted in such rooms. To hide minor flaws
in the walls like dents, chips, nail holes, texture paint is one of the
simplest ways. Texture paint, though, is a lot like drywall mud and may
take extra time to apply. However, it should be able to hide a lot of
minor flaws. Use extra paint on a flawed area, to fill it in or obscure
it.Thus, the arrangement of colors or textures in an environment

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 changes the perspective, making the room appear taller, longer,
wider, narrower or highlighting a particular element.

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