Designers Tell All

If you could give just one tip concerning the use of color for an interior, what would it be?

TEXT BY

ARCHITECTURALDIGEST.COM

Posted December 31, 2007·Magazine

SUZANNE LOVELL

Never just all white.

CHARLES ALLEM

Use different shades of the same color to maintain cohesiveness throughout.

JUAN MONTOYA

Don't be afraid of colors!

JOHN BARMAN

Use strong color in small, unexpected spaces. The color is exciting and makes the area more noticeable.

BENNETT JUDIE WEINSTOCK

If you love a color, we say go for it! A profusion of color lends drama and warmth to any room.

WALLACE CUNNINGHAM

Keep the building/background pure and timeless, and change the contents to reflect your present mood.

DONNA LIVINGSTON

Dark colors can be stunning and add a great effect.

GEOFFREY BRADFIELD

I like to use color only as an accent in a room. This could be in the form of art, pillows or perhaps one upholstered chair or accessories. It creates a dramatic punch.

STEPHEN SHADLEY

It really doesn't matter what colors are chosen—just be judicious and err on the side of restraint.

JACQUES SAINT DIZIER

Spend the extra money to do tests, and then live with them for a couple of days before you decide.

RODERICK N. SHADE

Be fearless! Color is the thing that doesn't cost any more money than Navajo White.

BILL BENSLEY

There are no bad colors.

MARIO BUATTA

Think of the sixth plane of the room—the ceiling! Blue for sky, yellow for sun, pink for glow.

RICHARD LANDRY

There is such a thing as too much color—the eye needs a place to rest.

EDDIE JONES

Remember, you can never construe beige to be a color!

MARJORIE SHUSHAN

In the public rooms of a home, I use slightly different shades and finishes of the same color for walls and trim to give each area its own identity while maintaining overall continuity.

KARIN BLAKE

I prefer white or off-whites, using color only as an accent. White gives me a clean palette to work with and is the best backdrop for art and antiques.

DIANE BURN

Use it. Create many layers through glazing, pouncing or any technique that gives a translucence and atmospheric quality to a room. Color creates magic! Anything but white. Plaster walls are the best surface when painting on color.

ROBERT COUTURIER

Use a color that fits your own natural coloring. For example, if you are a redhead there are some colors that are more flattering than others. You should always select colors and shades that suit you appropriately.

HUGH NEWELL JACOBSEN

White.

JIM JENNINGS

Use it to enhance architectural clarity. Color will naturally differentiate one thing from another and in doing so can help articulate various architectural elements in a space.

STANLEY TIGERMAN

White.

GRAHAM VINEY

Always test the sample board in the room.

DENNIS WEDLICK

Always use paints that rely on natural pigments.