Color Harmony

Our passion is utilizing original restored Victorian paintings when designing that special room in your beautiful Victorian home.  For over 35 years, we have studied the palette used by 19th century artists – hue, value, and chroma.  We are pleased that interior design experts through time recognize the importance of color harmony, not just within original 19th century paintings, but also how it impacts the room you design.

In his 1923 booklet titled Better Homes – How to Furnish Them (sixth printing, third edition), Sterling B McDonald (Art Director, S. Karpen & Bros., Instructor of Interior Decoration, Art Institute of Chicago), states:

“Color is an emotional element.  Clashing discords of color are irritating to the nerves and sensibilities, and destructive of rest and comfort.  So color is an important element to consider.

Even a beautiful color, if indulged to a too great extent, proves wearying.

So color harmonies are sought that soothe the eye and by their combination give an effect of restful charm and beauty.

Color is one of the most perplexing problems the home decorator has to decide.  This booklet provides a series of carefully worked out color charts.  These charts give the color schemes, the different ratio of color suitable to that particular combination, and includes walls, draperies, upholstery materials, high light values and carpeting colors.

One thing we wish to emphasize is that the question of color should be governed by the size, lighting, and exposure of the room.

A cold Northern exposure requires warmer color treatment than an exposure floodlighted by sunshine.  Artificial sunlight effects can be produced by the use of the right colors.in draperies and hangings.  A too vivid light can be modified by the use of colors that absorb and diffuse light.

The question of size is also important because bright colors effects highly suitable to a large room would be out of place in a small room.  The decorator treats his room as a painter treats his canvas, working out a complete composition with its relative values carefully planned and weighed.

The color schemes submitted here are elastic.  They are planned for harmony and general effect.  They give an idea of how colors can be blended, and suggest the relative use of each color as applied to the whole plan.

The home decorator of good taste will be able to adapt these color schemes without difficulty, for good taste and common sense are, after all, the guiding influences in the creating of beautiful interiors.”