Colour for House

Colour is one of the most important elements in decoration. Many people will think the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet. But actually these represent just a few of the thousands of shades from which we can choose for our house.

A building on the backyard of Presidential Palace, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

When paint was first produced commercially the favourite shades were buff, sky blue, green and brown.  Synthetic dyes increased the range but they were often bright and crude. Dark shades were dominant for practical reasons to conceal the dirt; only the rich could afford to use pastels. 

In fact, houses were often decorated in vivid colours but they faded or yellowed fast. Country cottages were distempered in red and yellow ochre which soon softened to pink and buttermilk, while even the classical statues and temples we think of as white were once brightly painted. 

Brilliant white paint was not produced until the Twenties when all-white rooms became the ultimate in chic. Though boarding-house brown was the norm, the potential of colour was demonstrated by the pacesetters.

As home ownership increased, the boom in home improvement began. Not only did it add value to homes, but house buyers discovered the satisfaction of creating an environment that reflected their own taste rather than the landlady’s.