THE SECOND PREFERENCE

Now that you have declared your preference for curved or straight
line, your second choice is warm or cool color. Just as a preference
for curves or straight lines appears to be fixed so to is a preference
for warm or cool color. These are probably the only two
preferences which do not change over time and which are necessary
for the creation of satisfactory interior environments.

When deciding if you are a warm or a cool color person, do not be
concerned if your interior color preferences include white, black or
complex color. The warm colors are yellow and red together with
all of the oranges. The cool color is blue. If your preference is
yellow, orange, red or blue, you have identified your preference.

If your choice is green or violet, we will have to dig a little deeper.
The secondary colors, green and violet, commonly called purple,
are bridge colors. Each is made up of equal amounts of a warm and
a cool color, green is yellow and blue and violet is red and blue. In
general, in these forms, green and violet are provisionally cool. If
your preference is for a blue green or a blue violet, you are
definitely in the cool zone. If you really like yellow green or a red
violet, you are probably warm.

The Very First Thing

When starting out, or when catching your breath midstream, it
sometimes seems that there are too many styles, too many choices,
too many colors and too many books. With all the options, how do
you ever make the decisions that form the backbone of your
decorating?

The first step is simple. Yet without it your rooms will not be
cohesive. Step one - DO YOU PREFER CURVES OR
STRAIGHT LINES? That’s it.

Do you like round things, oval things, curved things? Or do you
like rectangles, squares, triangles, straight edges and square
corners? Don’t worry about how this applies to furniture or
furnishings. A love of curves does not mean you have to live with
ruffles, flounces and porcelain figurines. A preference for straight
lines does not lock you into black leather and chrome.

A great deal of decorating unhappiness comes from not establishing
this first building block of your style. If you love straight lines, you
will never be happy in a room with curves, if you adore curves, no
scheme of horizontal lines will ever give you peace. This
preference is not a matter of taste, gender, education or money, it is
hardwired into you, a basic part of your cellular makeup.

So, which do you prefer?