Need some ideas and inspiration to help you decorate your home with colour? Leading interior designer Cristian Zuzunaga explains all.
When I move to a new place I always start by having an inspiration session with some friends. Find people you trust and love as they will most certainly give you good advice based on what they know about you and how they envisage the space will work for you.
I consider space, vertically and horizontally. Depending on the house, I would highlight different planes through the colour on the walls and also framed artwork. Good quality, bright framed artwork breaks monotony and offers inspiration.
It is very important to build an interior with time and care. I prefer to add colour in gradually rather than all in one go. Even if you choose white walls in living rooms and main areas, use bright colours in accessories: cushions, cabinets, throws and rugs – this is where you can truly inject your personality. Block colour can form the basis of your accessories and then add pattern on top like chevrons, stripes and optical illusions.
I found over the years of travelling and moving from place to place that it takes at least a year until you find the right place for your objects and furniture so you can feel 100 per cent at home. Objects must find their own space within a house. The same happens with colour, it is important to experience the space for a while until you decide how to apply colour on the walls and how to interact with the objects you have.
Depending on the layout of the house and the objects you have, it is interesting to form ‘clusters’ of colour. I love having a relaxation area to lie down in, surrounded by pillows, colorful rugs from Peru and bold throws which overlap each other.
Lighting is very important too as it can highlight or block areas. You can make a naturally dark environment light or a bright environment very dramatic. I like to play with light to create different areas in the house. I find that daylight is crucial for happiness. Especially in your home, where you tend to spend precious time. I like to use colourful yet subdued curtains that would alter how light is perceived and it helps an environment become more interesting.
I love plants and flowers and I place them where I need verticality, using special colours and textures. Also their pots are very important and depending on the surroundings and the plant itself, choose a bright colourful one in an interesting shape.
Lastly, be playful but do not be afraid of moving things around. There is nothing worse than a house where everything feels perfect yet there is no harmony or it feels as if nobody has lived there for some time. These kind of spaces are soulless. I also dislike homes that are too clinical and clean as they feel cold and boring. If you choose hotspots of colour that you love, your house will become a home.
