Saturation and Proportion

We looked last time at fall 2012 fashion colours from international arbiter Pantone. Some of the colours may be great in a dress, but hard to imagine on four walls. That may not mean we won't want them in our homes, though. It's all about saturation and proportion

Saturation is a measure of how bright and intense a colour is. This year's deep red oranges are very saturated, as are the ultramarine greens and the intense blues. On the other hand, we've also seen shades that were just one step away from a neutral, as in the lilacs that are nearly grey or the warm whites.

Very saturated colours make a strong statement. In large doses, they can make your room seem smaller. In the pictures above, we see how small pops of saturated colour can be refreshing. Ultamarine green on small spaces in a mostly white room, a piece of tangerine furniture, or a bright pink accent in a room can be energizing without being overwhelming.

This is the point about proportion. A room that uses 60% grey and 20% gold, with white and black for the remaining 20% has just enough saturated colour to be exciting. One accent wall in chartreuse with plenty of white can be just enough.