Choice of
colour had not been a problem for one’s own house before fifties of the last
century for majority of the house builders. Lime, Yellow Ochre, Mulatanimitti
(Red Earth) had been the natural choice. White was predominant. The colours
were used in decoration at the entrance, pooja enclosure and main living room
(padasale or hall). They were dictated by culture, tradition and availability
of the natural colouring materials in the area. Only the very rich thought of
varying the colours in their mansions. The last two decades of the last century
saw a rapid growth in the middle class population. In many of these house holds
both husband and wife are highly educated and exposed to ad-blitz through
media. Many of the households have double income. There is greater amount of
disposable income. The house is no longer considered as a roof over the head
but a symbol of status and an environment, for stylish living. Commercial banks
entry into retail financing in housing, easy installment plans and the Credit
Card Culture have also helped in conspicuous spending. Interiors are now
gaining more attention. Earlier the expenditure on interiors used to be below
10 to 12% of construction cost. Now they have grown to 40 to 50%. Interiors
have become more colourful and lavish. The Paint industry has come up with
number of types of paints in variety of shades. A fallout of the hype and
competition in Research on colours and their effect on individuals has
attracted increased attention. Nowadays a large number of shades are available
in the market. Colour has an influence on our visual perception and also on our
moods. It is becoming difficult for an ordinary house builder to choose from
such a wide choice.
When making
colour selection, it is necessary to consider all the surfaces of the room as a
whole, that is one should consider, colour of the floor or carpet, walls,
curtains and furniture. They together
act on the sensory perception of the individual. The illusion of size and shape
of a room can be manipulated by choosing a proper combination of colours can be
used to express the person’s individuality. It also can be used to influence to
certain extent the mood of a person. Earlier, we used to retire early because
of the manual exertion such as walking, drawing water from the well during the
course of the work. The advent of electricity and the advancement in lighting
science now extends the day light hours beyond nightfall. The period of visual
stimulation has expanded from 8 to 10 hours to 16 hours in cities. Therefore, a
lot of research is being conducted on the effects of colour on human beings.
According to new research findings, colours have a profound effect on our
physiological and psychological selves. A study has established that even a blind
person can sense colours and react accordingly. Dermooptic vision or
bio-introscopy as this vision is known, helps people recognize colours and
shapes.
Some colours
are considered warm and some others cool. Those colours, which have red or
yellow as a base are considered warm. Others, which have blue or green are
considered cool. Cool colours appear to recede, adding depth to a room. Warm
colours seem to advance and make space feel more closed in. Dark colours on the
ceiling give a feeling of reduced height to the room while light coloured
ceiling will create an illusion of added height. Lighcolours reflect and give a
feeling of refreshness. If the intention is to unify the room use colours of
same hue for walls, furniture and furnishings. If the intention is to focus
interest, use different colours with contrast. You can choose the colours so as
to create, a) Happy, Bright and Cheerful, b) Natural, Open and Airy, c) Sleek,
Sophisticated and Stark, or d) Simple, Clean and Restful ambience.
It is wise
not to go in for expensive colour scheme. In the Indian context, it is
desirable to get painting done once in 3 to 4 years. You will recall that in
olden days it was a custom to do white and Colour wash of a house either before
Ugadi or before Deepavali every year. Besides giving a fresh look, it used to
remove dust settled on walls, remove spiders web, lizards and small household
vermin. Cement based paint for the exterior and distempers for the interior
should be a wise selection.
Vastu also
has many things to say about colours and their effects on human beings. White
is the colour of Sun God. Blue is colour of Saturn, mentally soothing and
physically cooling. Green is the colour of mercury. It is for general
wellbeing. It lowers hypertension. Red is the colour of Mars. It raises
passion, speeds up heartbeat, recommended for the warrior class. Black or gray
should be avoided, as it is associated with Yama. It will induce worry and
pessimism.
According to
scientific research, colours work on the human system as under
Blue has the effect of soothing nerves,
lowering blood pressure and palpitation. Blue helps in treating ulcers,
disorders related to back pain. Blue also helps treating tumor and cancer. The
colour has been used by many psychologists in treating psychological problems,
such as addictions, digestive disorders, impotency and depression. According to
an observation when the colour of the London Bridge was changed from black to
blue, the number of suicide rates came down by 50%. The colour is also recommended
to those students pursuing serious studies, which require a degree of
concentration. In parts of South India it is believed to be mosquito repellent.
Green has a soothing effect on the mind.
It induces relaxation and is used to treat cases of depression, anxiety,
nervousness.
Yellow has great energizing quality and
can be used to treat depression. It improves appetite and memory. Yellow is not
recommended for rooms where negotiations take place.
Violet has been found to induce peace and
balance. It has been used to treat people suffering from migraine.
Black, in lighter shades would boost
self-confidence. But dark colours may induce boredom, depression and sadness.
Dark shade is associated with negativity.
Red colour has been found to induce
hyphenated / short bursts of excitement. It stimulates heart activity, brain,
respiration and blood pressure. The colour supplies short bursts of energetic
thinking and has been used in sports activities. The colour is recommended by
some for those suffering from paralysis, constipation, bladder infections and
some skin disorders. Red is not recommended where meetings try to achieve
consensus as it is found to induce an aggressive attitude.
Purple is associated with low key affairs
and gray is mild and indecisive.
Paint is
made from basic ingredients - a colouring agent or pigment to provide colour;
resin or binder to bond the paint into a protective skin; and solvent which
keeps it liquid until you brush it on after which it evaporates as the paint
dries. Additionally other ingredients can be added such as preservatives and
fungicides.
All paints
being sold in the Indian Market are not safe. Many of them contain toxic
materials. If you are health conscious and an environmental buff you should
choose the paints carefully. For colouring rooms reserved for children,
pregnant women and convalescing persons, you should be extra careful. Some
paint materials are known to cause allergics and some other, serious illness.
However choosing a safe paint is not easy in India because there are no
statutory regulations and many paint manufacturers do not fully declare all the
ingredients contained in them. In some advanced countries paints carry
environment safety label when they conform to it.
Interior and Exterior
Interior and Exterior
Generally
speaking water based paints are environmentally preferable to enamel or
polyurethane paints. Water based paints have improved dramatically in recent
years and are suitable for most applications.
There are
many different types of natural paints available and a suitable product can be
found for most applications. Two examples used for centuries are lime washes
and silicate paints. One is familiar
with lime washes. Repainting is required more frequently than for conventional
paints. Silicate paints are based on potassium silicate and they react with the
mineral substrate that is painted. This causes the paint to become part of the
surface, rather than forming a film over the top of it. This type of paint is
very durable and has given effective protection for over a hundred years.
Natural
timber can be finished with oil, as an alternative to polyurethane. This will
protect the timber while allowing it to breathe. The oil is absorbed into the
wood, sealing the pores and stopping water from penetrating. Oils can also
harden the wood and give some protection from UV damage.
One should
be careful with paints, which contain metallic oxides. It is better they are
avoided. Substances that are prohibited (except for impurities of no more than
0.1%) include mercury, arsenic or selenium or their compounds, chromium or
antimony. The paint must not contain any confirmed human carcinogens(cancer
causing) or formaldehyde, and must not contain ethylene glycol as an integral
part of the paint formulation. Hydrocarbon solvents and aromatics are to be limited
at certain levels.
The paint
containers must also contain information about inflammability, disposal and
cleaning methods.
An
individual who cares how he spends the money and how he can use it for the
family’s well being will do well to take note of the influence the colours
exert on one’s daily life as revealed by the recent advances in research in
this particular field and accordingly decide the colour scheme of the different
spaces of his house. The aim should be to harmonize the home environment with
family’s personality and healthy living.
Before purchase of paint it is
better if the purchaser gets the answer to the following 3 questions, Viz.,
1. Is the
product free of all poisons? (For paints used indoors no compromise should
be made.)
2. Are the raw
materials used as binders and solvents renewable? Paints and lacquers generally
consist of up to 65% of solvents and binders (including water). Examples of raw
materials, which fulfill this requirement, are resins from trees and oils from
plants.
3. Is the
product solvent free? For ceilings and walls only solvent free (water as
solvent) paints should be used. For other applications products with less than
30% should be used.
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