Primary colours

These are the ones you learned at kindergarten; magenta red, cyan blue and yellow, and these are the ones that cannot be reproduced by adding or mixing in any other colours. However they are the basis for all other shades.  Remember what fun you had mixing blue and yellow to make green, and red and yellow to make orange?  Now of course there are hundreds of varieties on the big three, but sometimes the most fun can be had by mixing the most unusual shades into your decorating... just like they did in the past.

Love the 1950s?

This was the age of colour explosion after the doom and gloom of the grey War years.  Think yellow, from the palest primrose to bright citrus yellow. Black was used as a grounding, solid colour, and deep red, together with olive green make up the four colours that denote the era.

Towards the end of the decade, colours became a bit more muted, and with the onset of Rock and Roll designers enjoyed decorating with bright shades of poodle  pink, as well as metallic colours such as silver and bronze, and accentuating artwork and fabrics with abstract patterns.

The 'Mod Look' of the 1960's

At the beginning of the 60's it was stilettos, beehives and pearls with full skirted dresses.  Along came another musical revolution (the Beatles) and suddenly decorating plunged into dramatic monochrome.  Black and white was everywhere, perhaps with a smattering of psychedelic hues - orange, purple and a deep intense magenta.  Forget the fluffy stuff and fussy bits; let the colours speak for themselves.  Take inspiration from Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein - pop art was the way to go.

The gadget years - the 1970's

Colour and texture are re-discovered. Lounge rooms were filled with avocado green suites, and bathroom tiles even adopted the hue. Think textural - people enjoyed lazing about on a velvet or floral bean bag, while watching The Electric Company on an orange plastic television shaped like alien eyes. The super trendy had a wood veneered answer phone and platform shoes.  Tartan and lurex were used everywhere, and clear acrylic was ultra cool.  Orange and mud brown shades were teamed on everything from walls to plates and personalising your jeans with oddments of fabric was seriously 'in'.

Paint and colour is the most effective and least expensive way to get the look you want.  Be adventurous.  After all, if you don't like it or you change your mind, your new look is only a paintbrush away!

Article by Jane Hill-Hayr

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