Bust your stress with right
colours
| Colours on the walls of your house or office play an important role in
setting the mood. |
Photo: K. Ananthan
COLOURFUL: Captivating colours can enliven your rooms.
Putting a premium on relaxation was hardly a priority for
those constructing houses until recently. The fast-paced and tension-filled
lifestyle seen these days has brought to the fore the importance of inner peace
and harmony to help individuals deal with the stress and strains of life.
Homes are no longer treated as just shelters and they are
treated nowadays more as places that offer personal spaces where one can relax,
muse, read and listen to songs. These are spaces that people can carry with them
in their imagination wherever they go as they develop a sense of belonging to
them. Stress management experts are also stressing the importance of making our
surroundings more relaxing. They say that at home individuals need areas that
they can call their own for relaxing. Even a small personal space at home is a
sanctuary that offers calm and serenity, they say.
Growing
awareness
As there is growing awareness that increasing internal and
external pressures are taking a heavy toll on individuals' sense of calm and
balance, pursuit of inner peace and harmony is being given much importance
today. It is accepted that the quest for finding a personal space and
environment for relaxing is linked with the need for relieving the mind and body
from these increasing pressures.
Architects, interior designers and their clients increasingly
see furniture and lighting as vital element in creating harmonious interiors and
ambience. If noise, smell and music can influence people's moods, the colours in
our immediate surroundings are no less important as factors that affect our
ability to relax. Colours are only a part of the requirement for creating a
relaxing ambience. But it is undoubtedly a very important part, according to
architects and interior designers. Hence the special care given to the selection
of wall colours of newly built houses and offices.
Preferences
"Traditionally we have associated certain colours with
certain emotions,'' says George K. Thomas, leading architect and chairman of the
Kannur sub-centre of the Indian Institute of Architects. Though individuals have
their own preferences in the choice of colours, different colours can influence
their emotions and moods, he says. Architects address the clients' tastes and
preferences in selecting colours for walls even as they give their views on the
importance of making the surroundings more relaxing, says Mr. Thomas.
He says pastels (light colours) have a visual softness and
impart elegance and convey tranquillity, as they enhance the feeling of more
space. When they are painted along with dark shades of the same colour family,
they give a subdued effect, he says, adding that they are appropriate for living
and bedrooms. No wonder then that the pastel shades are very popular with
architects and interior designers.
The colours
Yellow, the colour of sunshine, represents brightness and
evoke a sense of brilliance and joy, according to Mr. Thomas. As yellow makes a
room look bigger when used with other matching shades, it is used for corridors
and dining rooms, he says. He also finds that colours such as red, blue, green,
black and brown match well with yellow.
Cream colour will also make the room appear bigger and more
spacious and can be used for almost all the rooms, opines Mr. Thomas. He also
prefers peach for living and bedrooms as it matches well with wooden furniture
and other colours like cream, brown and white.
Pink, for him, is a soft colour and is, therefore, ideal for
bedroom. Red is a vibrant and dynamic colour and can be used for children's
rooms, he says adding that a stripe of purple accentuates the beauty of pastel
shades. Brown gives a vernacular look to the interiors, he says. Blue is also a
favourite colour for interiors as it gives a cool feeling and ideal for
bedrooms, he says. Green imparts a feeling of freshness and is a favourite
colour for bathrooms and indoor gardens, says Mr. Thomas.
Effects of colour choice certainly vary from individual to
individual. Subtle impacts that the colours in their surroundings can make on an
individual only highlight the need for special care in the choice of colours
that are appropriate for specific surroundings.
MOHAMED NAZEER
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
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Choosing the right paint for
the walls
| One needs a thorough understanding of the materials used and the
different surfaces over which they are applied |
DANGLING WORK: An apartment complex being given a fresh coat.
Success in house decoration depends on something more than the use of good
paint. At least as important is thorough knowledge and understanding not only of
the properties and possibilities of the materials employed, but also those of
the different surfaces over which they are used. Here, we will see the materials
and methods to achieve best results.
Materials
There is a host of materials used. Fillers are used to repair
cracks in plaster and fill small holes and blemishes. Primers are used to apply
first coat to bare wood and metal. For galvanised metal a special zinc primer
must be used; otherwise your subsequent coats will eventually flake off.
Sealers are used for preserving, waterproofing and preventing
problems occurring to subsequent coats caused by chemicals and fungi from the
underlying surface. Different sealers are used to counteract different problems.
Undercoats/basecoats provide the surface for the following finish coat. This is
by far the most important stage in getting a first class finish. If necessary a
second or even third undercoat should be applied, if needed.
Gloss, semi-gloss, eggshell and matt are the usual types of
finishes used; a high-gloss finish by far is the most common. It is often
difficult to get an undercoat to match various stronger colours and
manufacturers normally recommend two coats of finish.
Emulsions and latex are paints (which are water-based) for
use on ceilings and walls. They are easy to use and dry quickly. They can be
used on interior wood but lack the hardwearing qualities of undercoat and gloss.
Which paint
to choose?
Generally, quality solvent-borne paint should be applied when
repainting over an existing oil-based system and latex paint should be applied
over an existing water-based system. Oil paints continue to harden with age and
the old surface is sensitive to the added stress of shrinkage that occurs as a
new coat of paint dries. Over old oil paint, solvent-borne paints generally
provide better adhesion than latex paint and shrink less, reducing the
likelihood of pulling the old paint loose. Also as exterior oil paint ages, the
binder releases pigment causing a chalky surface. While this should be cleaned
off before repainting, a new coat of solvent-borne paint is more able to
penetrate the chalky residue and adhere than latex paint.
Lime wash is an economic traditional water- based finish for
exterior walls. It can be reproduced today in its traditional form but will not
adhere to previously painted walls. Some modern proprietary lime wash is
available with an acrylic sealer that can be applied to painted surfaces prior
to the application of lime wash. This achieves a lime wash finish similar to the
original finish without removing paint layers back to the substrate.
Distemper
Distemper is a traditional water-based interior paint popular
for home applications. It provides a flat velvety finish and is used on walls
and decorative plaster. Distemper has a thin consistency and be readily removed
with hot water. As with lime wash, this finish can be reproduced today in its
traditional form but will not adhere to previously painted walls. There are also
some modern proprietary distempers available that require an acrylic sealer
undercoat.
Modern oil finishes are available that can be applied over
oils, stains and penetrating finishes on joinery items. Oiled finishes rely on
the previous finish being permeable; otherwise the finish will require sanding
before the oiled finish is applied. Epoxies and urethanes are hard, inflexible
finishes that cannot be easily removed and should not be used to replicate a
traditional finish.
When planning to repaint, the surface condition of the
existing painted finish needs to be identified and an appropriate method of
surface preparation chosen.
Paint surface conditions can be grouped into three basic
categories:
Minor blemishes or dirt collection that do not require paint
removal.
Failure of the top layer or layers of paint which may require
limited paint removal.
Substantial or multiple-layer failure requiring total paint
removal.
Under conditions in categories 1 and 2 the following surface
preparation methods should be used:
Cleaning, hand scraping and hand sanding; mechanical sanding
by orbital sander when used as a smoothing/finishing tool. It must not be used
for removal of multiple layers of paint. (Its small diameter and circular motion
are useful for feathering areas that have been scraped).
Prior to carrying out any surface preparation the presence of
lead paint and the associated health dangers of any paint removal to building
occupants and neighbours must be determined and addressed.
A.R. SANTHAKUMAR
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
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A coat of paint — deep,
dark and bright
| More and more people are choosing darker and deeper shades for their
houses in Malabar. |
New trend: Many houses these days sport bright and deep colours in
Malabar.
Psychologists say shades of dark and bright colours indicate
strong and intense feeling. But those who paint the exteriors of their homes in
fluorescent colours do not normally care for the psychological interpretations;
but they do care for what others do.
Bright exteriors have almost become the order of the day, with more and more
people choosing darker and deeper shades for their houses.
Transformation
For many people, it is not mere attraction of bright colours but also their
trendiness that prompts them to chose the shades that would have been
unthinkable a few years ago.
“What fun is there when you don’t keep abreast of the trends,” asks
Mohamed Koya, an NRI whose house in Kozhikode underwent a thorough
transformation in terms of colours.
When Mr. Koya gave a fresh coat of paint to his house about two years ago,
his kin as well as neighbours could not accept his choice of colour.
The deep purple he chose palpably startled a group who were used only to
sober shades.
“Many asked me whether I had lost my senses. I knew what I was doing then.
I told them to just wait and watch,” Mr. Koya says. And now, his neighbours
and kin have found that his was a trendsetting move.
New trend
According to Fakhruddeen V.P., proprietor of Crescent Traders in Malappuram,
the dark colour trend for homes is a direct fallout of advertisements. He says
advertisements in recent years turned brighter and more colourful and they
emboldened people to dare certain experiments that they hitherto did not
attempt.
Mr. Fakhruddeen says the trend caught on a little over a year ago
particularly among the people who worked abroad. If we take a ride along the
highways of Malabar, perhaps every 10th house can be found painted in deep
colours.
Aping your neighbour
“When your neighbour does it, you won’t naturally be able to resist it
for long,” says Paloli Kuhahamaed, bureau chief of the Desabhimani daily in
Malappuram, whose house was recently painted purple. His house naturally never
misses the eyes of the passers-by.
Preferred colours
Deep shades orange, green, yellow, blue and purple are the most preferred
colours among the people of Malabar. Different paint companies have different
shades with unique names. For example, Dulux’s colours like Zesty Lime
(green), Exotic Bird (orange) and Rustic Drama (orange) have become very popular
in Malappuram.
Paint companies like Nerolac and Asian Paints have own brands for external
coating. With the help of computer, one can get thousands of shades deep and
pale. But the problem with computer-mixed shades is that the buy should remember
the colour code. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get the exact shade if a
patchwork is needed.
Although bright shades are catching on, people do not see any advantage in
it. In fact, it has disadvantages, says Ummer Kutty, manager of Pandy Agencies
in Malappuram. Bright or dark shades, whatever be the guarantee the company
provides, will fade when exposed to hot sun, he says.
Mr. Fakhruddeen says a coat of any darker or brighter shade will cost more
than that of a light shade. The stainer used for bright shades coasts more.
Besides, darker shades cannot be diluted beyond a certain point, he says.
Despite the trend catching on, most people still resist darker colours because
they fear the trend will not last. “Darker shades will go fast. They are
certainly not here to stay,” says Abdul Majeed, whose house at Chaliyam has
been painted with a light but deep emulsion he brought from the Gulf. Darker
shades are hard to maintain, says Mr. Majeed. When they fade, dark shades will
not look good at all, which is not the case with light shades, he argues. By and
large, people prefer light shades to dark colour because the former is more
pleasing to the eye.
“Dark shades may not always give the desired effect. It can sometimes
perturb your mind,” says Ameen Faizal, a teacher from Vallikunnu who currently
works in Saudi Arabia. He says putting dark shade to the interiors is different
from giving a dark coat to exteriors.
Interior paints can be given according to the taste of an individual and that
will affect only that individual and the other members of the house. But
exterior coating of a house can even disturb the eyes of passers-by, argues Mr.
Faizal.
ABDUL LATHEEF NAHA
Courtesy:
Property Plus, The Hindu
