The Swedish design firm Happy F&B has really got it Right, in a subtle  yet effective way.

(Screen shot image)

The changes in the green color, the font style, the shape…these are the seemingly little changes that make the difference.

These same principles can also apply to using color in architecture and interiors.  It’s a broader view on what makes color selections important, and why many factors need to be considered.  Lighting is the one that’s most often mentioned as being important. After all, what is “color” if not reflected light!

As with the logo re-design above, it can be the little things that become the most important things. And getting to these can mean asking a lot of questions. Among them might be something like:

• What’s the purpose of the shape of the area considered for a color? Is it intended to be read as a collection of flat surfaces, or as a mass or volume?

• What about the position of the surface in the space? Is it above you, below, at the side, or behind other shapes? These all apply whether it’s indoors or outside.

We humans actually do respond both physically and emotionally to these qualities even if it’s not something we consciously think about. And, while these might seem like extraneous details—not romantic, fashionable, glamorous or “sexy”—they are exactly the kinds of considerations that can determine the success of a color palette and therefore of an interior, a building, or a product.

Find out more about  lighting design here.

Share/Save