25 May 2021
There are so many and varied colors, but what many of us may not know is that all the colors that we see are an offshoot of the spectrum colors. This is because the basic color from which the rest of colors generate is the white color, which is divided in turn into 7 colors, then branches into countless colors. Thus, new colors are generated as the light wavelength is increased or decreased, where the tones of the same color vary according to the level of quantity with which we see it, as lighting plays a fundamental role in the colors’ appearance and the degrees of their intensity.
The effect of natural lighting on colors:
There are numerous natural factors that may possibly affect the color, including the weather and whether it is sunny or cloudy, the time or part of the day whether day beginning or day end; and as natural lighting or sunlight is the most eminent factor that affect the appearance the color, it is important to know that the same color can appear in several degrees which very close to each other, based on the natural light reaching it.
Building orientation:
The orientation of the building is one of the factors that can affect the appearance of colors inside the building, based on the direction from which the natural lighting enters into it. The lighting of the room into which the sunlight enter from the north is mostly cold, calm and indirect. Therefore, it is recommended to choose lighter colors in painting such spaces, and avoid medium or dark colors such as gray. On the other side, when the light source comes from the south, then the natural lighting is generally less intense; so, paint engineers prefer to use somewhat subtle and dim colors on the southern facades. For the eastern and western sides, they are the two sides from which most natural light enter into the building as they are directly facing the sunlight, which by consequence makes the interior space brighter compared to others.
Here is a list of suggested colors for the northern facades:
For rooms which get lighting from the northern side, their natural lighting is constant throughout the day, and this does not affect the paint color and furniture color, unlike areas which get lighting from the eastern, western, or southern direction, as the rooms which overlook the south are characterized by bright sunlight, but sometimes their brightness degree is somewhat annoying, and this is why it is recommended to choose the slightly darker colors like gray and dark blue colors for the southern facades.
Suggested colors for the southern facades:
For rooms with an eastern or western facade, the amount of natural sunlight is very high. Therefore, it is advised to choose warm colors as they are not affected much by the sunlight with all the degrees of radiation from yellow in the early morning to red at sunset.
Tip: When applying light colors to the western façades, take into consideration the appearance of the place at sunset, because the sunlight at sunset tend to be reddish and this changes the appearance of the wall as well.
Suggested colors for the western and eastern facades:
Illuminations:
The effect of natural lighting is not limited to colors only, but it also affects the illumination; for that, it is important to know how to light the place and choose the best-fit colors for it because the type of lighting affects the color to a high extent.
In what follows, we will mention the most important types of lighting, the most widespread types, and the colors that best harmonize with it.
Incandescent lighting: Incandescent lights produce a yellowish light, and due to its high consumption of electricity and short life compared to modern types, its use is very limited.
Fluorescent lights: Almost white and it is the closest to natural light on a clear day at noon. Fluorescent light is more bluish even though some fluorescent lights now produce a light range that closely resemble the daylight.
LED lights
Halogen Lights
The inverse relationship between color and lighting:
Colors and lighting are linked through an inverse relationship that cannot be ignored when thinking about how lighting and colors adjustments work together. For example, warm yellowish light can increases the intensity of warm colors and mute cooler tones as well, while the effect of blueish light is the opposite, while you find that the incandescent lighting enhances the degrees of red, orange, and yellow colors; whereas, the neon lighting works best with paints in blue, purple, and green colors.
Colors’ change based on lighting:
Lighting is the most pivotal element that reflects the reality of colors, as well their intensity and beauty, as colors’ glow increases with the amount of light in which they appear. In low-light spaces, the colors appear darker and less intense. However, as the amount of light increases, colors appear in their just degree, especially with natural lighting, but the exaggerated lighting may make the color appear dull, which requires taking into consideration the degrees of light and its amount, so that they are moderate for the color to appear in its true nature and its loveliest form.
In light of the many effectual relationships between lighting and colors in their various details and consequences, the correct and most appropriate way is to understand this relationship in its very simple form, and then apply a set of samples on the wall, then observe the space at all day hours from sunrise, noon, until sunset; then afterward, you will find out the appropriate color for your space that fits your taste best. After choosing the right color, read this article on how to paint the room yourself, or if you have no mood this time to do it yourself, you can order our paint technician from this link.
