Interior designer Anjel O’Bryant delves into the fascinating world of colour.
Do you gravitate to a specific room in your home? Is there another space you spend little time in and could this be because of its ambience? Anjel O’Bryant has seen her fair share of design and colour. She has worked as an artist in varied fields including advertising, television, beauty, children’s clothing design and interior design. It wasn’t until she attended the International Conference on Colour in Buenos Aires, however, that she truly discovered the key to the kaleidoscope world of colour vibration. She is passionate about helping her clients design with colours that will humanise environments and complement their energy needs and lifestyles.
“Every human being has a relationship with colour, whether they know it or not,” says Anjel.
In her book Colour My Home, Anjel likens colours to people — there are some you want to spend a lot of time with because it feels good to be with them, and others that you can’t wait to get away from! Colour Response Technology (CRT) is the science of colour methodology and can help to enhance physical, mental and emotional energy. It’s this idea that Anjel preaches to her clients. “You need to use positive and supportive colours in your environment to activate the right energies,” she says.
How it works
The nervous system responds to any colour it comes into contact with. Black, white and grey are the only hues that have no electromagnetic energy, leaving the rest of the world’s palette open game for your mind, body and soul to feast on. When the brain processes information from the body’s sensory system, it triggers physical, emotional and psychological responses. In her book, Anjel notes that colour response is such a powerful reaction that scientists have detected changes in test subjects’ blood pressure, body temperature, changes in appetite, muscle tone and mood.
Where to start
What happens where? You need to analyse every area of your home and understand what is happening in that zone before you introduce colours. The day begins in the bathroom so the hues here should be refreshing and energising, and the right tones to awaken your body.
Always try colour samples on site — it’s the number-one tip Anjel suggests to all her clients.
“I can guarantee the light in your home will be different to that in the paint shop, so only make your final decision in the rooms where the colours will be used,” she says. Place samples in their exact locations — each sample needs to touch every other colour it is reacting with, for example, wall colour samples should touch the ceiling colour where they will meet; in the bathroom, floor tiles should be tested up against the wall.
MOOD MOVERS
- Pink relaxes the brain and muscles.
- Yellow supports and stimulates mental activity.
- Orange stimulates communication energies and appetite.
- Red lifts physical energies.
- Lavender relaxes and enhances meditation.
- Blue calms, stabilises and lowers blood pressure and body temperature.
- Aqua relaxes the nervous system.
- Green relaxes the nervous system and has great healing properties.
Did you know?
You can use energy-efficient colours in buildings and homes to support the planet.
Darker colours absorb more heat than lighter hues that reflect the light. Use this thought to your advantage.
Yellow tones reflect more light than any other colours, ultimately decreasing your need for artificial lighting.
Blue and green tones absorb glare and cool the body by relaxing the heartbeat, which reduces the need for electricity.
Reds and oranges will stimulate the heartbeat. This supports the body’s warm energy, which eliminates the need to use the heater.
Feast your eyes on this juicy collection of eye-popping ideas.
Image 1 (Before and after):
The vanity cupboards in this Anjel OBryant project were changed from a stark white to a rich mahogany wood for added elegance. The vanity counter and splashback were chosen to harmonise with the new wall and floor tiles for a spacious and rich appearance.
Image 2:
The Dreams collection — Vermelho (red) and Branco (white)
— incorporates three-dimensional tiles that create a luminous effect as they encourage the light to cascade down the wall.
Available from Erneste Tiles.
Image 3:
Bath towels from the Linen House Supima range.
Image 4:
Niky is the modular range of bathroom furnishings and fittings by Regia that offers a variety of colour options and complementing accessories. This Mauve version is a warm and inviting addition to any bathroom space.
Image 5:
Organic stripped green tiles create a striking feature. These fresh and vibrant tiles are Rubacuori Trend in Erba and also come with a matching floor tile. They’re manufactured by FAP and available at Erneste Tiles.
Image 6:
The Omvivo Softskin basin is an elegant way to introduce colour into the bathroom. It’s available in Charcoal, Yellow, Lavender and Sky.
