Part One, Page 4
Ways to Combine Colors
There are several starategies for implementing multiple color schemes.
- Paint different walls of a room with separate colors, mostly in the preferred
color range. Many designers make use of a shaded wall. They paint one wall of a room with a darker version of the same hue used for the rest of the room, then add artwork with complementary and contrasting colors. - Choose wallpaper dominated by preferred colors with smaller elements of
complementary and contrasting colors. One problem with wallpaper is that
presently it is out of fashion except perhaps for pediatric patient rooms.
- Commission a mural that naturally comprises the preferred color scheme. For instance a forest mural for a room where greens are preferred, or a Grand Canyon mural where corals, peaches and other warm colors are preferred.
Conclusions
Of all of the improvements a hospital might consider, nothing else gives as much bang for the buck as simply painting the hospital's walls with optimal colors. [1] Yes, matching wall colors with existing floor colors, handrails and counters can get complicated but design consultants (interior designers) are well practiced at handling these challenges.
I suggest that an administration ready to act should start by developing a master plan for bringing effective color schemes into the hospital. Establish a budget and a timetable, and plot out the order in which improvements will be made. The plan should also show how the rooms and departments will look.
The effort and expense of bringing appropriate color schemes and complementary artwork into a hospital interior will pay for itself many times over in happier staff, calm, reassured visitors (especially parents of younger patients), and above all, patients experiencing less boredom, less stress, less pain and perhaps even shorter stays.
I cover more color and art integrating strategies in part 3 of this series.