I did an interview with the editor of INTERIOR magazine while in New Zealand in February 2016. Federico Monsalve has the enviable job of editing INTERIOR, which showcases the best of NZ’s commercial interiors.
We discussed colour in interior design and in particular, evidence-based colour strategies. Old research suggested that it was hue that influenced human response. However, more recent research indicates that its saturation and tonal value which tend to play a greater role than hue.
In addition, we discussed the issue of visual noise in interior design. That is, the visual complexity arising from too many contrasts and patterns in an interior space. Recent research suggests that its not necessarily hue that contributes to a sense of calm. Instead, reducing the amount of contrasts and patterns will subconsciously convey a sense of calmness. This is because the eye is constantly being hijacked and drawn to strong contrasts around the interior space.
In the interview, we also discussed stimulus screening ability. That is, the capacity of some people to be able to screen out environmental stimuli (like music, colour, etc). We all tend to vary in terms of stimulus screen ability and some people find it more difficult to screen out environmental stimuli. It’s like Oscar Wilde’s last words: ‘Either that wallpaper goes or I do’. Wilde clearly had trouble screening out stimuli like bad wallpaper/
INTERIOR magazine website.
To read the full interview, go to my Pinterest site.
