We’ve been having a lot of fun recently with personal color specialists House of Colour, and we’ve also learned a lot about how to identify the colors that personally suit you. Here, you’ll find out more about House of Colour and what we’ve been up to…
House of Colour
House of Colour offers the very best in personal color and style analysis. Originating in the glamor of 80s Hollywood, artist and founder Robert Dorr observed how an actress could look beautiful one day, and tired the next. Putting this observation together with his knowledge of Johannes Itten’s theories of color groupings, he recognized that it was the effect of color on skin. This was the start of his work in color analysis, and the start of the House of Colour.
In Leawood, KS, Linda Davis now offers House of Colour services that are based in science, logic, and objectivity. She provides color analysis, personal style classes, and services that make it fun to get dressed and easy to look your best every day! We met Linda and talked all things color.
Creative Candles: What is a color analysis?
Linda Davis: Based on the science of color and the research of Johannes Itten at the Bauhaus School of Design in the 1920s, all colors can be divided into four types. Color can be warm or cool and it can be clear or muted. Itten used the seasons to describe these groupings. Winter colors are cool and have high contrast - think of icy brights, deep shadows and colors such as deep red berries and cool green pines.
Summer colors are cool and muted, as if they had been faded by the sun. Spring colors are clear, bright and sunny like the new growth in spring. Autumn colors are rich, warm and earthy. This is true of people’s coloring too!
During a color analysis, I use a series of precision dyed drapes to discover which category a person’s coloring belongs too. Your coloring includes skin, hair, eyes and, most importantly for color analysis, under-tones. Your skin has some translucency that allows color to show through from deeper levels. While we can’t immediately see a person’s undertones, we can see how they react to color when they are draped in colors. This opens up a vast amount of information about your best colors for clothing, makeup, hair color and accessories.
Do you know what your color undertones are?
CC: How does color impact personal well-being, happiness and confidence?
LD: Color has the power to impact how we look and feel. By just switching a drape color I can instantly change clients from looking unhealthy to healthy, or from looking tired to energetic. Skin can go from sallow and blotchy to healthy and smoother. Some colors make us fade or become less visible while others make us show up! All of these things change the way we look and the way we feel. It’s the psychology of color. Color can carry mood and meaning, and it has the power to change the mood. This is something we all inherently have knowledge of.
CC: Does weather affect the colors we choose?
LD: When the weather turns cold, we like deeper, darker colors. When it’s warm we tend to go bright. Blue feels safe, green feels fresh, and red has lots of energy. I help clients communicate messages through the colors they wear, but the same can hold true in home décor. Painting a wall bright yellow feels different than painting it brown.
CC: How should your personal color impact home décor selections?
LD: While my services are really about what goes on our body, the fact is that our colors make us happy! Color allows us to express ourselves and to set the mood. I’ve had designers suggest that a couple come to me to have their colors done before choosing a color scheme for their remodel because she knows they will love the end product if she picks from their personal color palette.
CC: What colors do you use for your home décor?
LD: Personally, I love using pops of color from my personal palette to make my home feel interesting and joyful. I’ve had clients say that painting their walls from colors in their seasons has made them feel more comfortable.
CC: How important is the theory of color when choosing home décor collections for your personal space?
LD: Johannes Itten studied young children’s color preferences and discovered that we are born with an innate preference for the colors that harmonize with our own coloring. So, it’s really important!
Linda also looked at our color collections and gave us some advice on colors for every season - we’ll certainly be using her advice when we update our home décor!
