Tests for emotional harmony.—Important points to remember when making tests for emotional harmony are:
1. Low illumination with areas of shadow is restful, but high illumination is stimulating.
2. Horizontal lines and long, low shapes arouse a sense of repose, but vertical lines and tall narrow shapes have the opposite effect.
3. Dark colors (like low illumination and horizontal extension) affect the mind with a sense of repose, but pale colors (like brilliant light and vertical extension) affect it with a sense of animation and activity.
4. Large, heavy objects give a sense of repose, but anything small and light produces the opposite effect.
Bearing in mind these facts, turn on the ceiling lights in a room and notice the stimulating effect. Now turn off the ceiling lights and light the lamps in the room. Study the effect and you will see that the lamp-lighted room is more inviting.
In like manner, tests may be made to illustrate each of these points, such as substituting two high-back chairs in a room for the sofa. You will notice immediately that the room is less restful.
| The scale of harmony | ||
|---|---|---|
| Blends harmoniously with— | Preferred color— | Contrasts pleasingly with— |
| Light blue, navy, light green, green, heliotrope, purple, lavender, and gray. | Blue | Olive, yellow, orange, cream, tan, brown, and dark brown. |
| Blue, navy, myrtle, light green, lavender, and gray. | Light blue | Olive, pink, cream, and tan. |
| Light blue, blue, navy, light green, green, pink, purple, gray, and brown. | Lavender | Olive, yellow, cream, and tan. |
| Blue, navy, myrtle green, light green, green, pink, maroon, heliotrope, gray, brown, and dark brown. | Purple | Yellow, orange, cream, and tan. |
| Blue, pink, red, maroon, purple, gray-brown, and dark brown. | Heliotrope | Navy, myrtle green, light green, green, yellow, orange, and cream tan. |
| Pink, red, heliotrope, purple, brown, and dark brown. | Maroon or wine | Navy, light green, green, olive, yellow, gray, cream, and tan. |
| Orange, pink, maroon, heliotrope, brown, and dark brown. | Red | Navy, myrtle green, light green, green, olive, yellow, gray, and cream. |
| Red, maroon, heliotrope, purple, lavender, and cream. | Pink | Light blue, light green, green, olive, and gray. |
| Olive, yellow, red, cream, tan, brown, and dark brown. | Orange | Blue, navy, light green, green, heliotrope, and purple. |
| Light green, green, olive, orange, cream, tan, brown, and dark brown. | Yellow | Blue, navy, myrtle, green, red, maroon, purple, heliotrope, lavender, and gray. |
| Yellow, orange, pink, gray, tan, brown, and dark brown. | Cream | Light blue, blue, navy, myrtle green, light green, green, olive, red, heliotrope, purple, and lavender. |
| Olive, yellow, cream, brown, and dark brown. | Tan | Light blue, blue, navy, myrtle green, light green, green, maroon, heliotrope, purple, and lavender. |
| Olive, yellow, orange, red, maroon, heliotrope, purple, lavender, cream, tan, and dark brown. | Brown | Blue, navy, light green, and green. |
| Navy, green, yellow, purple, and gray. | Myrtle | Red, heliotrope, cream, and tan. |
| Light blue, blue, navy, myrtle green, green, olive, yellow, lavender, and gray. | Light green | Orange, pink, red, maroon, heliotrope, purple, cream, tan, brown, and dark brown. |
| Blue, navy, myrtle green,light green, olive, yellow, lavender, and gray. | Green | Orange, pink, red, maroon, heliotrope, purple, cream, tan, brown, and dark brown. |
| Myrtle green, light green, green, yellow, orange, tan, brown, and dark brown. | Olive | Light blue, blue, pink, red, lavender, and cream. |
| Light blue, blue, navy, myrtle green, light green, green, heliotrope, purple, lavender, and cream. | Gray | Yellow, orange, pink, red, and maroon. |
| Figure 32.—Chart of color combinations.[19] | ||