Warm Interiors

Did you know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that the air inside homes could be three time more polluted than the air outside? This in-house pollution has been attributed to a number of factors, but among the leading causes are common paints and finishes that have been know to release toxic emissions into the air we breathe inside the homes. This is why many paint companies nowadays have developed what they call environmentally safe paint, to ensure that homeowners everywhere can still pick a house paint color they like and not keel over after they had applied it to their houses.

Many have downplayed the impact of the hazardous compounds found in traditional paints available on the market these days, saying “if it were really dangerous, there wouldn’t have been as much people around as there are now”.  While the direct effect of these hazardous compounds may not be found immediately grasped by the common man, studies have isolateed the long-term effects attributed to the chemicals and compounds used in these hazardous paints.  Some paints contain varying amounts of toxic metals, solvents, and volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs.  These chemicals and compounds have been found to promote the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere, promotes production of choking smog, and affect health adversely, especially since they are used in the interior of the house, where air circulates less than outside of the house.

The huge amount of paint being sold containing these dangerous ingredients and solvents has prompted the government to take action against companies and factories that produce these types of paint.  Burgeoning consumer demand has paint companies constantly coming up with better and safer formulations of paint to ensure that the end users are protected from the hazardous compounds foundin paint.

The clamor for environmentally friendly paint has led to the development of paints that are now safer, lasts longer, and has more color selections to choose from , to boot.  This then, is a good time to invest and start in a project to better the interior of your home by beautifying it, using only, of course, environmentally friendly paint.

Having an interior scheme that portrays a warm and cozy atmosphere within the house is something that a lot of homeowners find quite preferable. This is mainly because of the inviting and appealing feel generated by a warm and habitable interior. Having this type of environ is more than simply picking out cozy furniture and fixtures or interior paint color combinations that portray a warm feeling, but rather a combination and good chemistry between all these.

Some things need to be kept in mind when seeking to create a living space that will generate that warm and cozy feeling. Some elements are those we tend to overlook as they are things we see and are exposed to everyday, and we pay them no mind.

Mood

What mood do you intend to generate when you plan the interior of your home? It goes without saying that staying inside a home with a predominant mood to it will definitely affect the disposition and general mood of the person inside that home. With this in mind, be very selective of what mood your room intends to convey when you design it. A lot of elements contribute to the general mood that becomes dominant in a room, such as predominant lighting, art work and decorative fixtures, curtains, and even the color of the room. These things create a “feel” to the entire room that can be either subtle or overly palpable to those in it.

Space

The size of the interior you plan to design is a huge factor in how an interior design project. Certain things can affect the inherent size of a room, such as furnishings, light, and predominant color. Lots of furniture, specially big ones, can eat up a lot of space and make a room appear smaller than it really is. Certain colors have the ability to either enhance or diminish the size of a room. Lighting also has the same effect, affecting the dimensions of a room, making it appear to be larger or smaller.

Color and Light

As mentioned before, interior paint color combinations and selected lighting have an impact on the overall interior design scheme. Not only affecting the size of a room, the combination of colors and light have the ultimate effect of generating the predominant mood. Dark colors can sometimes create a foreboding, brooding effect, even making people who are prone to depression quite depressed. Certain colors, like shades of red, can generate that warm feeling, while shades of blue and green have the opposite effect, creating a cool and breezy atmosphere.