When making a house a home, your choice of colour is a very
important choice. After all, it’s a well-known fact of psychology that
different colours have different effects on the moods of people. Bright vibrant
reds, for example, have been known to make people irritated and agitated, while
dark blues have a more calming effect in contrast.
Use of these colours can help
accentuate the effects a room has on people, and knowing how to do this can
really add to the quality of your home. Terracotta tiles in particular have
their own little niche, and you’ll find it one that’s very easy to exploit once
you know how.
Warm and Cosy…
The most obvious thing you’ll notice about the colour of
terracotta is that it’s very warm and earthy. Terracotta is a colour derived
from a particular type of textile made from particularly red clay, made famous
by the Terracotta Army in China.
While it’s very red in colour, it’s not
particularly harsh to look at. There’s enough brown in there to soften the
colour and instead make it very soothing, rather than agitating.
Looking at
terracotta tiles immediately brings to mind freshly baked bread, sun-dried
earth and warm summer evenings. As a consequence, terracotta tiles excel at
making people feel relaxed and comfortable.
However be careful. Their ceramic look can make terracotta
tiles look fairly hard and austere, so try to use them in areas where stone
would work best rather than textiles. For example, avoid using it too much in
lounges or living rooms, unless you want to go a very baked-brick style.
Certainly don’t use it if you also wish to use carpets or wall paper.
Overuse
of terracotta tiles also has the effect of making a room look very stark and
dry. Ideally it should be used alongside other warm and neutral colours,
particularly grey, and it also goes very well with certain woods. Ideally you
should use terracotta as a background colour, such as for the floors or walls,
and interspace some border tiles of a different colour within it to keep the
red from becoming overwhelming.
Which Room Works Best?
Terracotta tiles work best in rooms where you want the
guests to feel relaxed and at ease, yet also don’t mind having the impression
of hard surfaces. In particular, terracotta truly comes into its own in
kitchens, patios and dining areas. Kitchens really benefit from the baked-brick
look, as the warm colours of the terracotta really help emphasise the overall
warmth of the kitchen. Adding together, it really gives the room a feel of the
Mediterranean, and promotes a cheerful and casual atmosphere within it.
Patios, meanwhile, also get a dash of the Mediterranean with
use of terracotta
tiles, and are useful if you intend to use the patio
for summer BBQs and sunshine relaxation. Mixed in with Spanish, Italian or
Greek styles and patterns, and you can pretty much have a summer holiday in
your back garden without ever needing to book a flight. You can just break open
a bottle of champagne with your friends and family right there.
