‘Tis the Season for Complementary Colors

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We all know that the colors red and green are associated with Christmas, but have you ever wondered why those colors are chosen? Well, there are two reasons – a traditional reason, and a design reason.

The Tradition Behind the colors

Traditionally, green is used to symbolize life. Plants depend on chlorophyll for life, and chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. The use of green during the festive season symbolizes the hope for eternal life. Red, on the other hand, celebrates the sacrifice that Jesus made. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, and the sacrifice that he made.

Holly is popular during the festive season because it combines both green leaves, and red berries.

Art and Design – Or Why The Tradition Stuck

If you asked an interior designer why red and green go together, they’d probably not give you the traditional answer. Instead, they’d point you to the color wheel. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel. This means that they’re “complementary colors” – put them together, and you have something that is pleasing to the eye.

It’s for this reason that it’s so common to see red and green decorations, and that Santa’s elves tend to have red and green outfits. There is a symbolic reason behind the choice of colors, but our ancestors must have had a good eye for interior design too!

Decorating for the Festive Season

At any time of the year, opting for complementary colors is a good idea, although most people tend to opt for more muted shades for day-to-day living. If you’re redecorating just for the festive season, then you probably don’t want to repaint your oak internal doors green, and then paint your skirting boards red! However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t accessorise with festive colors.

Why not hang up a green wreath on your external oak doors, and accent that with a red candle (or a battery operated fake candle, for safety reasons).

Inside the house, you can use cushions and throws, and strategically placed plants to accentuate the festive feeling.  If you fall in love with the colors, you can always leave the cushions and throws out after you take the tree down and put the decorations away. It looks a little odd to leave tinsel up all year round, but bright and vibrant throws are stylish enough that you can get away with them!

Embrace the color wheel

In the Dutch Caribbean, designers have truly embraced the color wheel, and it’s not uncommon to see house exteriors painted in all manner of colors, from purple to orange, or green. This trend is starting to take off in the UK, at least with new developments, but you may struggle to get permission from your neighbors to paint the house purple if you live on an older estate. That doesn’t stop you from painting your oak internal doors, however. Just try out the design in a CAD program first, to make sure you really do like it. You could repaint your walls and your oak doors if you change your mind, but it would be a lot of hassle, so plan carefully.

 

This article was written by Crispin Jones on behalf of UK Oak Doors. Crispin loves decorating at Christmas, but is careful to always choose complementary decorations and colors.

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