89. Luminous or advancing colors make a small room look all the smaller; therefore in small rooms we suggest the use of white woodwork, and in the color treatment we would avoid contrasts, but would suggest harmonies of analogy in receding colors, soft grays, greens and blues. These are not luminous colors and will make a small room look the larger, while the white will give light effects, and if the room appears a trifle somber it can be easily relieved by the bright colors of the bric-à-brac and by a touch of gold here and there on the wall. (See ¶ 66 and ¶ 85.)
90. There are cases where a small room has a northern exposure, and while apparently expedient to treat such a room in warm colors to supply the deficiency of sunlight, such a course would make a room look smaller.
91. Under the circumstances treat the room in light hues, gray preferred, and get the deficiency of sunlight through some warm isolated details and in the lace curtains.
92. Our theory of color as applied to room furnishings provides always that the side-wall is the keynote and this keynote is usually fixed for practical reasons in sympathy with the furniture; above to the ceiling's center the note ascends and below to the floor center it descends; it goes into tints as it ascends and into deeper shades of gray and brown as it descends.
If, for instance, blue is the keynote, by adding black you have drabs, slates or grays for the floor, while if the keynote be red you have écrus and browns for the floor light or gray, according to the color scale of the keynote.
93. It must be understood that in designating a color we do not mean that it shall be solid or pure, but merely that it prevails. (See ¶ 29.)
A side-wall may be treated in several colors, but as long as orange prevails, it follows the conditions of the combination, pages 42 and 43. The factors included in the line designated A are all of one color family. The factors indicated by B are also family colors. It will be seen that the A or B colors taken by themselves form HARMONIES OF ANALOGY; it is only by combining the A's with the B's that we have HARMONIES OF CONTRAST.
If a room is to be done in harmonies of analogy, use the A colors alone or the B colors alone, but never A and B together.