How to use vibrant colors in decoration? CASACOR architect answers!

The use of vibrant colors in interior design has become a trend, especially among those who are not afraid to be bold and want to bring a lot of personality to the project. CASACOR is proof of this. Contrary to the minimalist movement we saw a few years ago, the latest editions have featured projects by experts who rely on colors as a resource to bring life and joy to their spaces. Marcelo Salum , an architect specializing in interiors and part of the CASACOR São Paulo team, is a master when it comes to mixing and matching different colors, and in an exclusive interview with CASACOR , he left some practical tips for those who want to follow this trend.

CASACOR: How do you choose the colors that will be used in the project? Is there a technique for this?

Marcelo Salum: In fact, the colors I define for the project will always depend on the client's taste. I always have a questionnaire that I present at the beginning, in the first interviews with the client, I understand what colors they like and, based on that, we choose for the project. Now, if it's for a decoration show, I always choose an element first that will guide me for the rest, for example, at CASACOR 2022, Attilio [Baschera]'s fabrics guided the color decision for the rest of the space. At CASACOR 2023 , I signed Casa Riachuelo, and I started studying the colors with the definition of the floor : I first chose the floor of the room and on top of that I defined the colors.

That year, it was the Duratex coating that guided the rest of the choices.

CC: What are your usual inspirations when creating a colorful project?

ML: It varies a lot. I like to look at fashion, it has the potential to inspire. Here in Brazil, we have a very rich natural environment, we have contact with fruits, with the whole colorful universe that is always inspiring us, from going to a fair, a market, visiting museums, seeing paintings... everything ends up inspiring me in a general way.

CC: How to harmonize strong colors in interior architecture?

ML : It's all about balance. I'll give you an example of the environment I created in 2022: for Casa Coral, I used a super strong red, which was present in some niches and some areas of the project, and I softened it with a very soft, light blue. It's all about balance, because if the environment were excessively red, it might have a vibration that would be too strong to become a pleasant environment. It also depends on each project; if it's a nightclub, it might have an excessive amount of red, and commercial environments might also have this vibration a little stronger, but overall, the important thing is to balance it out. If the client wants a strong color, if he likes it, perhaps a wall or the carpentry is painted in a strong color and the rest is more diluted.

CC: How do you combine colors and prints?

ML: I have a great passion for fabrics. There is always a starting point, so if the lacquer or the wall color was decided first, when it comes to choosing the fabric, I take that with me and keep it on my radar to be more assertive in my fabric choices. Sometimes I use similar colors of the same tone, sometimes complementary colors, and sometimes contrasting colors. It depends on the “mood” that each project proposes.

CC: Can colors affect the well-being and sense of belonging in the environment?

ML: Nowadays we have been talking a lot about neuroscience, I even took a course, and it is interesting to see how colors are applied in hospitals, in places for the elderly, in schools, that colors have a vibration and a purpose. The right choices can greatly help the users of these places, even in terms of health, a child's cognition, and the well-being of an elderly person. Even inside a home, colors can stimulate the brain, because an all-white environment does not stimulate, but a space with some colors will cause some vibration. In this sense, the use of colors is important and even healthy.

CC: For those who are not used to using strong colors, but want to start, what do you recommend?

ML: Look, I think the bathroom is always a good place to start. The bathroom is not there for everyday use, sometimes it is not even used by the residents, it is there to receive visitors. This space has a poetic license, so I would say that if someone is afraid of using a strong color, start with the bathroom.