Colours of the Caribbean Home

In the Caribbean, we are accustomed to vibrant colours.

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It is a big part of our fashion, food, and cultural events. It is also a major aspect of houses and buildings. Therefore, choosing a paint/trowel finish colour for your home is an important decision. This is more important for your exterior walls since this is the colour that will identify you and your home, to the public.

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But what colours are ideal for your tropical Caribbean home?

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Colour and Culture

The colour of houses can sometimes be based on cultural norms and influences. From the white houses in the Greek Islands to the red brick of many cities in the USA.

Some years ago, I went to visit my brother in Scotland, where he lives. The exterior colour of his home was a brownish beige finish. It happened to be the same or similar colour of almost all the other homes in that district and several other districts in that region. However, his home was near to a bright mustard coloured house. You could see it from miles away. It almost looked as if it glowed and contrasted against the grey skies of northern Scotland. This house stood out among a sea of brownish beige buildings. The neighbours were not fond of this pop of colour in their neighbourhood.

This is not the culture we have in the Caribbean. We not only embrace colour, but we also encourage it. The house with the brightest, most unique colour sometimes receives the most attention.

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We are not limited to our expression of colour in the Caribbean, but some colours may perform better than others in our tropical climate. Because of this, here are a few things you can consider when choosing a colour for your home.

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Lighter vs. Darker

Lighter paint colours on your exterior walls are recommended. Dark coloured walls tend to absorb more heat which is not ideal in the tropics. Lighter colours will reflect more heat and create cooler interior spaces.

Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun also affect paints with darker colours more and can cause them to fade faster than lighter colours.

On interior walls, lighter colours or whites are preferred. White or light colours reflect more light inside rooms, which makes them feel brighter and more open. Interior walls in darker colours can sometimes feel oppressive, especially in smaller rooms.

Off white walls with a tinge of colour could be combined with accent walls and furnishings to introduce colour.

Personal Preference

Your selection of colours for your home is your personal preference. It is subjective to the taste of you and your family.

Some may prefer colours that are found in nature like blues, greens, and yellows. Others may rather a colour that pops out and grabs the attention.

Your colour is your choice. However, when choosing multiple colours, try to select ones that complement each other. You can Google colour palettes online and consider various options for inspiration.

White and Light Grey

You may be wondering, with all this talk about colour, is there any room for white, off-white or light grey walls. The answer is, absolutely!

Contemporary architecture across the world tend to favour these, but I think they can function well in the tropics as well. The lighter colours as mentioned before reflects the heat on the exterior and can also make interior spaces brighter.

I also find that a colour accent can sometimes pop even more against a white or light grey background.

Tropical modern homes all over the world, often use white or off-white as the main and accentuate it with warm wooden tones or natural stone colours. This can create a beautiful, clean aesthetic while feeling cosy and inviting.

Warm vs Cool

They are many theories on the psychological effect that colours have on human beings.  One of them considers warm vs cool colours.

Colours are typically divided into warm and cool. Warm colours are usually those based on red, orange and yellow while cool colours include green, blue and purple.

Warm colours can tend to make us think about heat such as the sun or fire. They create a sense of warmth and energy. These can also be intense in their most saturated forms and are usually better suited outside or as accent colours if used inside. Cool colours can create a sense of calm and serenity and are usually associated with thoughts of water and coolness.

Whites and greys can come in different shades and can have both warm and cool tones. This is dependent on what colours they are mixed with.

Typically, interior wall paints in the Caribbean islands tend to favour the warmer tones. Many use warm off-whites that has a yellowish tone. But in theory, this could make your space feel warmer than it already is. As such, I often wonder why we do not use cooler whites instead, to give our rooms a sense of a more cooling feel.

Conclusion

The colours you choose for your home is a lot about your personal preference. Vibrant colours are not uncommon in the Caribbean. However, consider avoiding dark, high saturated paint colours on the exterior as these can create a warmer interior. They also fade quickly.

Using white and greys with pops of colour is a great technique to make your home stand out as well.

Feel free to research more about the psychological effect colours may have, particularly in interior spaces but consider using cooler colours rather than warm ones.

Whichever paint colour you end up choosing, let it be one that feels comfortable to you. It should reflect the charm, character and personality you want to portray to the public. It should also create the interior mood you desire.

Featured image by Yanis Ladjouzi from Pixabay