1. Backgrounds

2.   Backgrounds are easy to overlook or take for granted. If they are missing or out of proportion, however, they become quiet noticeable.  It is best to make some decisions about background areas before going on to other parts of your design. Backgrounds…

3.   Walls  Floors  Windows  Ceiling What parts of the room make up the background?

4.  Moody Much?  Backgrounds help set the mood of a room. The materials, patterns, colors and textures you choose for the background elements all contribute to the mood. It may be calm and quiet or vibrant and exciting.  What colors, patterns or textures do your consider quiet or calming?  Loud and exciting?

5.   Patterns  Colors  textures How does a background contribute to the mood of a room?

6.   Sound is also affected by backgrounds. Soft textured materials tend to absorb sound, while smooth hard surfaces don’t.  What would the noise levels be like in a room with thick carpeting?  Wood flooring? Noise…

7.   Some textures absorb sound, lowering noise level. Examples?  Smooth textures (such as?) may have the opposite effect. How do they help with noise level?

8.   In some rooms, the background may actually be the focal point of the room.  This is true when there is some special quality, such as a dramatic beamed ceiling or floor to ceiling window.  In other rooms, the background goes almost unnoticed serving only to provide a setting for the furnishing. Hocus Pocus Focus Focus

11.   Some backgrounds can help save money on heating and cooling bills.  On such feature are very large windows on the south side of the house. These let plenty of light in the rooms.  Quarry tiles for the floor can help absorb the heat from the sun during the day, and release it at night warming the room.  Sheer curtains let in light, but also let in the warm sun or the cold outside.  Heavy insulated draperies, keep the house the desired temperature. Energy Efficiency

12.   1. Windows on the south side of the house let light in during the winter.  2. Brick or tile on wall or floor retain heat.  3. Insulated drapes keep heat in or out  4. Plush carpet; some ceiling tiles insulate Give 3 examples of how BG elements can improve a home’s energy efficiency.

13.   Yessss. We have more to say about color…  There are some special factors relating to background color.  Because the light in a room is uneven, color will seldom look the same at every spot.  The way light strikes the wall can affect how dark or light a color appears… even changing season to season.  Furniture reduces the amount of background color. An entertaining center, for instance, covers much of a wall. A sofa obscures part of the floor.  Remember reds, oranges, and yellows make a room seem warmer. Greens blues and violets generally create a cooler feeling. Color Considerations