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Color, so we have said, produces positive emotional reactions. The reds, for instance, are temperamental with a rich, aggressive glamor. Use the red family only in small doses because it can dominate an interior Not only is red the most exciting color it is also the most inciting. There are many authenticated cases to show it can be psychologically harmful. For instance, ruby red lamps once used in photo-processing were known to have caused photographers extreme attacks of migraine. So treat red with respect - even nature uses it sparingly.

Yellow belongs to a cheerful, light-hearted color family and in its cleanest, lightest tone, is good for all aspects. Too sharp a yellow (like citron) could have nervous restless effect. Yellow, leaning towards orange, can look artificial and too much like the slick finish of modern toys. But it is cheering used in small amounts in the right places - on the wardrobe doors of children's rooms, for example, with walls painted a pale grey. In its purest forms, yellow is the spirit of sunshine.

Even when mixed with white it doesn't lose its fine qualities and become wishy-washy. Where butter, wattle, and chrome yellows brighten and warm a south or gloomy room, their yellow-green cousins will help cool it off.

Green, which is a mixture of blue and yellow, plays no optical tricks. It neither appears nearer as does red, nor feigns distance as does blue. It is always a refreshing background color and very soothing to the eyes. Nature uses 'it as a foil for every color, so it is worth taking a few object lessons from the garden. The greyed and "dirty" greens are smart and very good indeed as a background for popular maple or teak furniture. The clear greens have a spring freshness, but down the scale are the fabulous marine and peacock greens, aids to off-beat decorating.

Blue can be anything one wishes. In light versions it is airy, transparent, even elusive. Deepen it and it has the mystery of shadow. The warmer, lighter blues, such as pale aqua or turquoise, have the freshness of green without its substance. For walls and furnishings, turquoise and its ice-clear neighbor aqua, make very sophisticated decorating. Too much blue can act as a depressant and put the family in a near-permanent "blue mood". Blue-leaning-to-green has the same quality of excitement as the fire of an opal, or the spreading of a peacock's tail. It is a color which fascinates and possibly attracts and holds the eye more than any other shade. Along with ruby red, deep amethyst, cold anthracite grey and turquoise, it is called a jewel color. It can bring any room to life with even just a small touch of it.

The group, black, white and grey, called "achromatic", has been so often defined as having no color at all, that some experts think they should not be included among the basic colors. They are included here because they playa very important role in furnishing and decorating. Today, on paint cards and in fabrics, there many variations of white, black and grey. White can be anything from a black-white to magnolia vivid white, or ivory white. Black, too, runs the gamut from charcoal to inky or green blacks. These variations can affect the final result of a decorating scheme.

            White carries a sense of cleanliness and purity, sometime even to the point of antisepsis. Beware the sterility of an all-white kitchen or bathroom! Rather, use white as accents to bring an association of neatness and freshness to a color scheme.

White accents also have an important value in assisting color focus. They act as a standard for unconsciously appraising other colors. For instance, a yellow and green scheme without any white may first appear pleasing as a color combination but later confuses the eye. How light is the yellow? Very light compared to the green. But how dark is the green? Very dark compared to the yellow. Under brilliant illumination the contrast would be greater, but as the eye fatigues the contrast lessens. Is it a warm yellow? If not, it may appear so by contrast with the green. So without white as an honest measure, the eye's appraisal never comes out right. When pure white touches color, it gives the visual clue to value and hue.

Black is also a comparison standard. The use of some black and some white in any color scheme gives it vitality, makes it come alive because two comparison-standards act as double assistants to the other colors. Using both black and white introduces the extremes of value contrast and prevents light colors from looking pale and anaemic, or dark colors from appearing too staid and sombre. When teamed with other colors, black takes on strength and emphasis.

While white and black are strong and contrasting when used with other colors, grey can be thoroughly neutral. A grey can be color-tinted to harmonise with any hue; made lighter or darker-in value yet still remain a grey for all practical purposes. Grey can be plain utilitarian, retiring and dull to a point of boredom, or a genie in its effect on other colors.