VILLAGEOF KEREMEOS C@I@IIR DESIGN GUIDELINES CONTENTS: Introduction 2 Colour in the Downtown...p.3 Basic Colour Theory 4 Colour Schemes 5-6 Historic Colour Schemes 7 Contemporary Colour Schemes 8 Colour Palettes...p.9 Materials 10 Villageof Keremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuidelinē Page 1
INTRODUCTION Colour is one of the most powerful design elements which can be used to create an image of unity and quality within the downtown business area. The Village of Keremeos Colour Design Guidelines have been created to aid in developing a broader view of the marketing image of the community, and in choosing and evaluating successful colour schemes for use within the Designated Commercial Area. These Guidelines have been formulated to explain the basic theory of colour and how to jointly use colour effectively within a downtown area. Some specific recommendations are presented, but due to the extremely subjective nature of colour preference, as well as the variety of possible acceptable colour options, the paint colour samples and visual examples provided in this document should be considered as suggestions only. Final approval of proposed colour schemes will be made through the design review process. VillageofKeremeos - Business ImprovementArea - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 2
COORDINATED COLOUR IN THE DOWNTOWN The use and control of colour in the downtown commercial core is a matter of great concern to the success of the marketing image enhancement process. Tastefully selected colour schemes which have been thoughtfully coordinated with the overall appearance of the Keremeos business area in mind can do much to create the quality image which is desired by the business community. Conversely, the thoughtless use of garish colour can readily cheapen the look of the business core. One key to success in downtown facade improvements is to view the downtown as an INTEGRATED VISUAL MARKETING UNIT, not as a series of unconnected individual buildings & businesses. Such a cooperative approach to the use of colour in the business place benefits the entire community. GENERAL PRINCIPLES In trying to create a downtown marketing image of quality the following general colour recommendations should be followed: - Use WARM, subdued background SHADES which blend harmoniously as a whole throughout the commercial core. - Use brighter accent colours discretely to create subtle areas of focus, not to out-shout neighboring businesses. - Utilize multi co oured paint schemes to create visual interest and to highlight architectural features. - Develop regular maintenance programs to maintain quality of facade finishes. VillageofKeremeos - Business ImprovementArea - ColourDesignGuidelinē Page 3
BAsIcCOLOUR THEORY PROPERTIES OF COLOUR Colour properties of interest to those selecting paint schemes for a building facade include; 'Hue', 'Va ue' and Intensity. HUE" refers to the name of a colour - for example red, yellow,and blue are called the primary hues (or Colours), and orange, green, and purple are called secondary hues. VALUE" refers to a colours brightness, as in dark' green or 'light' green; and, INTENS TY (or 'chroma') indicates clarity or the extent to which the hue is free of white or black. The terms Tint and Shade" are important to understand in the concept of colour VALUE and INTENSITY. TINT is a gradated lightening of colour made by adding white to it to lessen the vividness of the hue. SHADE refers to the degree to which a pure colour is darkened by the addition of black. TEMPERATURE The projected temperature of a colour is similarly of interest. Colours are said to be 'COOL' when blue forms a part of its make up; 'WARM' colours have red in their composition. The cooler colours scuh as blues, greens and violets seem to recede, whereas the warmer colours such as reds, oranges, yellows appear to advance. IMPORTANCE OF SHADED COLOURS: An examination of the recommended colour palettes, and the colours shown in the concept sketches, will demonstrate the importance of using 'shades' and shaded tints as the basis for a successful town widecolour program. The combination of subdued tints and the grayed back nature of 'shades' allows a wide variety of colours to be used together without causing visual clashes to occur between the individual colours of a building's own paint scheme, or with the paint schemes of adjacent buildings. Generally, shaded tints work the best for the body of the building, reserving the stronger, more vibrant colours, for small accent areas. VillageofKeremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 4
WNWWUR? 7/A\LH 3%% YELLOW TWELVE- HUE COLOUR WHEEL PMMARY COLOURS SECONDARY COLOURS RED GREEN YELLOW PURPLE BLUE ORANGE
HUE HNT SHADE WHITE ADDED BLACK ADDED
COOL COLOURS
WARM COLOURS
for COLOUR SCHEMES TYPES OF COLOUR SCHEME ood colour schemes tor buildings are generally made up of only a few colours which G have been taste-fully selected, mixed, and blended. THREE COLOUR SCHEMES are discussed and illustrated below: 1) the monochromatic scheme; 2) monochromatic plus accent; and, 3) the complementary scheme. The colour samples on the following pages should be recognized as a recommendation for basic colour direction, not as the only allowable colours or colour schemes for the downtown. 1) MONOCHROMATIC: Monochromatic colour schemes are developed by using several values (relative degree of light or dark) of the same colour. A typical scheme would include a minimum of three values, for instance, dark, medium, and light. Not all colours can be used successfully in a mono chromatic scheme instance, the lighter colours of yellow and orange may not show a tonal range sufficient for emphasis. 2) MONOCHROMATIC PLUS ACCENT: This scheme uses a base of monochromatic colours, but adds a contrasting, complementary, colour for accent. Earth and gray tones make good monochromatic bases, with shaded primary colours for accents 3) COMPLEMENTARY: Complementary colour schemes are formed by selecting colours which sit opposite each other on the colour wheel (refer to attached colour wheel). Examples of complementary colours include: red & green, blue-violet & ye low orange, and violet & yellow. Complementary schemes work best when the contrasting colours are muted tints and /or shades of a pure colour. Villageof Keremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 5
MONOCHROMATIC VARIOUS SHADES OF THE SAME COLOUR TYPES OF COLOUR SCHEME
MONOCHROMATIC WITH ACCENT TYPES OF COLOUR SCHEME
COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS OPPOSITE ON THE COLOUR WHEEL TYPES OF COLOUR SCHEME
Official COLOUR SCHEMES CONTINUED: SELECTION OF COLOURS: Colour schemes for buildings within Keremeos s designated commercial area should recognize the principles and objectives of the Downtown Keremeos Marketing Theme" which have been outlined within the Keremeos BIA Building Facade Design Guidelines, and the Village of Keremeos Community Plan documents. In this regard, colours and paint schemes which are inspired by traditional influences, or the warm colours of the surrounding natural environment should be utilized. LOCATING COLOURS ON THE BUILDING FACADE: The placement of individual colours on the building face should be planned using a thoughtful criteria. In this regard, the following general guidelines should be considered. ACCENT THE ARCHITECTURALELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING. The building facade often has vertical or horizontal design features which make appropriate locations for colour transitions. Typical architectural elements would include column pilasters. cornices, window lintels and sills, and any type of raised relief from the base building face. These types of details should be painted to include the side/edges of the raised element as well as the frontal face plane. This lends a sense of mass to the detailing. - ACCENT DOOR AND WINDOW ELEMENTS Applying accent colours to window and door sash, casings, and trims helps to provide colourful interest to the building face. Choose colours for this purpose which contrast with both the background base colour of the building and the colour of the glass in the windows and doors, or window decoration; e.g. interior drapery or blind treatments which project an exterior colour. Materials chosen for colouring windows or doors should be compatible with the material sub strate and projected usage patterns for the feature. VillageofKeremeos - BusinessImprovement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 6
HISTORIC COLOUR SCHEMES: Colour schemes for historic, and infill, buildings within the designated heritage business core should recognize the precedent of the types of colours and paint schemes which were typically used on structures during the turn of the century time period. Being aware of the rules of proper historic colour selection, also allows for certain conscious decisions to vary from the strict historic tradition, in order to create modern interpretations of heritage paint schemes for effect. The following general information is presented to aid in colour design decisions regarding heritage" paint schemes. HISTORIC COLOURS: The palette of colours and types of paint available during the Late Victorian period was very limited by modern standards. The Colours tended to be derived from natural organic sources, which limited their brilliance, but they were used in intense concentrations creating strong, contrasting effects. Colours which were favoured included: - REDS - terra cotta tones, tuscan dark reds, & small amounts of fire engine red - YELLOW OCHRE - DARK MOSSY GREENS & SAGE GREENS 0 BLUES dark navy & powdery delft blue grays - - EARTH TONES - creams, tans, beige s - WHITE & GRAYS COLOUR SCHEMES: Ifa purist approach is taken to colour selection on an historic building, the original paint colours may sometimes be ascertained by taking paint scrapings from the building face and examining them under a microscope to - check the appearance of the successive paint layers then matching the historic co our(s) to a modern equivalent. Late Victorian paint schemes were generally comprised of two or three colours; a base background colour with one or more accent colours applied to the trims of the structure. The painted lady" technique of extensively highlighting the intricate detailing of the Victorian ornament with numerous colours is a relatively recent innovation from the 1970's California resurgence of interest in Victorian architecture. This technique offers dramatic and playful possibilities, but should be recognized for what it is, and used with discretion. VillageofKeremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 7
CONTEMPORARY COLOUR SCHEMES Colours which are chosen for newer (non heritage) buildings within the commercial areas should generally be based on the palette" of the surrounding natural environment. Utilizing the intrinsic Colours of natural materials, e.g. stone, brick, and wood, as base tones", the same shaded palette which is appropriate for the heritage area, should be consulted for a selection of appropriate accent colours and tones. Colours selected from the Earth Tone" and/or Gray" palettes, or the light and mid range shades of the colour palettes, generally will provide acceptable base colour choices. The stronger (darker) colours, or more brilliant contemporary colours, should be reserved for trims and smaller accent areas. VillageofKeremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 8
COLOUR PALETTES Sample colours are presented in the sheets entitled "palette." It should be noted that the colour chips included on the sample palettes are not intended to represent the ONLY colours allowed. Rather they are to give an indication of the general tone which is being recommended. Colours shown on the palettes are acceptable for both historic and contemporary building paint schemes. Site specific examples of how the colour recommendations might be used for buildings located within the designated Keremeos Commercial Area may be seen in the attached, coloured, building renderings. RECOMMENDATIONS ENCOURAGED - Colour schemes which respect the appearance of adjacent buildings and the colour palette for the business community - subdued background shades with small areas of bright accent colour - Contrasting paint schemes which accent the decorative features of the building facade - Multi hued and mu ti co oured schemes - Shaded and tinted colours - Use of warm tones as background wall colours DISCOURAGED - Single colour paint schemes - Large areas of bright, pure colours Extremely dark or light colours ( i.e. large areas of pure white, black, chocolate brown, or charcoal gray ) - Colour schemes which seek to grab attention by clashing with the colours of adjacent buildings. VillageofKeremeos - Business Improvement Area - ColourDesignGuideline - Page 9