During the survey, 62 per cent of the respondents indicated that they would choose light shades for the interior decoration of their dream homes, 33 per cent favoured pastel hues, and just 16 per cent would prefer bright colours. Dark shades or bright colours would most likely be favoured by the youngest group of the respondents aged between 18-25-year-olds.
Mr Mantas Umbrasas, Sales Director for Darnu Group, says that the results of this survey are also reflected in the experiences of property developers whereby Lithuanian interiors appear to be dominated by light, soothing colours.
“Whether they do everything themselves or hire professionals, Lithuanians tend to enjoy the process of creating their homes. For that reason, property developers often choose white or similar neutral colours for the interior finish which allows the future owners to plan the details according to their own taste. While fitting out the apartments in Paupys, an estate we are currently developing, we have noticed that Scandinavian interiors, or those very similar, are the most sought-after. This style is characterised by colour schemes which are lighter, and more subdued.” says Mr Umbrasas.
Women are more keen on home improvements
Women are more likely to choose light colours, whereas men tend to favour contrasting schemes. According to Mr Aidas Barzda, an architect at the design studio YCL Studio, the fact that women often prefer more subtle colours is often determined by their homes being seen as an opportunity for further improvement.
“This helps achieve the goal of making the living spaces more personal and turning them into the cosy hearth and home. Light, pastel shades provide more opportunities for further interior decoration and improvement, whereas contrasting and bright colours give the impression of a more finished look,” explains the expert.
Mr Barzda does not insist that either of the choices is right or wrong, as this sort of differentiation is meaningless.
“In specific situations and tasks, it is important to understand what sort of finish is expected when choosing a particular colour. Homes which are light are the easiest to improve further, the same way as a notebook filled with white pages gives in to change easier than, let’s say, bright red ones,” Mr Barzda says.
White, yellow and green are the most popular colours
The results of the survey have shown that the interior colours most loved by the Lithuanians are: white (63 per cent mentioned it amongst their favourites), yellow (38 per cent), green (31 per cent), brown and blue (23 per cent each) as well as red (18 per cent).
White and its various shades would be the most dominant colour in the interior design choices of highly-educated, city-dwelling women who are also the biggest earners. Men prefer the colour palettes of black, blue and green in designing their dream spaces. Black, blue as well as red are also favoured by respondents within the age bracket of 18 to 25.
Mr Barzda says that a person’s colour choice for interior design can also reveal a lot about them because every colour expresses a certain sensation: some shades are soothing, others help create a space focused around work or a certain hobby.
“Every colour has a ‘label’ attached to it. For example, white, which is so popular with Lithuanians, is a calm colour. Spaces painted in white visually become bigger and more open with people inside them seeming more ‘neutral’. This is an excellent colour for further home improvements using various decorative elements or accessories. Yellow brings energy and optimism therefore a lot of people like to use yellow accents in their kitchens - it is a great colour to energise the eyes and the stomach.
“Green represents flourishing and helps reduce anxiety. This makes it a great colour choice for certain spaces such as hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Blue is a very calming colour, it helps concentrate and relax. It also boosts a person’s confidence in their surroundings. Perhaps that is why many banks like to use a blue colour scheme,” explains Mr Barzda.
The architect advises using red sparingly in one’s home. Although most people associate this colour with romance and love, it can also bring aspects of aggression and fury.
“I would also mention orange as one of the more stimulating colours – it boosts energy and enthusiasm. Purple is also an intense and dramatic colour which historically symbolised luxury,” says Mr Barzda.
The opinion survey of the residents of Lithuania was conducted by Spinter Research in 2019 with the aim to establish the views on choosing the perfect home and fitting it out. 1014 respondents took part in the survey.
The people surveyed were between 18 and 75 years old. and 61 per cent of those were in the age group of 26-55. 46 per cent of respondents were the residents of large towns, 26 per cent came from smaller towns or regional centres and 28 per cent from rural locations.
