We all have our favorite colors, and we may be aware of the certain feelings and moods that every color is associated with. But have you ever applied that knowledge to the design schemes in your home? Color psychology is a well-known yet underutilized branch in the field that studies how our brain perceives color, and how certain shades can influence our personalities, in this case the vibe present in specific rooms.
Every variant in the rainbow produces a different response. Warm colors (red, orange and yellow) are associated with cheeriness and energy, while cool colors (green, blue, and purple) are associated with calmness and stability. Lighter hues bring out a room’s expansiveness, while darker shades make it appear more intimate.
Warm Colors:
Red: Red is the most emotionally intense and psychologically stimulating color, conveying confidence and energy; it enhances metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. Since it’s such an attention-grabber, it’s best used within the home as an accent for more neutral tones. Red is a great choice for living rooms or dining rooms as it helps draw people in and generate conversation, but in bright hues it can be too stimulating for most bedrooms.
Orange: Combining red’s energy with yellow’s cheerfulness, orange is a heat-radiating color that demands attention while also symbolizing balance and enthusiasm. This hue is a great choice for kitchens or exercise rooms, as it helps stimulate appetite and mental activity as well as increase oxygen supply for the brain.
Yellow: Invoking happiness and sunshine, this energy-generating hue helps stimulates mental activity, generates muscle energy, and arouses positive feelings. It’s a great choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and dining rooms as well as halls, entries, and small spaces, since it creates an uplifting and welcoming atmosphere. However, it is not the best idea for main color schemes; in large amounts it can generate frustration and anger. Studies have shown that people are more likely to lose their temper and babies also cry more frequently in yellow rooms.
Cool Colors:
Green: The color of nature, green is calm and relaxing, and suggests stability, growth, and harmony. It is a beneficial hue for healing the mind and body; it helps improve vision, slow metabolism, alleviate tension/stress, and imply restfulness. These qualities make it a great selection for using as the main color in a room, especially for a family or living room since it promotes comfort and togetherness. Its associations with fertility also make it valuable for the bedroom.
Blue: Blue is the most tranquil and serene color in the rainbow, helping bring down blood pressure, suppress appetite, and slow metabolism, respiration and heart rate. Different shades can bring different effects to certain rooms in the house. Light blues are highly recommended to use as the main color for bedrooms and bathrooms for their calming effects; they work best in rooms that have warmer furnishings and receive natural light. Warmer or bright blues, such as periwinkle, cerulean, or turquoise, are great for social areas such as living rooms or kitchens since they encourage relaxation. Dark blues are not recommended for the home since they evoke feelings of sadness or despair.
Purple: Known as the color of royalty, purple is a mysterious, creative, and luxurious that stimulates the imagination, combining the stability in blue with the energy in red. Darker values (such as eggplant and palatinate) are dramatic and sophisticated, perfect to serve as an accent or secondary shade in a more neutral color scheme. Light purples, including lavender, lilac, and mauve, create the same relaxing sensations found in blue tones without seeming chilly and distant.
Don’t worry too much about trends when planning a color scheme; select shades that best reflect your preferences and personalities. However, certain colors and hues can be very useful in helping influence and improve the collective energy of particular rooms in the house.
