Psychology of Color
Whether you believe it or not, research has proven that color can and does affect our mood, energy and even our appetite levels. Here is a simple guide you can use to help your room create the right response for you.
Warm Tones
Colors that fall into the warm family are known for their association with things related to heat, such as fire. Colors that are part of the red, orange or yellow family are all thought to be warm tones.
- Red
- Ideal for the dining room as it tends to stimulate the appetite, you’ve probably noticed that many busy restaurants have their walls painted red. Long known as a fiery color, red is associated with energy, passion, sexuality and anger. Not surprisingly, red can get the heart pumping and your blood pressure to go up.
- Orange
- While orange can be a fiery color, it is not associated with the same intense feelings of passion and sexuality as red is. In fact, orange is a very welcoming and friendly color, which is why it is a great choice for living rooms and family rooms. It also works well in children’s bedrooms.
- Yellow
- Much like the sun, yellow can brighten your day and your home. Yellow is a great choice when you want your walls to grab people’s attention. If you have a poorly lit room or hallway, then yellow is a superb choice to light up the space. However, using yellow that is too bright and intense has actually been found to make infants, young children and elderly people anxious, so be careful where you use it.
Cool Shades
If you are looking for a room that will help produce a calm and tranquil environment, then you’ll want to pick colors that are considered cool tones. Shades in the blue, green and violet family tend to be associated with idyllic country sides and expansive seascapes, making it hard not to feel at home in a room with cool colored walls.
- Blue
- Because of its ability to put us in a highly relaxed state, shades of blue are best used in the bedroom for young and old alike. However, it has also been shown to curb our appetites, so you may want to keep it out of the dining room and/or kitchen – unless you’re on a diet.
- Green
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- When you close your eyes and think of green, most likely the image of a forest or grass comes to mind. This isn’t very surprising when you consider that green is the most dominant color in nature and, as such, can be used in virtually every room of your home. Choose lighter shades of green for your living room and bathroom and medium green tones for your dining room or kitchen.
- Purple
- One person’s love of violet may be another’s hatred. Generally speaking, children tend to prefer purple more than adults. As a result, you’re more likely to find shades in this color family put to use in a child’s bedroom and play rooms more than anywhere else.
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