Have you ever noticed how different you feel in some rooms to others?
Just like sound or your favourite music can uplift your spirit, so can the energy of colour change the way you feel.
Colours influence human behaviour and emotions. It explores how different hues can impact our mood, perceptions, and even decision-making.
Factors such as gender, age and culture can influence how an individual feels about certain colours. Older people may prefer more subdued tones. Younger men may wear a pink shirt, an older man, probably not.
Colour is universal, but the effect of colour is uniquely personal, and we gravitate to certain colours. How we “act”, or our response to colour is so individual. We need to feel “in tune” with colour. We all have different reactions to colour.
Colours can affect our relationships, they can make us feel positive or negative.
Red in Chinese culture is perceived to be a prosperous colour.
Red worn by a lady in some cultures may make her be seen as a prostitute. Black is worn at funerals in the western world, white for Indian funerals.
Understanding colours and their effects can be useful in various fields, from marketing to interior design.
Take one of the most well known brands “MacDonalds” for example – Red and Gold. Gold meaning happy and abundance, Red for action, moving forward and quick turnover.
Colour psychology in home interiors involves using specific hues to evoke particular emotions and create desired atmospheres within a space.
By understanding how colours affect mood and perception, homeowners can strategically select paint, furnishings, and decor to enhance their living experience.
Let’s break it down room by room:
Here’s a breakdown of how to apply colour psychology in your home:
1. Understanding the Basics:
- Warm Colours:
Red, orange, and yellow are energising and stimulating, often used in kitchens and dining areas to promote appetite and social interaction. - Cool Colours:
Blue, green, and purple tend to be calming and relaxing, making them ideal for bedrooms and spaces dedicated to relaxation or concentration. - Neutral Colours:
Whites, greys, and beiges provide a versatile backdrop, creating a sense of spaciousness and can be used to balance bolder hues. We’ll cover a little more on neutrals later on.
2. Room-Specific Applications:
The atmosphere of a room can also be changed by the colour choices of paint and furnishings. Different colours can warm up or cool down the mood of a room to suit its purpose.
- Living Room:
Consider warm, inviting colours like reds, oranges, or yellows to create a lively and energetic atmosphere for guests and family.
Yellow – sunny and bright. It’s vibrant. It can lift our spirits, promote confidence and optimism and provide warmth. It stimulates mental activity and helps us stay alert, making it ideal when studying. Hence, it’s the perfect colour for rumpus rooms and studies. Yellows are good for creating a cheery atmosphere too. If a room is situated on the south side of the house, you can use colours like yellow to try and brighten it up and combat the chill.
Orange – another great colour for activity.
It’s really good in a rumpus room or a play room. It’s the same as red, stimulating activity, but it’s not as vibrant. If you do too much though it can create anxiety.
While bright colours like red, orange and yellow make us feel dynamic and positive, colours on the opposite side of the colour wheel can balance them out. - Kitchen and Dining:
Yellows and reds can be particularly effective in kitchens, as they are often associated with food and can stimulate appetite. That’s why you often see red in restaurants.
It also gives us energy for conversation, so it’s really good for dining rooms where we hold dinner parties, and celebrations. - Bedrooms:
Opt for calming colours like blues, greens, or soft purples to promote relaxation and restful sleep. - Home Offices:
Consider blues and greens to promote focus and creativity, or yellows to enhance decision-making and problem-solving.
Personally I prefer a neutral background, but enhance heavily with green pot plants and accents. - Bathrooms:
Green can bring a sense of balance and restoration, while blues and whites can evoke feelings of cleanliness and tranquility.
3. Balancing and Accenting:
- Darker Colours:
Can be used to create a sense of intimacy or drama, but should be used thoughtfully in smaller spaces to avoid making them feel cramped. - Lighter Colours:
Can be used to brighten a space, make it feel larger, and create a sense of openness. - Accent Colours:
Use bolder colours as accents to add visual interest and personality to a room, while maintaining a cohesive overall scheme.
4. Consider the Existing Space:
- Natural Light:
Rooms with ample natural light can handle cooler tones, while rooms with less natural light may benefit from warmer, light-reflecting colours. Natural light and vitamin D, promotes good mental health. Artificial light has the ability to drain your energy, lower your mood and make it difficult to focus. Mix up your lighting to express your desired mood/design style e.g. floor or table lamps. Light, like colour ignites emotions. - Room Size:
Consider how colour will impact the perceived size of a room; lighter colours generally make spaces feel larger, while darker colours can make spaces feel smaller and more intimate.
5. Personal Preferences:
- Ultimately, the most effective colours for your home will be those that you find personally appealing and that resonate with your desired mood and atmosphere.
- Consider what colours make you feel good and how you want to experience each space in your home.
Key Points on Neutrals:
Sand and Taupe are both popular neutral colours. A popular misnomer though is that neutrals are either warm or cold. Sand and Taupe are both warm, however taupe is cooler as it has a grey content to it. Therefore if a client wants a warm scheme but on the cooler side of warm, Taupe is perfect. Whereas Sand is warm, so mix with creams rather than white. Sand and Taupe generally don’t work well together.
What to put with Sand coloured neutrals:Rich golden timberCreamy limestoneSisals and seagrass (Rugs, baskets etc)Natural linen with an undertone of yellowBronzeWhat to put with Taupe coloured neutrals:Natural linens with a hint of purple or greyDark stained woods like walnutGrey or blue hued stone like slateChrome and crystal fittingsSilverClear glasswareMonochromatic neutral schemes create calming, soothing and an understated feeling. They are a great backdrop for colour, pattern and texture. Monochromatic neutrals allow the furniture and accessories to shine, however, too much of one colour can appear boring.
Tips on creating a neutral palette:
If you already have a neutral finish, use that as a starting point for the tone of neutral. eg. if you already have Oak flooring, it works better with creamy, sandy colours, not Taupe.
Choose lighting that brings out the qualities of the neutral. Don’t assume that all neutrals work together. Don’t forget to use textures to enhance the one colour scheme. Don’t layer on too many accent colours – one will have more impact than three.
How do you make whites feel inviting instead of bland, dull and unfriendly?
Vary the tonality of the whites. Create interplay of pattern. This can be in tiling and grouting, or the lines of a white washed timber floor. Add texture to enliven your scheme.
AND lastly, neutrals don’t have to be beige, grey or white. Blush pink is the new neutral for a sophisticated and understated space.
Other considerations:
Integrate wood, floral upholstery, drapes, and coverings to stimulate
creativity, flexibility and intuition.
– Anything with glass, water or crystal makes a more relaxed and spiritual environment.
– Squares, ceramics, tiles and bricks promote a sense of order and a tactile sensuality.
– Originality and creativity can come in the form of innovative furniture.
Colour is such an enormous subject that I can’t cover it all here. However don’t despair, there are loads of tools out there to help you. Book a consult with me, refer to our friends at Resene, or use their colour generator (a fabulous on line tool).
A colour wheel is also a very handy tool. I’ll deconstruct that in my next blog, so stay tuned.
Happy decorating!
