How do you feel when you step into your bedroom, living room, or kitchen? Do you feel happy, excited, sad, or angry? The colors in your home interior have a huge impact on how you feel every day. "Color psychology refers to investigating the effect of color on human behavior and feeling (Wikipedia)."
Black: Black is one of the neutral colors. It absorbs all
of the light in the color spectrum (Van Wagner), so if you want a room to feel
like a cave, paint it black. It can also look very sophisticated if you use the
right amount of black accent pieces in a room; black leather furniture, for
example.
White: White is also a neutral color. It is the opposite of
black; it reflects all of the light in the color spectrum. A white room
feels spacious, but it can also feel cold and sterile. As an accent color, like
black, white can also create a sophisticated feel.
Red: A primary color, red is a warm hue that is associated with
excitement (Van Wagner). Red is a common color for an accent wall in homes
because it draws the eye to the wall; be careful of how much red you use,
however, because color psychology suggests that it is also associated with
anger.
Orange: Orange is a secondary color that is a combination of red
and yellow and it also draws attention. It is commonly used in the interiors of
fast-food restaurants because it is known to cause hunger and, therefore, more
profit.
Yellow: Another primary color, yellow, is bright and cheery. As
Vincent Van Gogh said, "How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the
sun." Yellow is also fatiguing to the eye, can cause feelings of
frustration, and babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms (Van Wagner).
Green: Green is a mix of yellow and blue, another secondary
color. It is often associated with nature and enhances the feeling of
tranquility and calm. It works well as a source of stress relief. Researchers
have also found that green helps to improve reading ability (Van Wagner).
Blue: As the third and final primary color, blue is also
associated with calmness and serenity. Blues and greens are often used to
create a spa-like atmosphere is bathrooms. Blue is associated with feelings of
sadness, as well. The complementary color to orange, blue is actually a known
appetite suppressant.
Violet: Violet is a secondary color that is the combination of red
and blue. When you think of this color, you may think of royalty, wealth, and
perhaps wisdom.
Colors I have not yet mentioned are:
gray, which is a combination of black and white; browns and tans, which can be
a mixture of all of the primary colors; and pink, which is a tint of red (red
mixed with white). Grays, browns, and tans are all neutral colors. Neutral
colors are often popular as the main wall color in home interiors.
I recommend using black and white in
small doses as a wall color in your home to prevent it from feeling like a cave
or a hospital room. These colors work well in accent pieces, however. Use red
sparingly, as well, as it is generally not a very soothing color to look it.
Try not to use a lot of orange in a dining room unless you are trying to gain
weight; on the other hand, if you are trying to lose weight, you may want to
try blue.
However, if you or someone in your
family is prone to depression, I would suggest using blue in small doses,
perhaps as a centerpiece on your table or as the color of your dishes. If you
have a baby, avoid bright yellow in the main part of the house and save it for
a workout room. Color psychology suggests that green is good for those of you
who have children who are learning to read.
References:
Wikipedia, "Color Symbolism and Psychology."
*Note: This article was previously published at Yahoo! Voices and the rights reverted back to the author when the site closed.
Visit my main blog for more home improvement ideas.
Photo courtesy of Flickr / Capture Queen
*Note: This article was previously published at Yahoo! Voices and the rights reverted back to the author when the site closed.
Visit my main blog for more home improvement ideas.
Photo courtesy of Flickr / Capture Queen
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