November 27, 2009, Newsletter Issue #8: Color Affects More Than You Realize

Tip of the Week

Color is the most often discussed aspect of interior design. Most often it is talked about in relation to what colors look good with what, which colors you'd like in your decor--that kind of thing. But color is much more influential than that.


There are whole books written about the psychology of color, the most important way it influences us outside of its visual influence. Response to color is nearly universal. In fact, it is so strong that someone without sight can name a color once it is described simply by their physical reaction to that color.


Take red, for example. Red excites the nervous system and stimulates the circulatory system. It is associated with power, energy, vitality and excitement in life. People either love the color red in their environment or they hate it. It can bring out fear, uncontrolled passion and anger. Red is the most disturbing color to poeple with mental problems.


Orange is another warm color that stimulates creativity and ambition and energy. If you get too much of it, it can make you nervous and restless. It also stimulates the appitite, so it is often used in fast food restaurants to get people to eat more quickly.


Yellow is a daylight color and it too excites the nervous system and prepares the body for action. A golden yellow will bring out your compassionate side and your creativity. But if it's too bright or used too often, it can be over-stimulating. Yellow gets the quickest response from buyers, so it is a good idea to put yellow flowers outside your home and inside it when trying to sell.


Green is a cool color and it slows the heartbeat and encourages healing. Many hospitals paint their rooms green for this very reason. It is calming and soothing, peaceful and cool. However, dark greens can be depressing.


Blue is another cool color and when women wear sky-blue clorhing it brings out the gentlemanyly, protective side of men. But dark blue depresses the nervous system ad cues the body for sleep.  While it can be soothing and calming, too much blue can be depressing. Because men typically feel five degrees hotter than women, it is a great color for rooms where there will be many men.


These are just some of the colors and how we react to them. There is much information that can be found on this subject. An interesting article can be found at http://www.precisionintermedia.com/color.html.

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