Colors and emotions are closely linked. Colours have the ability to invoke in us a variety of moods. Colors can make us feel happy or sad, and they can make us feel hungry or relaxed. Although not everybody will have the same feelings, seeing a certain colour, the psychological effects are shared by the majority. That’s why it’s important to understand the psychological effects colors might have on an average person as well as the fundamentals of color theory and the meanings of colors.
EFFECTS OF COLOURS:
BLUE: Blue is the one colour which is universally associated with tranquility, peace and contentment, probably because it is the colour of the sky and water. However, if used indiscriminately, it can produce strong feelings of melancholia and uneasiness and can be quite depressing.
Blue in Interiors: Shades of blue can be used for a restful or a bold effect. Pale blue has a calming effect and gives space to a room and can be used for larger areas. A darker blue will draw things closer and also add depth. Blue teams up smartly with browns and whites. So next to a wooden bookshelf, it builds up a striking corner.
RED: Red is the most dramatic- it represents power, vitality and zest. Red is warm, welcoming and enlightens our mood the moment we look at it. It ignites passion and desire and creates excitement and enthusiasm for life. It is highly energizing too. But excessive red can cause aggression and violence.
Red in Interiors: Red enlivens interior spaces by creating excitement, warmth and elegance. Therefore, it is used in those areas where one needs excitement like bars. It is not often used in sleeping areas because of its energizing quality. Too much red can distract so it should be used with care in family rooms. However a splash of red on the wall or th fireplace or a rug creates a dramatic effect.
WHITE: White symbolizes purity. It’s an elegant colour and looks good when combined with other colours. There is nothing that reflects natural light better than white. There are innumerable shades of white and is the safest to use when you are confused about the choice of colours.
White in Interiors: Snow-white walls and cabinets make a room sparkle. Wood and metal contrast with white and it highlights furnishings. In a stark white room, you can splash any colours of your choice on the curtains and linen and create the colour against a neutral background. White is the best option for ceilings since the light reflects and brightens the room.
YELLOW: It is a powerful colour, both light in value and extremely intense in its purest form. It evokes a sense of energy and excitement and it stimulates the brain and nurtures clarity of mind. Yellow is also a happy color probably because it is associated with the Sun. However, too bright a yellow can induce restlessness.
Yellow in Interiors: Hence it is recommended for all rooms where brain power is used such as Sudy room, Office etc. This colour is however not recommended for rooms where sunlight enters directly to the room. Yellow combined with greens provides the natural freshness and with red gives gaiety and richness. It also gives a lift to black and white. It merges effortlessly with pastels, warms to red, and makes wood glow. Rich golds are elegant and used for traditional settings while darker yellows are quieter and cut glare. Dark yellow teams up best with white and contrasts well with green, blue, and brown.
VIOLET : Violet creates the impression of richness and reverence. Its paler tints are romantic, fragile and quite feminine But too much of it can cause instability and uneasiness.
Violet in interiors: It was quite popular in the Victorian era and now, as pure colours are becoming popular, beautiful violet is a certain choice in Interiors.
GREEN: As green is symbolic of nature, it generates calm and inner peace in the house. Green is a colour which helps us to adjust to new environments and situations. It also augments intelligence.
Green in Interiors: Therefore, Green is good for a study room as it rejuvenates ideas. Green is the most common choice of the designers and is often used as a dominant room colour. Green goes with every other colour and makes it a natural neutral and the perfect background for any other colour of your choice. Use a bluish green to cool off a room that is too bright or warm and use a yellow that leans towards green in a cold room. Whatever you choose, you will get summertime warmth in winter and grassy coolness in summer.
PINK: Pink is delicate and soft and reflects joy, happiness and pure feelings essential for a happy life.
Pink in Interiors: Since Pink suggests gaiety, it can be used in a party room. Pink blends wonderfully with grays, browns and sharp blues. Because pink is essentially a pastel, it should be used with a stronger colour to highlight its pleasant tone.
Brown in Interiors: Wood furniture, doors, windows provide the brown in a room. Because any brown tone is essentially warm, cool colours should be used as accents.
GREY: Grey is cool and contemporary. Pale grey pushes walls away to create space.
Grey In Interiors: Varying in range from a light to medium value, grey is an elegant neutral shade for all furnishings. For stark contrasts, set off grey against bright tones, whites and blacks. To get a blended background, warm grey with blue, brown, or yellow depending on your colour choice.
ORANGE : Orange colour inspires spirituality as it represents transcendence and an otherworldly aspect of life. No wonder spiritual people wear saffron robes. It also has the ability to stimulate appetite, enhance communication, positive feelings, cheerfulness and interaction. But too much can cause restlessness.
Orange in Interiors: It is amazingly versatile, emitting great energy in its purest form. As an earth tone, it evokes warmth, comfort and reassurance in Interiors. Nowadays, the lighter orange, popularly known as peach is common in use as it gives a cool effect.
NEUTRALS : Using neutrals does not mean not using colour. Any low intensity color that is used as a background for other accent colours features, furniture and objects in a space can be classified as neutrals.
Neutrals in interiors: Neutrals are practical and by changing accessories and fabrics the look of space can be dramatically altered against the same neutral background.
PASTELS : Pastels are simply lighter tints of any hue, white added to red yields pink and light pink is a pastel. There is not any particular definition for a pastel colour but when colours become so light that they almost seem to be white, they are pastels.
Pastels in Interiors: The pastels are becoming more and more popular as they create the most sober and elegant look.
So ultimately, all colours do have positive as well as negative effects on your mood and the effect strongly depends on how you use the colours (colour contrast and harmony), the combination (colour groups), the purpose of the room, the type of people who're going to use the area, etc.
EFFECTS OF COLOUR GROUPS:
Some colour groups make you want to get out of your chair, others make you want to nestle down and read. Some colour schemes are articulate and must be listened to. Others are very quiet. Some colours indicate that you have travelled or are well read. Yet others create a desire for closeness, intimacy and love. Following are some of the most typical responses to various colour groups.
NURTURING COLOURS:
These colours create a sense of peace and well being. They foster quiet conversation with family and friends and can dispel loneliness. Throughout time, mankind has found a sense of peace and tranquility when in touch with "Mother Earth". It follows that colours which impart a sense of warmth and serenity come directly from the Earth. In addition to the earth colours in the neutral group are colours associated with the Sea such as sand, shell, coral, pearl, stone, seaweed. Green is a colour which helps us to adjust to new environments and situations. It will always be found among the 'nurturing neutrals'. The Blues represented here will range from winter sky to stream to midnight. The neutrals are somewhat like the furniture while other palettes are more like accents or accessories.
This palette includes the colours which are very refreshing and rejuvenating. Like nurturing colours 'healing colours' are colours taken from nature. So naturally the first group of colours in this palette are the Greens. Because they have the power to help us adjust to new environments, skillful designers use lots of plants and other forms of green . Healing greens may be warm or cool , but not muddy or mysterious like those in the intellectual palette. Healing palettes also take inspirations from warm, earth tones. These palettes usually contains contrast as well as a clarity of color that is inspiring. They include a range of lights and darks but will never be muddy.
INTELLECTUAL COLOURS:
An example of a room done up in intellectual colours.
These are the sharp, witty and unique colours which convey a message that the owner has travelled, is well read and has something to say. These colours will command respect without being overbearing. This palette has a earthy, warm base. Grey is a colour which promotes creativity and will often be found in an intellectual palette. These greys will be warm and gentle. Some tones of blue suggest communication and trust, so it will naturally be found in the intellectual palette. Navy blues will often find their way in this palette, but its effect is warm and never cold and fragile. Red also appears in this intellectual palette, but the shades will be earthy, complicated burgundy and cranberry.
ROMANTIC COLOURS:
Red is the colour of sex and lust and is the reason that it is the chosen symbolic colour for Valentine's Day. In interior design however, a less intense, softer tone of red is far more conducive to romance than the pure hue. Often referred as Pinks, these colours vary from cool to warm and from light to dark. Pinks have an interesting quality that seems to halt the body's ability to stay angry. Purple is another colour which is definitively romantic because of it's passionate, unpredictable and quixotic characteristics. Paler, less intense tones of Orange such as apricot and peach that suggest purity and innocence are often included in the romantic palette.
An example of a room done up in playful colours.
PLAYFUL COLOURS:
These colours are exciting and used to provide a fun atmosphere. These playful, whimsical palettes create their own kind of music, like the sounds of children playing. There are highs and lows, lights and darks and always movement and activity. Used in active spaces within the home, a 'playful' palette can add energy and vitality. But if overdone, this type of palette becomes irritating and stressful. The foundation of this palette is White. This could be anywhere from vanilla ice cream to snow drift to winter moon. Then comes the bubble gum pink, buttercup, wintergreen, all the berry colours and crayon colours. Many of these colours will be cool, and even in lighter tones there will be brightness and clarity. The bottom line in creating this type of palette is that the colours should suggest a sense of freedom, play and downright fun.
Also read about:
Also read about:
- ARCHITECT EXPLAINS PAINTS
- COMMON PAINT DEFECTS AND REMEDIES
- USING THE COLOUR WHEEL
- HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PAINT COLOUR
- ARCHITECT'S PAINTING GUIDE FOR A HOUSE
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