Color is Personal
In fact color has been shown to create physiological reactions in us as well. Each color has a different mood or story to convey. How are the colors in your home affecting your mood? Select each color for more information.
In fact color has been shown to create physiological reactions in us as well. Each color has a different mood or story to convey. How are the colors in your home affecting your mood? Select each color for more information.
There’s a reason why the eye is usually drawn to red first. It’s full of excitement, passion, tenacity, flamboyance and courage. Red has a lot of attitude and makes a strong statement about your personality. While people surrounded by it may find their hearts beating a little faster or feel a little bit out of breath, a spot of red in just the right place can make a room come alive. When used with a cool blue, red’s intense heat can be toned down a bit. Light pink, yellow or a gray tone can help harmonize a room that uses red.
A flamboyant color that’s often tied to fun and happiness, orange exudes energy and warmth. It has the power to inspire people both mentally and emotionally to get them thinking and talking. And while associated with change, ambition and attitude, orange is an exciting color that attracts attention. Make a statement by pairing it with blue, red, yellow, green or a dash of purple.
The color of the sun, yellow is associated with laughter, happiness and good times. It can cause the brain to release more serotonin, which makes people feel optimistic. It even has the power to speedup metabolism and drive creativity. However, yellow can be overpowering if it’s not used sparingly in just the right places. Use it to add zest to a cool palette of blues or grays. It can also work well with orange, red, olive green or brown.
Green is the color of growth, nature and money. While dark forest green is associated with conservatism, masculinity and wealth, light green is calming, harmonious and peaceful. It’s also traditionally associated with envy, good luck, generosity, comfort and fertility. Create a botanical atmosphere by matching green with a cool blue, light brown or beige. Using green with orange, yellow or even purple can create a fruity palette.
When you ask people their favorite color, most will probably say blue. That’s partly because much of the world is blue so we have a natural connection with it. While associated with steadfastness, dependability, wisdom and loyalty, blue tends to make people more productive and focused. Certain shades of blue actually cause the body to produce calming chemicals, while other shades, or too much blue, can make us feel cold. A versatile color, blue can be used with green, red, orange, yellow or any neutral.
Kings and queens wore purple robes for good reason. Associated with wealth, prosperity and sophistication, purple can stimulate brain activity and problem solving. However, when it’s overused in a common setting it can be perceived as pretentiousness and insincerity. Using purple carefully can create a sense of mystery, wisdom and respect. Any neutral color, especially beige, can work with purple to create an earthy look, while green or pink are other options that work well.
A compression of all the colors in the color spectrum, white is associated with purity, cleanliness and safety in most of the world. It’s the perfect backdrop for any color, but can also be used to project the absence of color, neutrality and creativity.
Practical, timeless, middle-of-the-road and solid, gray is a cool, neutral color that adds a sense of balance. It’s often perceived as sophisticated and formal, though too much gray feels cold and uninspiring. A by-product of gray, silver is usually associated with strong character and kindness. Include a dark shade of gray in your palette to add masculinity or a lighter shade to create a cooling effect.
Authority, power, stability, strength and intelligence are all associated with black. But it’s just as likely to conjure feelings of evil, somberness and mourning. Black is a serious color that evokes strong emotions and can make people appear thinner, but it can just as easily overwhelm if used in excess.
Many men list brown as their favorite color. Most often associated with reliability, stability and friendship, it’s a masculine, natural, organic color that conveys wholesomeness. Lighter browns imply genuineness, while darker tones mimic wood and leather. Brown paired with green can create a very earthy atmosphere, while brown paired with a yellow-gold or orange can make a space feel warm and inviting. Deep purple or gray mixed with brown will produce a conservative, yet comfortable, environment.