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The colors of the rooms within your home need to
bring out your personality. While most of us may not spend a lot of time
thinking about room color, it affects every day of our lives. Room color
can influence our mood and our thoughts. Colors affects people in many
ways, depending upon one’s age, gender, ethnic background or local
climate. Certain colors or groups of colors tend to get a similar
reaction from most people – the overall difference being in the shade or
tones used. So when it comes to decorating, it is important to choose
wisely.
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Red
Red raises a room’s energy level. It is a good choice when you want to
stir up excitement, particularly at night. In the living room or dining
room, red draws people together and stimulates conversation. In an
entryway, it creates a strong first impression. Red has been shown to
raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate. It is usually
considered too stimulating for bedrooms, but if you’re only in the room
after dark, you’ll be seeing it mostly by lamplight, when the color will
appear muted, rich, and elegant. Red, the most intense, pumps the
adrenaline like no other hue. |
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Yellow
Yellow captures the joy of sunshine and communicates happiness. It is
perfect for kitchens, dining rooms, and bathrooms, where happy colors
are energizing and uplifting. In halls, entries, and small spaces,
yellow can feel expansive and welcoming. Even though yellow although is
a cheery color, it is not a good choice to use in main color schemes
when it comes to designing a room. Studies show that people are more
likely to lose their temper in a yellow interior. Babies also seem to
cry more in a yellow room. In large amounts, this color tends to create
feelings of frustration and anger in people. In chromotherapy, yellow is
believed to stimulate the nerves and purify the body. |
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Blue
Blue is said to bring down blood pressure and slow respiration and heart
rate. That is why it is considered calming, relaxing and serene, and it
is often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. Be careful, however: a
pastel blue that looks pretty on the paint chip can come across as
unpleasantly chilly when it is on the walls and furnishings, especially
in a room that receives little natural light. If you opt for a light
blue as the primary color in a room, balance it with warm hues for the
furnishings and fabrics. To encourage relaxation in the social areas (
family rooms, living rooms, large kitchens) consider warmer blues, such
as periwinkle, or bright blues, such as cerulean or turquoise. Blue is
known to have a calming effect when used as the main color of a room. Go
for softer shades of blue. Dark blue has the opposite effect, evoking
feelings of sadness. So refrain from using darker blues in your main
color scheme. Stay with the lighter shades of blue to give you and your
loved ones a calm effect. |
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Green
Green is considered the most restful color for the eye. Combining the
refreshing quality of blue and the cheerfulness of yellow, green is
suited for almost any room on the house. In the kitchen, green cools
things down; in a family room or living room, it encourages unwinding
but has enough warmth to promote comfort and togetherness. Green also
has a calming effect when used as a main color for decorating. It is
believed to relieve stress by helping people relax. Also believed to
help with fertility, making it a great choice for the bedroom. |
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Purple
Purple in its darkest values (eggplant, for example) is rich, dramatic,
and sophisticated. It is associated with luxury as well as creativity,
and as an accent or secondary color, it gives a scheme depth. Lighter
versions of purple, such as lavender and lilac, bring the same restful
quality to bedrooms as blue does, but without the risk of feeling
chilly.
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Orange
Orange evokes excitement, enthusiasm and is an energetic color. While
not a good idea for a living room or for bedrooms, this color is great
for an exercise room. It will bring out all the emotions that you need
released during your fitness routine. In ancient cultures orange was
believed to heal the lungs and increase energy levels.
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Black, gray, white, and brown
Neutrals (black, gray, white, and brown) are basic to the decorator’s
tool kit. All-neutral schemes fall in and out of fashion, but their
virtue lies in their flexibility: Add color to liven things up; subtract
it to calm things down. Black is best used in small doses as an accent.
Indeed, some experts maintain that every room needs a touch of black to
ground the color scheme and give it depth. To make the job easier, you
can rely on the interior designer’s most important color tool: the color
wheel.
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