How are you feeling today?
Some people might be feeling good, while other people might be feeling “blue.”
Yes, colors can affect one’s emotions and vice versa.
Let’s find out how different shades of different colors actually affect a person’s emotional and psychological perspective through color psychology.
First, what is color?
As the definition goes, color is “light” and “energy” that is visible because it bends and reflects.
Color is quite important in decorating and designing our homes. Everything should be well-blended in an interior design, which involves using different analogous colors and meticulous color combinations.
The Psychology of Colors
To be successful in choosing colors, one must have an idea about the warmth and coolness of the colors and the color meanings.
These colors have effects on people and to understand that, we must understand color psychology – the study of hues and colors, and the effects on a person’s mental and emotional well-being.
In fact, psychologists even use color therapy or chromotherapy to help a person heal some emotional and mental disorders. Additionally, colors are used in healing some physical health issues, such as hypertension.
Colors affect everyday lives.
Before choosing a color, one must know how a certain color can affect someone’s mood and emotions.
Because of the effects of colors in one’s daily life, colors are now associated with business and marketing. A company usually invests time and effort in research on what color can make people hungry, what can get them to trust, and which colors can cause calmness.
Colors: Meaning & Psychological Effects
There are different variety of colors and color ranges that also have different psychological effects on a person.
For example, a cool color can actually help stimulate calmness and creativity, but can also cause sadness.
On the other hand, a warm color can help promote happiness, but can also cause anger.
Red, Orange, and Yellow
Red is a very strong color that can stimulate appetite, energy, strength, and power, while orange and yellow are associated with joy, happiness, and enjoyment.
Most of the time, restaurants are using these colors to make a person hungry and crave for something to eat – making it a very good marketing strategy.
However, these colors are also signs of anger and irritation. Since these colors reflect more light, they can lead to irritation and “heat.”
So, if you are thinking of getting the walls painted in red, orange, and yellow, you better think twice. In a much more positive thought, these colors can be a good color for curtains and carpets.
Blue and Green
Blue and green are the colors of calmness, solitude, and peace. Some people say that blue is the color of loyalty, wisdom, and confidence, while green is the color of safety, healing, and protection. (Walls can be painted blue and green, but not too dark.)
Studies show that rooms painted in blue or green can actually help people to have a comfortable, calm, and cool mood.
Bedrooms are the ideal rooms that can be painted in these colors because bedrooms are made for relaxation. These colors, especially green, have a calming effect because they don’t bounce and reflect more light. Instead, eyes’ retinas can directly focus on these colors, making it less stressful for the eyes to see.
Also, blue is a color that, due to its calmness, can lower blood pressure and relieve stress. However, also remember that blue can cause sadness and loneliness – the “feeling blue” emotion.
Purple
Now, this color is a combination of red and blue – warm and cool.
Because of its “beauty,” surveys even showed that purple is the most liked color among teenagers and children. However, since this is a rare color in nature that can only be seen in flowers and some fruits, purple is considered as an artificial or just a shade of other colors.
In color psychology, purple is the color of creativity. Researchers found out that the color purple can help in boosting creativity and imagination. Just like the colors blue and green, purple, light purple, in particular, is a peaceful color that can help in reducing stress and emotional strain. If blue and green are the colors for the bedroom, purple can be the color of an office or study and work areas at home.
Black and White
These colors balance every other color. White commonly means purity, light, goodness, and cleanliness. With these positive words associated with the color white, then white can actually influence positivity and goodness. Also, this is a color of simplicity and just mainly anything “light”, so white can be the color of any areas inside your home.
On the other hand, black is the color of elegance. Although commonly associated with evil, black is actually a color of sophistication and prestige. (A lot of people choose black as their dress color.) In decorating and designing, black has the same meaning. It will never hurt if a room has a touch of black. However, black can also stimulate grief and negativity, so better choose the color combinations wisely.
No matter what color it is, always remember to understand color psychology.
