Have you ever walked into a room, and your whole energy changes? Maybe you feel happier, sunnier, or perhaps more relaxed and calm? Maybe you start to feel like you have more energy?
Well, in the world of decor hocus-pocus... We can't help but believe that colors do effect your mood.
We have experienced it for ourselves one to many times. Now, this is not an exact science. In fact it is a really hard thing to generalize at all, because colors effect different people in so many different ways. For example while a deep red room may invigorate and stimulate some people... Some people may find it oppressive and hard to be in.
Color is as personal a thing as your taste in foods. Some things we learn from our culture, and other things may just offend our individual sensibilities. But as far a general rule of thumb, color tends give most people the same sort of reaction.
This, of course, is assuming most of our readers are like us from Western Society... If you are reading this in Japan, however, you will not see White as a color of "purity and freshness" but more as the color of "funerals and sadness".
But if you are reading this in Japan... Please comment because that would be really super fucking exciting for us!
O.K Back to our little lesson in color therapy, and the Psychological effects of color... I know we really are fancy.
We are going to start with our current color crave... Lavender, Lilac, Violet... As in " Violet! You're turning violet Violet!"
What, We have been wondering? Does our current (and in all honesty life-long) obsession with this pretty color mean?
(Elle Decor: Jessica Stam's APT, We'll take the house and the legs, thanks)
Well, experts tell us... And we quote, because
A. We are lazy
B. We don't want to mess it up.
Purple is the color of kings.
Despite this 'royal' association, in the democracy of the Color Wheel the color purple is seated right amongst all the other colors ... between red and blue, to be precise.
Purple comes in warm, reddish, more 'passionate' hues and in cooler, complex plum and indigo ones.
Bluish purples can be serene and calming and have a 'mysterious' depth.
Reddish purples demand more attention and can dominate a room
Purple has a cleansing effect with emotional disturbances. Also, this color is related to sensitivity to beauty, high ideals and stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion. Psychic power and protection has also been associated with violet.
Ok, well all that sounds great... I am always looking for creative stimulation... Mystery SOLVED!
Next we have yellow... And I have yet to meet anyone who does not have some sort of strong reaction to this color.. Love it or hate it, yellow is a powerful color.
(Decor*Pad)
Yellow is often described as an optimistic, life-affirming color that reminds us of sunshine and stimulates our mind, body and emotions.
Some people also find that it helps them with concentration.
The effect of the color yellow obviously varies with its intensity and hue.
A pale, atmospheric tint of yellow on walls or ceiling can add 'sunshine' to a room, while saturated, intense yellows might make you feel cranky after a while.
(Decor*Pad)
We just LURVE us some yellow... But like to keep it as an accent color. It really does make us smile.
Here is our controversial color... Red is most likely the last color Miss Me would ever pick for anything other then shoes, or lip-stick, or purses... Alright never mind, red is pretty adorable.
But an all red room? I don't think I could be inside of one for more then a few minutes with out getting the sweats... The color is just too stimulating for me. But what you may wonder, do the experts have to say about that?
Red is a very immediate color; it appears closer than it is. Psychologically, a room with red walls will 'close in on you'.
Red has proven to be a color of vitality and ambition it has been shown to be associated with anger. Sometimes red can be useful in dispelling negative thoughts, but it can also make one irritable. Pink has the opposite effect of red. Pink induces feelings of calm, protection, warmth and nurture. This color can be used to lessen irritation and aggression as it is connected with feelings of love. Red is sometimes associated with sexuality, whereas pink is associated with unselfish love.
Well, we do love a pink room... But we can see how someone might like red in the bedroom, you little vixens.
Orange, and for that matter peach, tangerine and curry, while in the same color family with red... Have a totally different effect on your brain.
(Decor*Pad)
The color orange is generally experienced as the warmest color.
Between yellow and red on the Color Wheel the psychological effects of the color orange seem to combine those of red and yellow.
Orange is a sensuous color. It is perceived as emotionally stimulating, energetic, vibrant and fun.
Orange has proven to be a stimulus of the sexual organs. Also, it can be benefitial to the digestive system and can strengthen the immune system.
Orange has shown to have only positive affects on your emotional state. This color relieves feelings of self-pity, lack of self-worth and unwillingness to forgive. Orange opens your emotions and is a terrific antidepressant...
O.K... So why isn't everyones house orange? Wow, call Home Depot... We are gonna have a run on orange paint!
Beautiful Green... What do you mean? Lets find out, shall we?
On a 'primitive' psychological level, the color green tells us that we are safe: In a fertile, water-rich environment, above freezing temperatures, there is enough to eat and we will survive. We can relax.
Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the color green. Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect. These olive green colors remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. Note that sickened cartoon characters always turned green.
Yuck! We don't know if we agree with that last part about olive green.. At least not when it comes to our cute army jackets... Those make us feel delicious, not sick at all!
Ahhhh.... Blue, the true color of Miss Me's heart...
(If I had to guess here, I would say my partners heart is pink, raspberry pink with silver nail-heads to be exact.)
If I could choose only one color to decorate my whole house.. I would have to choose blue. I love every single hue and shade of blue.
But what? Is all that blue making you feel like?
Survey says...
We usually associate the color blue with the night and thus we feel relaxed and calmed. Lighter blues make us feel quite and away from the rush of the day. These colors can be useful in eliminating insomnia. Like yellow, blue inspires mental control, clarity and creativity. However, too much dark blue can be depressing.
In contrast to red, blue proves to lower blood pressure. Blue can be linked to the throat and thyroid gland. Blue also has a very cooling and soothing affect, often making us calmer. Deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, which then regulates our sleep patterns. This deeper blue also has proved to help the skeletal structure in keeping bone marrow healthy.
The psychological effects of the color blue are probably universal. Almost everyone enjoys looking into a blue sky and across a lake or the sea. There is something calming about an expanse of blue. It appears to free the mind. In interior decorating, you can use the color blue to create a reflective, 'intellectual' atmosphere: it's not easy to overheat emotionally and get upset or aggressive in a 'cool' environment
Nice!
So, Blues, Greens and Purples for calm and soothing...
Yellows and Oranges for cheer and concentration...
Reds and deep Oranges for stimulation and passion...
Whatever your color is, and we hope we helped you find it. Have fun and play with your house... Who knows it may like to play dress-up too.
* Expert Advice snatched from Here & Here... * Amazing color collages snatched from Here... * Adorable editorial commentary, fresh from the brains of the ladies of T-W-H...
XOXO- Things-We-Heart
