Color My World: How Color Effects Us

Color is a universal, non-verbal language that is less effected by culture, age, and gender than was initially expected by researchers.

Regardless of our preferences, color is energy that influences our mood and behavior, often on a subconscious level. It is universally known that red is stimulating and can be associated passion and aggression. It is the color that we see first – hence its use in traffic signals worldwide.

Having the right colors in our homes is crucially important to how you experience life there. But it is a very personal choice. It so important for you to be aware of what you like and what you don’t like.

If I had to pick one thing that most of my clients ask for help with, it would be color. Why? Because, most people realize how important color is in their world. In fact, many of them have had painting nightmares that they’ve lived for way too long.

Color Associations

Below are eleven basic colors and their universal triggers on mood, both positive and negative. Use this as a general guide when selecting color for a specific space. Ask yourself this: “What should be the mood of this room?”:

• Red – stimulating and exciting, associated with passion and aggression.
• Blue – intellectual and calming, but can also be considered cold and uninviting.
• Yellow – optimism and confidence, but also anxiety and emotional weakness.
• Green – harmony and refreshment, as well as envy.
• Violet – spiritual awareness and vision, as well as decadence and inferiority.
• Orange – warmth and comfort, but it can also be frustration and immaturity.
• Pink – femininity and nurturing, as well as physical weakness and draining.
• Gray – although gray is trendy as a neutral in decor, gray lacks any positive associations. It can be depressing and lacking energy and confidence.
• Black – glamorous and sophisticated, yet can be oppressive and heavy.
• White – purity and sophisticated, yet it can be sterile and cold.
• Brown – warmth and earthy, yet humorless and heavy.

Color in My Childhood Home

Growing up in my childhood home, all the rooms were painted off-white with the exception of the bedrooms (I guess this was my mom’s way of not dealing with color!)  I shared the bedroom with my sister Pat who is seven years older. So guess who got to pick the color of our room? Not me!

We had bright yellow, then light blue – both of which I hated. But yet again, at that age, I probably would have picked putrid pink!

Color in My Own Home

When I finally had my own house I followed my mother’s lead – the rooms were all off-white! My husband and I couldn’t agree on colors, so it was the easiest way of dealing with it.

However, you would NEVER believe this if you saw my current house. Prior to selling the house, the sellers painted every room off-white. Shortly after we moved in I started painting. As the years passed I saw every room turn from off-white to a bright fantastic color spectrum!

Believe it or not, my bedroom was the last to be painted.  Back and forth with color options, I offered a midnight blue to my husband.  It sounds pretty dark, but our room is full of light from three directions. I LOVE my bedroom now! My living room is a Caribbean blue. My kitchen…funny story.

“Wait! Use THIS Can!”

When we renovated our kitchen, I spent months, over a year pulling together scraps of kitchen photos from magazines. I settled on a jadite green that mimicked the 1940’s glassware I collected. I tried my best to match it at Benjamin Moore. So happy with my choice, we started painting. As the paint went on I was thinking to myself, “Hmmm, this looks a bit too blue!’ But thought that the color would settle as the paint dried.

Well, it didn’t. I looked at the wall and my heart sank. I was so upset. I was afraid to tell my husband because I spent so much time making sure I had the right color. (He kept asking me “Are you sure!?!’) Friends of mine just said to go out and get another gallon of paint in the right shade and do the 2nd coat. He wouldn’t know the difference.

So I did just that. As we got out the supplies to do the 2nd coat, I said “Wait! Use THIS can.” And of course, everyone could plainly see that it was a different color. And it was the RIGHT color! I felt it in my heart and I still love seeing it around me as I sit in my kitchen right now. This color is ME!

The Moral of the Story

I will never again shrink from color. The right color adds so much to the enjoyment of a room. And, if you pick the wrong color, so what. A gallon of paint is $30. You can’t put a price on having the right color to enhance your enjoyment of a space and your life.

What is your color nightmare story? Share it here!