Colour Psychology Within The Home

What is Colour Psychology?

We are all aware of what colours we like to use when decorating. We often fail to mention how these colours make us feel. We are surrounded by colours day in, day out which subtly impact our minds and the way we react. For instance, the colour ‘orange’ is used on certain brands like easyJet, Sainsbury’s and Amazon to highlight good value for money. Typically, the use of the colour ‘red’ is used as a warning for danger – think road signs and traffic lights. However, do such stereotypical ideas on colour reflect choices for our homes too?

Research behind Colour Psychology

According to Fiona Humberstone (an expert brand designer), she can easily predict what colours a client will decide to use. Similarly, Instagram queen Kate Watson-Smyth suggests homeowners take inspiration from their wardrobe when designing their home. This results in homeowners using colours they are comfortable with, and can ultimately live with and look at everyday.

Green

Green is the colour of nature, calmness and peace, but, wait a minute, how many people object to green cars? Or fear the green eyed monster? Or turn green with jealously? However, we are given the green light and can be ‘green-fingered’ when it comes to gardening. Just like every colour, every positive connotation is doomed with a negative. For instance, both France and Ireland considered introducing green cigarette packets to deter people from smoking. Similarly, a study found that the shade Opaque Couche (Pantone 448C), a dirty olive shade, is considered to be the ugliest colour in the world!

However, another survey by Dulux suggests that ‘green’ is the nations second favourite colour after blue, with 23% of people over 50 favouring green. An impressive way to bring green inside your home is with the use of plants. Greenery within the home encourages feelings of growth, rejuvenation and serenity. Within a monochrome scheme, emerald green typically works well, whereas, sage greens are perfect when paired with muted pinks.

Blue

As previously mentioned, blue is currently the world’s favourite colour at the moment. In many homes up and down the country, homeowners have opted for the on-trend navy blue kitchen island as an accent colour. Despite, being a current trend within kitchens in 2019, which traditionally originates from the Victorian Era. During the mid 1800’s, kitchens were often painted blue to control hygiene levels, making the space appear clean and sanitised, pre-refrigeration.

In terms of colour psychology, like every colour, blue evokes both positive and negative emotions. Universally, the colour is associated with old fashioned common sense and reliability, convoying a sense of trust and authority. In today’s talk, a respectable stable colour. The coldness of the shade can often by associated with calmness, mimicking the ocean and sky, allowing people to drift away while staring up to a blue sky on a summers day. However, this coldness is often associated with feeling slightly down and emotional.

These cool and calming shades should often be placed in the bedroom, in order to create a restful sanctuary after a long days work. These paler shades also lower blood pressure, and avoid heated arguments. Rich and deeper shades of blue should be saved for social rooms, like kitchens and living rooms, where all the family can gather and talk. These strong blue shades, encourage talk and conversation, hence the blue logos on both Facebook and Twitter.

When pairing blue with other colours, it is important to use the opposite colour within the colour wheel. Yellow tones, particularly deep mustard ones are a match made in heaven. Navy blues with white washed floor boards will always add a sense of class to any decor – think The Hamptons!

Yellow

This bright and sunny shade often leaves people with mixed feelings when associated with interior design. Yellow is great to use within a hallway, or an entrance to a hotel to welcome guests into the room. However, too much yellow can prove quite off putting for many, appearing too polarising. As a block colour, it can appear problematic for home owners, yet an injection of yellow every now and then, teamed with other complimentary colours can look delightful. For instance, paired with a strong navy is a popular trend within interiors at the moment. Or, another complimentary colour within the colour wheel, like purple. If a bright purple teamed with yellow seems daunting, try a grey-based light grey to tone down the room.

Red

The colour red is complex and possibly the most manipulating on the colour wheel. With strong positive connotations of love, passion and romance associated gives this colour some fire and extreme emotion. However, many negative emotions comprise from red including danger, anger, blood and warnings. In today’s trends, red is fairly obsolete as a block colour used on all our walls – unlike the 1990’s! In bedrooms red is rarely seen, as it is considered to raise energy levels – making it difficult to relax and get a good nights sleep.

Instead, red works better downstairs as it encourages conversation. Therefore, red within a dining room works really well – allowing the conversation to flow around the table. This may explain why many restaurants opt for a red scheme too. Similarly, specifically in Chinese restaurants the walls are often red, which within Chinese philosophy is the colour of luck. The luck however, falls on the owner – you eat, pay your bill – the owner gets lucky.

It is clear red is a bold statement, so if you are brave why not use red in your hallway – it will certainly get people to notice.

Pink

Now, we have covered red, but what about the distant relative pink? Despite being considered a feminine dainty colour today, during the 1940’s blue was considered to be “typically” for girls, and pink for the boys, as it is a stronger colour.

Unlike red, pink is considered to be a calming colour creating a more harmonious home for us to live in. The popularity of pink has increased in the last 12 months too, and we reckon it is slowly becoming the new neutral shade – move over grey! Homeowners are painting their walls earthy shades of pink, similar to Zoffany’s Tuscan Pink or a personal favourite, Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink.