The Science of Colours
It’s no secret that colour is linked to mood. We often allocate colours to emotions in every day speech, such as linking red with anger or green with jealousy. But what many people may not realise is that the synchronicity between the ways in which people experience emotive colours is borne out of primal associations between colour and environment, and that these associations can be built upon to create a better environment in your home.
Evolutionary Emotions
Leatrice Eiseman – a colour specialist from the US – discovered a pattern emerging from interviews conducted with thousands of people about how they responded to colour. She believes that certain colours are associated with positive emotions because of the way they would have been present in, and affected, our early environmental interactions. For example, blue skies would indicate clement weather, and therefore blue is often thought to be a calming colour. Many poisonous insects and berries are coloured red, therefore red has come to be associated with danger.
Putting Colours to Work in the Home
One of the best applications for scientific theories about the links between colour and emotion is that of interior design. Designing the colour palette in your home in such a way that it promotes a healthy, happy and productive mind-set can have untold benefits for you and your entire family. The easiest way to divide colours is into warm and cool spectrums.
Cool Colours for Calming
Cool colours are calming and will help to reduce anxiety and stress. They can be put to good use in smaller rooms, where they will help to create an illusion of space. Cool greens are best put to use in your home office. Pale yellow is conducive to learning and so may work best in a kitchen or playroom. Cool blues and slates work best in the bathroom, where they will help to soothe and relax. Utopia Group have a great selection of bathroom furniture in these colours, which will give you some idea of how to incorporate them into your home.
Warm Colours for Familiarity
Warm colours are friendly and cosy. They can be used to reduce space in a larger room, or to create a sense of intimacy in a smaller room. In terms of mood direction, you can use warm reds, oranges or yellows to create energy, or warm greens and blues to create a familiar, social vibe in your home. Warm colours are bolder in nature and are therefore more associated with heightened energy levels, and are best suited to people who need stimulation at home.