Painting With Color

What Color Can Do For You

How do you feel when you imagine a world without color?  Now, imagine the world as it is, full of color.
Color creates mood and affects us psychologically – and so it should be considered when choosing colors for your business or home.

Color Warm Up.  Colors in the red, orange and yellow families are referred to as “warm” colors since they evoke images associated with heat, like fire or sunshine.  You can warm up a room on the shady side of a house just by using warm colors.

Red is a powerful color, as it has been shown to increase blood pressure and heart rate.  It often produces feelings of intimacy, energy, passion and sexuality.  It is often used in restaurants and is an excellent choice for a home dining room.

Orange warms a room in a less dramatic and passionate way than red.  The mood and attitude of orange is more friendly and welcoming than red. Orange works well in living rooms, family rooms and children’s bedrooms.

Yellow grabs attention and catches the eye like no other color, hence the use of yellow in offices.  In poorly lit foyers and hallways, yellow shows the way.  In bedrooms, elderly people report that yellow lifts their mood.  But bright yellow can be too strong and may cause anxiety in infants, young children and the elderly.

Color Cool Down. Blues, greens, and violets are considered cool colors because of their references to pastoral landscapes and ocean vistas.  When we look at these colors they elicit feelings of peace and relaxation.

Blue is an ideal bedroom color choice for adults and children. But the same blue that lulls us to sleep also suppresses our appetites, possibly because there are very few naturally blue foods. Put blue to bed, but try and keep it out of the dining room.

Green works well in any room of the house. As the dominant color in nature, we are at home with green.  Light greens work well in bathrooms and living rooms. Mid-range greens are a great accent for kitchens and dining rooms. The calming effect of green makes it popular in hospitals, schools and work environments.

Violet appeals more to children than to adults, so children’s bedrooms and play areas may be good places to experiment with this color family. Many adults dislike purples, with rosier shades of violet being somewhat more appealing.