The psychological aspects of color are interesting because they go deep into the roots of human nature. It is important to know how to use certain colors in decorating schemes… especially when choosing paint colors for a room.
Color Style: How to Identify the Colors That Are Right for Your Home
It is general knowledge that certain colors are known as advancing colors and that others are said to be retreating colors.
Red, orange and yellow are in the first category of advancing colors.
Blue and green are known as retreating colors.
The advancing and receding colors are really a matter of how color is “seen” by the retina in your eye. Not something you need to know why… just that it is!
They’re warm and cold (or cool) colors.
Warm colors are associated with natural objects that give the feeling of heat. Fire and sun for instance.
Cool colors are applied usually to those hues you see in natural objects that have an air of coolness about them. Water… snow… ice… shadows.
Plus.. you need to know that colors are affected by their exposure.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about using the exposure of a room as a guide in color schemes.
If this were an infallible rule, all rooms with a northeast exposure would be painted in the warmest colors in order to counteract the chilly feel of a room which recieves so little sunlight.
All southwest facing rooms would be painted with blue or green in order to visually cool an area that receives more than it’s share of blazing summer sun.
- Red is the color of fire and blood. Decoratively speaking, red is a color to be used judiciously. On too large areas it is overpowering, irritating. Used as an accent color, it tends to add life to less interesting surfaces.
- Green can be used successfully on an area of any size in any part of the house. Be careful, however, not to use too yellow a green on bathroom walls. Near the mirror where you face yourself in the morning, it has an unflattering effect on the complexion.
- It makes you Not So sure That You Feel Too Well!
- Blue is the color associated with sky and water. It is clear, cool and transparent. Blue is likely to lower your blood pressure and reduce pulse and respiration rate. The color blue, inspires peace and introspection.
- As a wall color, blue is used to the best advantage in rooms that receive sunlight.
- Purple is subduing, slightly melancholy. It is delicate and cool. The color purple often seems to us to be impressive, pompous and stately. Not used extensively in decoration, yet delicate grayed tints o purple are very beautiful on some walls.
Click here for more information about Choosing colors for adjoining rooms.
