Color in Real Life

While inspiration is arbitrary, translating inspiration into a successful decorating scheme is not at all so.  Color and the proper use of it in interior design can change a room and a person’s life.  Color can create the illusion of space, make a room seem larger or smaller; camouflage architectural flaws; unify space; calm or energize.  The process of achieving balance, rhythm, proportion, scale, emphasis and harmony is one of education, studied application and skill.  Did you know that much of color association is pure science?

We have always heard that green is a relaxing color, invoking nature at its most serene.  You probably don’t know that there is also a scientific basis for this:  Green’s wavelength is the least demanding on the eye and therefore the least stressful.  While red, the color of action and passion has a longer wavelength and is, therefore, the most stressful.  Since Shakespeare’s time, actors have calmed their nerves in a “green room”.  Who would dream of painting a hospital room red?  Did you know you should not paint a nursery yellow because it makes a baby fussy?

Here’s an observation.  I work a lot with fan decks from a variety of paint companies.  Have you ever wondered who names the paint colors?  What a great job!  Listen to these colors in progression from one Benjamin Moore page:

Early Sunset; Light Mocha; Cappuccino; Gaucho Brown; Grandfather Clock Brown; Chocolate Truffle; and Seed Brown.

Each color, each name, conjures images and immediately we associate these descriptive words with our senses.  The psychology of color isn’t just in how we associate or react; it even extends to the name of the particular color we choose.

Celebrate color!  It is a human luxury, one steeped in strong meaningful culture and history.