When we plan a home renovation project – there are few different approaches we take. Some of us like to stick with an existing décor or pattern and some of us like to choose objects or colours that look more attractive than what exists currently. Colour is generally one of the dominant tools that influences our decisions. The choice of colour has the power to inspire certain emotions, create illusions of space, set the mood or hide flaws. Colour psychology is a field in itself and can be a great way to create a beautiful home. This holds true not just for interior but also exterior painting.
In this article, we touch up on some simple ways that you can use colour psychology:
- Bright colours good for creating space illusion: When you need a home to appear larger than it is, use vibrant colours like eggshells or yellows to add space, especially to exteriors. This will also help with resale if you are a seller. No need to stick to white, it is too common and won’t be as effective as tinted colours.
- Red kitchens for building appetites: As per colour theory, blue is a suppressant and red, a colour than enhances. Red/warm colours have been effective in increasing appetite in most people. This is one of the reasons why it is used frequently in restaurants or in dining rooms. It is not difficult to use red, you can paint cabinets red or beige walls can have red windows.
- Stay warm in winter: Warmer/Deeper tones are great for the winter. Use oranges, reds and yellows when choosing a paint for the home. In the winter, it will make your home look more inviting from the outside and warm on the inside. This is a great tip to follow when you’re planning to sell your home during winter.
- Cool off in the summer: Like warm colours, cool tones will make your home seem clean and fresh in the summer. Think of white exteriors with a blue trim, this is a popular choice for summer homes and new home painting projects.
- Look back for a moment: Colour consultants suggest that using familiar colours can inspire a feeling of goodness. Look back, think of your childhood, and are you reminded of any particularly fond memories? What colours do you associate with these memories? Many of us remember colours from kitchens, if you cannot recollect those, reds and yellows are an ever-popular choice.
- Rest & relax: Most of us have that one room or space in the house that manages to instantly relax us. What colour is this area? More often than not, it will be a neutral or cool colour. If you want to make a room super relaxing, paint it in cool colours like lighter shades of blue, lavender and green will all have a calming effect.
- Reds and high blood pressure: While red is great for kitchens and boosting appetites, dark shades of red are generally associated with high blood pressure. Having deep red bedrooms can cause irritability so go for calmer colours if you’re looking for relaxation.
- Go green: A number of us either work from home at times or have a fully functional home office. Are we really all that productive when working from home? Consider painting home office spaces with shades of green. It will inspire concentration and help you in working quickly. Apart from painting the room a light shade of green, also consider including a plant or two but don’t turn the area into a jungle. It can be distracting. Painting contractors will tell you that green is one of the most popular green colours currently being used in home design.
- An optimistic yellow: Yellow is a cheerful colour and is perfect for sun-rooms. If you want to use shades of yellow inside your home, there are couple of ways you can do that. One way is to paint the entryway yellow or use the colour on an enclosed porch. These places are ideal as you feel your spirits lifting the moment you leave or enter the house. A little pick me up like this will make the daily grind more bearable!
- White is not that bad: White symbolizes cleanliness and purity, that’s probably one of the reasons why most bathroom fixtures are white. You don’t want to hide dust and stains in the bathroom, they should be visible so that they can be cleaned. A fresh and clean bathroom with gentle white paint will put your mind at ease.
Colour psychology is a science, one that should be used when deciding the colour scheme for a home. When everything else fails, nature has the best colour palette. Select hues that resonate closely to the world outside. Colours that appear naturally will also blend very well with the interiors. For exteriors, we do recommend bright colours to create a more welcoming appearance.
