Psychological Effects of the Color Brown.

Use the psychological effects of the color brown to create a natural, comfortable feel for your home.

Brown consists of such a mix of colors that it doesn't actually have a 'home' anywhere on the color wheel.
It is generally considered a neutral color, even though it is much more biased than clean whites, blacks and grays.
Here are some of the hues you can find in the color brown.

• Black
• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Gray
• Even purple.

The psychological effects of the color brown depend largely on the mix of the colors that have gone into it, and when you look at the set of swatches below you will probably like some and dislike others.
Brown can be quite a 'yummy' color (think chocolate, coffee, cookies - Hmmm, the possibilities are endless!). Those are the shades of brown that remind us of creature comforts and the Good Life.
Nature, too, is full of the color brown; in most parts of the world, brown is the color of the earth, and most plants have got at least some brown in them.
This is why the psychological effects of the color brown are often described as reassuring, safe and stabilizing - we tend to feel safe in nature (as long as it doesn't move, shake or drown us).
In an interior design scheme, the color brown can add warmth and depth. It can inject earthiness into a cool or neutral color combination and make it more welcoming.



Obviously, the psychological effects of the color brown vary with its shades and tints.
Imagine the psychological impact of some of these swatch colors on a wall in your home!
So brown is a color you want to use wisely. Natural  browns - wood, wicker, straw, stone, and earth pigments - are almost always gorgeous, but synthetic browns can occasionally come across as one-dimensional and obnoxious.
Also, the color brown can support very different styles, depending on the materials that 'carry' the color.
Chic, beautifully finished wooden furniture and floors in natural hues can look very sophisticated.
On the other hand, raw untreated wood and woolen textiles in natural shades of brown will have a more rustic effect.
Apart from wood and natural fibers, baked clay can add beautiful shades of the color brown to your home:

• Terracotta
• Raw umber
• Burnt umber
• Sienna red
• Yellow ochre
• Red ochre ...

... All these are earth colors that have been used for thousands of years and can be a source of rich, organic, warming interiors.

Psychological Effects of the Color Black.

Use the psychological effects of the color black to create an elegant, bold look for your home.

Used smartly, the color black can lend an air of sophistication and elegance to an interior design scheme.
Against a background of lighter colors or neutrals, anything in black will stand out.
The color black provides bold and defined detail, like print on a page.
For this reason, the color black is great if you want to draw attention to...

• Fine features of a room,
• Furniture with 'good bones',
• Ornamental detail.

If, on the other hand, you have fallen in love with a big black sofa and your living-room is a bit on the small side, the psychological effects of the color black will work against you: this color can really smother a room and give it a menacing austerity.
While - in the West - the color black is often used to demonstrate the power and social prestige (think black Mercedes and black-tie events), you won't find much that's actually joyful or life-affirming about this color.
Black color is associated with death, mourning, widowhood, and generally serious and formal occasions.
It even "eats" light - all the other colors reflect light at least to some extent, but the color black just absorbs it.



In Western societies, the color black is also related to evil powers (we think the devil is black).
Stereotypical villains go dressed in black, too, which adds suitable drama to their character (this is probably a very last century thing to admit, but I'll never, ever forget Count Dracula's first appearance at the top of those stairs!)
Well, there you have it. The psychological effects of the color black are no joking matter, mostly.
Use the color wisely, like 'eyeliner' for a room - on details like

• Picture frames,
• Accessories,
• Small side tables,
• Piping or similar detail in textiles (cushions, throws ...), or
• An element of patterns.

If you use black in small doses, its main psychological effect will be to 'underline' your home's chic sophistication.

"Soft" Blacks
You can soften the psychological impact of stark black by using near-black neutrals like

• Charcoal
• Deep blue, e.g. Dark indigo, Prussian blue or very dark navy blue,
• Deep purple,
• Very dark green, or
• Dark coffee browns.

All these carry visual weight, but without the severity of outright pitch-blackness!

Psychological Effects of the Color Gray.

Use the psychological effects of the color gray to create a subtle, sophisticated look for your home.

Many people think of gray as a "safe" color, but that is not true at all! With gray, it's possible to create either brilliant or truly awful interiors.
Let's start with the good stuff.
Used well, the color gray can lend the interiors an elegant formality that is subtle without being overly conservative.
It is the color if you want to create an air of calm, understated confidence. For gray to have this psychological impact, its best combined with whites and other neutrals.
But you needn't stop there. Gray can be a wonderful background color for another, more intense colors. If you get the right shade of gray (more about that below!) and stir it into a more adventurous room color scheme, it will make the other colors 'sing'.
Apart from its psychological effects, gray also has a practical property that makes it very useful for manipulating paint colors: If you are decorating with ready-mixed paints, stir a bit of gray paint into them and it will take the synthetic edge off.
Gray can bring any color to life.
On the other hand, the color gray often contains other colors. You can get the whole gamut from yellowish to orange-brownish to purplish, bluish and greenish grays, and their psychological effects can be quite different, particularly when you use them over large areas. Check out these gray/neutral color schemes to see what I mean!
For example, a yellowish, 'murky'-looking version of gray can look quite depressing, especially if you paint more than one wall with it and combine it with brown hues in a room.



But a really neutral hue of gray (that is, a gray that has no color in it apart from 'clean' white and black) will tend to look clean and crisp in most color combinations.
So the first essential thing to get right is to pick a hue of gray that works with the other colors.  How do you do that?
By experimenting, it's the only way you can really tell if a shade of gray - or any other color for that matter - will work in a room.
You need to see it in that room, next to the other colors and in the correct light. (This will also tell you whether you're getting the desired psychological effects of a color!)
The danger with gray is that if you have this color on too many surfaces, with no other color (or a clean white) to brighten it up, the color gray will be overpowering and you'll end up in a dull, moody environment.
But throw in some whites, or more intense colors and the color gray will become a chic, sophisticated canvas for your life.

Psychological Effects of the Color White.

Use the psychological effects of the color white to create a crisp, clean feel for your home.

 
You'd think that the psychological impact of the color white is pretty much the same around the globe, but that's not true.
Different cultures associate very different feelings, moods, 'meanings', and psychological effects with this color. For example, if you grew up in a Western society, you'll probably see white as a 'clean', pristine color.  Think weddings, clouds dotted over an April sky, fresh snow, spring blossoms and similar nice things.  (Or, how about TV commercials featuring happy people and their washing machines!)
On the other hand, if you are from parts of China or Japan where white is the traditional color of death and mourning, the psychological effects would be quite different, and you'd prefer to have as little white color as possible around your home.
Whereas, if you live in northern India, you're likely to paint your walls white, while your traditional wedding colors will likely be glorious red and gold.
So it's not all pretty, angelic Snow-white around the world!



Interior design in Western societies uses the color white to create an airy, pure, clear, serene feel for a home.
On floor, walls and furniture, the color white can make a room feel larger than it is and add a crisp freshness to an interior design scheme.
To take advantage of the psychological effects of the color white, you don't always need a lot of it. Just accents, for example window and door frames painted in white, cream or ivory, can lift the look and feel of a whole room.
On its own, pure brilliant white can look sterile or high-maintenance, particularly with very sleek interior design styles that involve lots of polished surfaces.
To soften the look of a room, the 'secret' is to layer up tints (from chalky white to ivory) and textures (in walls, textiles, and floor coverings). This will help make a white room warmer and more inviting - both psychologically and physically.
If you don't want a lot of color around you but aren't too keen on all-white environments either, you can always enjoy the psychological impact of white color in combination with other neutrals.
Gray, brown and black look great with white.

Psychological Effects of the Color Pink

Use the psychological effects of the color pink to create a fresh, soft look for your home.

The color pink is a 'tint' of the color red, also called a 'pastel', a color that's been mixed with white and there by desiderated.
(This is why the color pink doesn't appear on the Color Wheel Chart.)
Interestingly, pink is the only tint of a primary color with a name of its own.  (Baby blue is still blue, and light green is still green; names like 'aqua' and 'mint' are relatively recent monikers for "tertiary" color mixes of blue/green/white.)  And the psychological effects of the color pink are quite distinct from those of the color red.
Pink = Girly?
In most Western countries, the color pink is seen as a 'feminine' color and heavily used for anything to do with baby girls. But go back 100 years, and it's a different story:
So, considering that a mere century ago, pink was considered "more decided and stronger" (i.e. More 'masculine') than blue, we can safely say that the concept of pink as a 'girly' color is not hard wired into the human race!
And in Europe, refined, sophisticated (and non-sugary) versions of the color pink have been used in interior design for centuries, by (and for) both men and women.  The European country with the least hang-ups about using pink in interior design is probably France.  However, you don't need to be French to like the pink color schemes I've put together for my male friends.

Pink = Sweet & Soothing



Generally, when used in interior design, the psychological effect of the color pink is described as soothing and comforting.
Rudolf Steiner schools and hospitals, interior walls are often color washed in warm, gentle hues of the color pink, because of these soothing, healing qualities.
And when you think of all the pink-colored candy you have eaten, or been tempted to eat, in your life, you'll admit that this color is attractive and powerful. Some versions of the color pink have a sweetness and freshness about them that is very hard to resist.
Just like red, pink color comes in lots of hues. Ripe-peach pink, bubble gum pink, hot Caribbean pink - they each have their own appeal and psychological effects.
Pink = Emasculating?
In the 1970s, head coach Hayden Fry of Iowa State University decided to utilize the psychological effects of the color pink to the advantage of his football team.
He had the visiting team's locker room painted pink - a much-debated attempt to, warm, relaxing the players more than they would have liked.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but the color scheme has been in operation ever since, with a consistently mixed success rate.
Now, I do understand that if you're a man, you're probably more comfortable eating pink colored goodies than surrounding yourself with the color pink in your home. Gender stereotypes are a force to be reckoned with...
... And let's just say, pink makes for interesting research! I recently tried a color psychology experiment of my own - I went and bought new bed linen with gorgeous flowers printed all over it. I washed it and put it on the bed all fresh and nice. My husband, an upright Englishman, was appalled. He actually refused to sleep under the new bedding.

Psychological Effects of the Color Purple.

Use the psychological effects of the color purple to create a rich, luxurious feel for your home.

Purple is the color of kings.
Despite this 'royal' association, in the democracy of the Color Wheel the color purple is seated right amongst all the other colors ... Between red and blue, to be precise.
Purple comes in warm, reddish, more 'passionate' hues and in cooler, complex plum and indigo ones.
The psychological effects of the color purple will depend very much on how 'warm' or 'cool' the hue is:

• Bluish purples can be serene and calming and have a 'mysterious' depth.
• Reddish purple demand more attention and can dominate a room (and are always in danger of looking garish or cheap).

Some of the psychological effects of the color purple may have to do with its history.
In the West, purple color has a long-standing reputation as the color of royalty and power.
For centuries, the intended psychological effect of the color purple was to show that the wearer was a VIP. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar (100BC-44BC) was so taken with the color that he decided he alone was allowed to wear it!
The tradition of reserving the color purple for members of the ruling class started in Biblical times, in countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
It is partly due to the fact that purple color was so expensive that only very rich people could afford it.



Purple color was originally 'harvested' at the coast, from the glands of the Murex shellfish (and yes, the animals did die in the process).
Much later, in 1856, a young Brit invented the first synthetic (aniline) dye, and started producing the color purple on a grand scale.
His discovery sparked an international craze in dress and interior design. Everyone and their dog - and their curtains! - Wanted to be seen in 'mauve'.
The color purple had suddenly become democratic.
Apart from being fashionable, purple color was also worn in England as a color of mourning until the mid-20th century.
To this day, the color purple plays an important part in the Catholic Church. It is the color of penance and martyrdom, and during the Passion of Christ, all crucifixes are covered in purple cloth.
Painters have often used the purple color for the dress of the Virgin Mary (the 'Queen of Heaven'), and Cardinals wear a reddish hue of purple as a sign of their office.
There's more to tell but I'll stop here before I get completely carried away. You don't actually need loads of information to enjoy the psychological effects of the color purple!
Purple is a rich, deeply satisfying, complex color that can add real luxury to a room. (Here are some ideas for color combinations with purple!)
You don't have to be a VIP these days to surround yourself with purple color - but maybe you'll feel like one if you do.

Psychological Effects of the Color Blue

Use the psychological effects of the color blue to create a cool, serene feel for your home.

The psychological effects of the color blue are probably universal.
Almost everyone enjoys looking into a blue sky and across a lake or the sea ...
... Because there is something calming about an expanse of blue. It appears to free the mind.
In interior decorating, you can use the color blue to create a reflective, 'intellectual' atmosphere: it's not easy to overheat emotionally and get upset or aggressive in a 'cool' environment - and the color blue has actually been shown to lower our blood pressure and heart rate.
The 'see-through' quality of air makes the blue color of the sky look distant.
This psychological effect of the color blue is used in interior design to' expand' the walls of a room by painting them in light shades of blue (it doesn't work with dark blues!).
You can also use the color blue to cool down a hot, sunny room. Obviously, blue doesn't actually lower the temperature, but it makes us feel cooler.  The reverse is true when you're decorating a north-facing room. Blue walls, flooring, or furniture can give it a distinctly 'arctic' feel.
Check out these interior color schemes with blue and see how you feel about using them in your home!
Blue For Boys?
In Western countries, blue is generally accepted as the 'correct' color for baby boys' clothing, as well as their nurseries. (If you want to test this assumption, try painting your infant son's room pink, give him pink bedding and then sit back and watch the reactions of your extended family or neighbors.
What most people don't know is that - only a century ago - those very same folks would have been appalled to see you surround your little boy with a color as 'delicate and dainty' as ... blue.
Blue For Weight Loss?
The following snippet of advice is something I've never tried myself - please take it with a seriously large pinch of salt. I've read that the psychological effects of the color blue can help you restrain your appetite and lose weight.
So you might consider painting your kitchen and/or dining room.
Blue For Kings ... And Queens
Like purple, the color blue has royal connections, and was once very expensive to get hold of.
Lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone, had to be imported from far-away lands so that painters in Renaissance Europe could grind it to powder and make ultramarine (= 'from-beyond-the-seas') blue.
They used it to paint the garments of saints and royalty.




But this is just the recent, European past of the color blue. For thousands of years, and all over the world, people have loved this color. Amazing blue glazes, dyes, and paints were developed as a result.
One of these is a special case: Indigo is a vegetable dye that can produce gorgeouslydeep, rich and very subtle hues of the color blue.
It's my personal favorite blue, but one that I happen to share with millions of people around the globe: African, Asian and European cultures have used different varieties of the indigo plant to dye interior and clothing fabrics, for thousands of years. (So it really is a lot of people's favorite color.)
If you want to use the psychological effects of the color blue to create a meditative, spiritual environment, indigo is a good candidate for you. In classical Indian philosophy, it is the color associated with the 'third eye', our capacity for intuitive understanding.