THIRTEEN THINGS ABOUT COLORS
Ellis Strathmore, the heroine in my upcoming book Destiny by Design, is an interior designer. I had to do a bit of research into design techniques in order to make her sound credible. I found the psychology of color, as it applies to decorating, a fascination topic so I'd like to share some of what I learned:
- ORANGE combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It’s associated with joy, sunshine and the tropics. It represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success and stimulation. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.
- DARK ORANGE can mean deceit and distrust.
- RED-ORANGE corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression and thirst for action.
- GOLD evokes the feeling of prestige. It’s illuminating, reflects wisdom and wealth and symbolizes high quality.
- RED is the most emotionally intense color. It stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It’s associated with love. PINK, a tint of red, is known as a romantic color, but is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink sotheir opponents will lose energy.
- BLUE causes the opposite reaction to red. It’s peaceful, tranquil and causesthe body to produde calming chemicals, so it isoften used in bedrooms. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show that weighlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.
- GREEN symbolizes nature, is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It’s a calming, refreshing color which is why it’s used for the waiting rooms in television stations – ‘Green Room’ – you’ve heard of ‘em, right? DARK GREEN, meanwhile, is masculine, conservative and implies wealth.
- YELLOW is a cheerful attention getter. While considered and optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It’s a difficult color for the eye to take in so it can be overpowering if overused. It also speeds metabolism.
- PURPLE, the color of royalty, connotes luxury, wealth and sophistication, but because it’s rare in nature, it can appear artificial.
- BROWN, the color of earth, is solid, reliable and abundant in nature. It implies genuineness. But most important, it’s the color of chocolate so it’s a winner in my book!
- HUE is another name for a color. VALUE is the lightness or darkness of a color.
- TINT is any color + white, TONE is any color + grey, SHADE is any color + black
- And a note about COLOR SCHEMES -- MONOCHROMATIC uses one color throughout, in various tints, tones and shades. COMPLIMENTARY uses two colors that are opposites on the color wheel such as red and green. ANALOGOUS uses three colors that neighbor each other on the color wheel. TRIADIC uses three colors that are equal distance apart on the color wheel, such as red, yellow and blue.
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57 comments:
I met a psychologist who'd studied using Pink as a calming colour in police cells but found that while it was initially calming it could with longer exposure lead to increased agression. So rather than painting the cells pink they had a light that was pink but over time faded so only a white light lit the room.
That was very interesting. My bedroom is hunter green and I love it. Our house is a log house and two walls in our bedroom are log and two are painted. It is very peaceful.
My T13 is posted.
My walls are plain white. I like things that way. The only other color I'd ever voluntarily paint my walls is Cathedral City - a light beige color that actually picks up the tints of its surroundings. People may think the walls are white unless there's a white object near the walls: trim, furniture, what have you. It's only available from Kelly Moore, it's costly, and it's worth every single penny.
And, for folks who ever go to visit Italy: don't wear purple. Do not. No purple, no eggplant, no lavendar...no. For some reason, purple is considered the color of death in Italy. That will mark you as a target for pickpockets and gypsies. (I just learned this from my mom, before they went on their anniversary trip to Italy. A family friend in Milan advised her not to wear any purple - which is bad, because she loves lavendar.)
That was so interesting! My favorite color is blue and it does relax me! :)
First off, I left you an answer at West of Mars -- possible beverage alert, so be prepared.
Secondly, my bedroom is slowly (too damn slowly) becoming a dusky, smoky blue-grey.
My office might surprise you. White walls and cranberry carpet. Maybe a bit darker than cranberry. Took me awhile to find the right color. I love it.
Happy TT, babe! Can't wait to meet this interior decorator!
My favourite colour has always been blue, so it makes sense to meet after reading this list that it inspires feelings of peace. Most of my rooms are a shade of blue .. :) And yes, I do need to figure out how to add a Mr Linky .. :) Thank you for stopping by.
I love colours! I have both my girls' rooms painted in bright colours. People tell me it will make them hyper, but I find it helps encourage their creativity. Especially when they play in their rooms.
Thanks for breaking down what these mean. I love Green!!
My favorite is red, so I must be emotionally intense! This was really interesting.
When I was a kid, my parents asked me what color I wanted my room and I said blue. My mom said no b/c it was a boy's color, so for spite, I said Orange. Loved that orange room with the white paneling on the bottom half....
I can't tell you what color my office is, I think it's off white. Our room is beige with blue carpet. We need to paint it badly.
Great list, very informative! Plus colorful.
Green helps improve vision? No wonder I love it so much. Also explains why I'm so happy in my nice green home office ;)
My office has a brick wall, but I painted parts lime green and trimmed it with blue. It suits me. I love the list, and am printing it off to keep for reference. Happy TT...hope the world is treating you better.
Very cool stuff. The entire house is painted a basic taupe (we're renting) which is a huge step up from the white walls before!
My bedroom is neutral tan/beige. We are in construction (still) and with odd light we cannot paint it too dark.
I want something rich but not too dark. Golds, oranges, browns. A sanctuary.
Thanks for coming by!
We have a blue bedroom! And I love it that way. :) Our living room is orange. And I like that, too. Neither hubby nor I like plain ol' white walls. :)
Happy TT to you, my friend!
how about white and silver? they are my favorite colors too besides blue :)
thanks for stopping by!
That's a good list. I am glad my room is blue, but my son's is Red with Black...yikes!
Very informative to know what the different colors do to us, it's a great thing to know before you paint a room.
Great T13! This stuff always fascinates me. My office is a very light shade of pinkish brown, and my bedroom is pale blue, so I think I'm good. Maybe green would be better in my office, but I don't think I'd switch--I'll just quit writing a bit earlier each day. ;)
I had to check it out after your comment. My bedroom is "Gypsy Gold" and I painted the kitchen "Sundried Tomato." Normally I'm a whimp about committing to color but after so many years of neutrals I decided to break away and I LOVE the new colors, you're right, the red is exciting. Every time I look at it I get a little excited.
Awesome list! the colors are great
My living room has one intensely yellow wall verging toward tangerine with rows of multi-colored glass bottles; the other visible wall in the dining room is deep, dark teal.
Thanks for the list. I will try not to discuss controversial issues in the living room!
You'd better tell us more about Destiny by Design very soon because I'm growing anxious to read it!!!!! =)
Love to read about the colors. Particularly RED. Isn't that also the color of everything fabulous? LOL.
My room is yellow and I love it. It is in the basement of our house so I really needed something to brighten things up. Great TT!
My old bedroom before I got married was a deep red with gold highlights - I think the gold was called Egyptian Sun. It was my sex & the city room - eclectic, warm (and at times, spicy.)
Our master bedroom now is tan and brown. Very earthy and my favourite room in our home.
I'm all about grammar this time round.
This was really interesting. I like soft colors when it comes to decorating.
Well, obviously I am purple!
Interesting stuff, I didn't know all of that. I use colour magic, so new info is always welcome.
We haven't decorated the bedroom yet, but I'd like lilac!
Thanks for visiting my TT.
That's fascinating. I've always loved the "sea" colors, they're so soothing...
Wow, its incredible how much thought and meaning is attached to color. Makes me look around our house at the walls and wonder why we chose that color over another...hmmm.
Oh this is really good! Thanks!
Yes -- I read that about Pink too. I have 4 boys, and a designer suggested that I paint their rooms pink to help them relax at night. Great list.
interesting list. my favs are yellow and green.
My bedroom is an off-white, and don't mind so much, as I can pick up colours in my quilts etc. currently blue/green. Office is a terrible mustard yellow and brick, and would much prefer a white as the ceilings are so low. Though love red, particularly my red, brocade wing back chair in my living room
Very interesting!!
you need to watch some more HGTV, the wife loves this stuff and I think I knew some of it just from watching the shows with her. We rent, so the bedroom is white, but we would have liked a minty/sage green
Hmm, green is one of my fave colours, and I'm blind as a bat. Interesting. However, I like the darker shades of green. Should I be concerned?
In my research for my Paranormal I had to understand the significance of colors - Brown is the grounding color in Wicca. Interesting post.
Very colorful! My favorite color is red. My computer room's walls are white, but I wish our stuff fit better in here! Thanks for dropping by!
mine's white and plastered with posters. Like a 13 year old girl's.
I tested out a red color for the bedroom and even the test strip was too much. Now I see why. Think I'll go with just one wall in it instead of the whole room. This was a great list!
Holy cow, I loved this whole post. In art school and art history, you study stuff like this. Purple is also a colour associated with spirituality. It is likely considered spiritual because it is a fine colour in a candle and at a raresight in the rainbow spectrum.
I am so excited about your book...I love the idea of the main character being a decorator...I am so stoked to read it. Did you watch Top Design?
My list for today is finally up...I am so slow at posting it again this week...oh well
on the run ya know?
Cheers
Candy
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2007/05/precious-bodily-fluids.html
Sounds like th eblue I have been planning to paint my craft/art room is perfect!
Wonderful list, Wylie. I'm an artist as well as a writer so learning about color has always been of great interest to me. I'm also a research junkie and appreciate it when I see that a writer has done her homework like this. :-)
My favorite color is red, always has been, always will be. My bedroom is unchanged from the way the former owners had it - it was a kids' playroom. The wall facing as you enter is a giant mural of a jungle illustration with hilarious animals peeking around ferns and things. It's so quirky I can't take it off. So there's a lot of green in my bedroom. As for the office, it's currently storage area. My desk is set up in the living room, and I've been writing there. It's got wood pannelling (actual split logs) and a lovely salmon color on the top half of the walls. Very soothing - I love the feeling in our living room.
I knew I liked blue for a reason.
Cool TT.
what an interesting list! Red is my favorite color... My bedroom is a cream color. My bathroom is a green color. My older daughter's room is almost a neon green with tree frog border... it is such a colorful room! :)
I think I'd like to have a blue bedroom! :)
I'd like my bedroom to be green please :-)
ooooh - topic after my own heart!!!
My bedroom color is mint green. :)
Great list! I learned a lot from your post.
Happy Thursday!
My bedroom is a light blue/green. It wasn't my choice. In a few months, it will be a light shade of brown called "Weathered Wood". After reading your TT, I feel better about choosing derivatives of brown througout my home :)
Whole place is done in shades of gold with yellow trim. I think I will stick with it. Maybe go a tone deeper in bedroom. I love shades of yellow and green. Not a pink or blue person.
I think I need a red office since I'm writing a love scene at the moment. I love blue. It's the color I always pick before any other. I'm generally a calm person so obviously that's why.
Color is so important...do you also do feng-shui? Happy TT!
OMG - this is BY FAR the most responses I've ever received to a TT. I'm so sorry I couldn't comment on your comments but I was flat out trying to visit y'all back!!
It's been a fun week, -- thanks so much for visiting.
BTW - my office is Moulin Rouge Red. HOT stuff!!
Loved this TT.
And about Sideshow Bob - after he had it tattooed, he took a picture of it and showed us. lol
Color is interesting and it's amazing how our reaction changes to it as we get older. When I was younger, I didn't like brown--now, I love it. Purple has always been a favorite color of mine.
I've always been amazed by colors. My favorite ones are red, pink and black :)
My bedroom is lime green and I love it!
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