Millions of dollars are spent on choosing colors for the packaging of items with the sole purpose of enticing you to buy them. The same effort should be put into choosing colors used in your home. Color is a strong language that speaks volumes about your well-being.
Subconsciously, we are drawn to one color over another because we are influenced by psychological implications. Color is the first thing you notice when you walk into a room. Your home is your sanctuary, and therefore, it is important to clearly define the way you want to feel when you arrive home. Mary Cox, member of NWSID and the principal owner of a Little Accent, a northwest Interior Design firm, suggests keeping these color choices in mind when decorating your home:
Red is the strongest color in the spectrum and has the greatest emotional impact. Red can have a tendency to make surfaces advance towards you, making a room appear smaller but is also considered energetic and can stimulate people to make quick decisions. Red is a great choice to be brought into a space as an accent or focal point, possibly introduced through your art or in your fabric.
Blue evokes the opposite reaction to red. Blue, the color of the sky and ocean, makes us feel tranquil. It is a receding color that gives a greater impression of space in a room. Therefore, blue is a good choice to add to your bedroom or if you’d like to add visual space to a small room.
Green symbolizes nature and has a tendency to calm. It is an excellent choice to integrate green into your home as it is perceived as relaxing and passive. Green, like blue, is seen as a low-intensity, receding color that will also give a greater impression of space in a room.
Yellow – though cheerful and optimistic, yellow, when used alone, and unrelieved by other colors, can make you feel irritable and hostile. Therefore, it is preferable to use yellow as an accent color. If yellow is the predominant color, relieve it by introducing other colors that calm it down or cool it off like blue or green.
The most important thing in choosing colors for your home is to remember that COLOR is the emotional element of decorating. It is a powerful tool that determines how you feel in your environment.
Published in For Rent Magazine.
