Psychology of Colors

“Experience teaches us that the individual colors give particular moods.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We deal with colors all day unconsciously, but most of the time we hardly notice them. Nevertheless, color psychology is constantly present in everything around us: the clothes, the food, in nature, the furnishings and who has not discussed the color of a new car? Colors have power. But how can we harness this power and knowledge of color psychology in our everyday lives?

The psychology of color in interior design is a topic well-known, however, the recent considerations go in the direction of helping health with color support.

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Colors and their functions have always fascinated people and have played a major role in psychology.

The Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci was already fascinated by colors and in the 15^th century tried to bring a system to the variety of colors. He assumed that yellow was a “simple color” and blue a “composite color of light and darkness” and thus can be considered a co-founder of the color theory.

At the end of the 18th century, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe also began to conduct research on the topic and concluded that there were six primary colors: purple, red-yellow, yellow, green, blue and red-blue. With their transitions, they form a continuous color wheel. He used this color wheel to symbolize the human spirit and soul.

Goethe’s theory of colors forms the basis for many other color theories that have been established in the course of the following centuries up to the present day.

Colors are no less important when it comes to furnishings, because properly dosed they not only have an effect on the style of a room, but also on the well-being of its occupants.

Color design for the home.

It is a fact that we are constantly surrounded by colors which can have a great influence on our mental state and well-being. We cannot see colors without them triggering feelings in us. Feelings, in turn, evoke moods – such as feeling comfortable in a room.

The color scheme in our own home can therefore contribute a great deal to our well-being.

In general, warm colors create a pleasant feeling. From yellow to red, from salmon to brown: these colors create a cozy atmosphere. Subconsciously we associate red and yellow with fire and sun. Yellow-orange tones put the mind in a positive and happy mood, can help against depression and increase the ability to concentrate. Brown, again, is being perceived as the color of earth and wood. Accordingly, brown symbolizes down-to-earthiness, stability, warmth, safety and security. Wood-paneled rooms immediately have a cozy and calming effect on us. Although the color belongs to the dark tones, it radiates pleasure, coziness, gentleness and sensuality.

On the other hand, the so-called “cold colors” are dominated by blue tones, which we associate with water and ice. Blue provides harmony and tranquility, helps with exhaustion and can have a positive effect on creativity. Purple, in turn, is said to have a healing effect on mental balance.

Cool colors can make rooms look bigger and rooms painted in white appear fresh, calm and homogeneous – but also neutral.

Translate yourself into color.

Approaching the desired atmosphere of a room is not easy for many people and sometimes feels almost like therapy. You can start by describing the room you want to redesign like a person. Is it rather cool and reserved or warm and inviting? Is it businesslike or spirited, and is it loud or quiet?

How to plan color in a room.

Color starts on the floor. From there, you work your way through the room. You can’t invest enough thought and energy in the floor. Because we perceive it most clearly, it is the most important element and shapes every room to a decisive degree. If the floor is not right, then you can’t do too much with the wall color either.

Accentuate with color on the wall. Now it’s time to set color focal points with the furnishings and colored surfaces. This can be your sofa, an art object or a single-colored wall. The important thing is to emphasize only the most important elements – this creates calm. The most intense color attracts the eye the most.

Color is the simplest and cheapest way to improve even rooms with an awkward layout, because it can be used to direct the eye in a targeted way – you can visually shorten or extend rooms, connect zones in perception or separate them from each other. A long, tubular room, for example, looks more compact if you paint one of the short sides in an intensive tone, preferably in a shade of brown or red. Low rooms feel higher when the ceiling is lighter than the walls.

Why it is worth daring to use more color?

Design is always a direct expression of one’s own personality and the furnishings can reveal a lot about the person who lives in them. One’s own identity is not really subject to a trend or fashion. If you can express your personality well with colors, then the result is timeless. You will always automatically feel comfortable in such a room – even many years from now! That’s why it’s worth investing in color.

So, how would you like to live?