Colour has a strong role to play in our lives and it can affect us both physically and psychologically. This blog explores the ways different colours make us feel and how a deeper understanding can help us to make positive use of this powerful tool. Let us learn about the psychology of colour.
Colour has an impact on our state of mind; in fact, many people are of the firm belief that colours even hold the power of curing malaises. Albeit, believing in the cosmic theories related to colour is totally a subjective issue; no one can deny the fact that it has been scientifically proven that colour has the power to warm us up or cool us down. A lovely yellow shade seen by the eyes is interpreted by the brain as warm sunshine … leading to a feeling of warmth; while a cool blue colour viewed by the eyes reminds the brain of water leading to a cool feeling.
Colours can lift our spirits or help us to feel instantly relaxed. Colours also can be life enhancing and even healing. We may change the colours of our surroundings as an outward display of our personalities and preferences. Read on to gain a deeper understanding of colour selection.
Facts and Feelings about Psychology of Color
A scientific experiment involved a control group spending time at the same level of activity in the same workroom, painted first in cold colours and then in warm colours. The room temperature was gradually lowered; the level at which the people first felt cold was 52 degree Fahrenheit in the red-orange room and 59 degree Fahrenheit in the blue-green room. This means it makes sense to paint a cold room in warm colours.
Scientists and psychologists have studied the subconscious aspects of colour’s influence for many years. Colours have both positive and negative associations – the positive side of yellow is warmth and sunshine, but it can also represent jealousy and cowardice. There are different cultural associations too – yellow is associated with spirituality in Buddhist countries while in the Muslim world the holy colour is green. In France red symbolises masculinity, but in the rest of the world, masculine is shown as blue.
Everyone understands that the expression ‘feeling blue’ means feeling unhappy; in the same way ‘seeing red’ explains a feeling of rage. Other colours associated with moods and emotions are ‘green with envy’, ‘in the pink’ (feeling flushed with good health) and who can forget ‘mellow yellow’?
Colour therapists believe in the healing power of coloured light. The treatment involves shining coloured lights on the affected part of the body, with each colour having its own specialist area of healing activity. Colour is used for emotional, physical and spiritual healing, often in combination with crystals, astrology, acupuncture and traditional Eastern healing techniques.
Colour Associations and Psychology of Color
01. Understanding Psychology of Colour for Red
Love, life, power, flames, heat
Rubies, roses, berries, blood
Danger, strength, hot chillies
Fire engines, sealing wax, Christmas
Revolution, sex, cherries
Bright and lively red makes a powerful statement. It is the colour of lifeblood and the centre of a flame; of danger, anger, excitement, strength and fire. It is a powerful, alarming, extrovert colour associated with physical activity and passion. It can be aggressive and have some negative associations. Red has many different characters. It can look innocent with white in a gingham check; rustic with orange and brown; seductive as satin and velvet; or cheerful in candy stripes. Red is a favourite colour in Western folk art where the heart and the rose are popular motifs. In the Far East, red and gold are used in ceremonies. Decorating with red needs careful consideration, but that is no reason to avoid it. Red is an attention-seeker, good for details and accessories. Red stimulates the appetite, making it ideal for a dining room. It has traditionally been the colour of love and sex, so it may be perfect for a bedroom.
02. Orange Color Psychology
Oranges, tangerines, Chinese lanterns
Pumpkins, clay, lentils, spices
Goldfish, marigolds, sunset
Terracotta, autumn leaves
Amber, marmalade, rust
Energising orange is attractive, positive and full of zing; sociable, direct, creative and secure. Orange is a warm, cheerful colour symbolizing prosperity and both physical and mental energy. It is associated with brilliant autumn leaves against the blue skies and the warmth of leaping flames. Orange is light-reflective and can considerably increase both the light and our perception of warmth in a room. It is a good choice for entrance halls and rooms where people gather to socialise. The freshest shade of orange is the colour of the skin of the ripe fruit. Bright orange can cause a sensory overload and needs balancing with a cool colour such as aqua, blue or green. The addition of white will remove most of the orange’s vivacious impact but none of its warmth, creating a more subtle, mellow colour. Orange was all the rage in the 1920s and again in the 1970s and orange is now back in fashion again.
03. Color Psychology for Black and White
The 1920s, the 1960s, tiled floors
Newsprint, photography
Chess boards, piano keys
Penguins
Sophisticated black and white present such a strong contrast that they are used over large areas only by the very brave! Black and white became popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when artists painted their studios white to reflect the light, and young people adopted this style for their homes. This style is still as cool as ever. The dramatic effect of black and white can be stark and cold unless handled with sensitivity. The secret to success is to have lots of colourful ethnic artefacts and interesting paintings to display against the pure white background. The Japanese style is gaining popularity in the West, and undoubtedly, the Japanese have perfected the art of minimalism and use very few pieces of exquisitely styled furniture whose shape is revealed by the sharp contrast between dark objects and their light background.
04. Colour Psychology: Green
Grass, leaves, ferns, cool, calm
Sea, hills, ecology, planet, growth
Tea, peppers, olives, avocadoes
Lizards, cacti, vegetables
Mint ice cream
Harmonizing green is the colour of youth, growth, ecology, relaxation, balance, recovery and optimism. It connects us to nature. Green soothes disturbed emotions and provides restful sleep which makes it the ideal colour for a bedroom. It is a favourite colour in hospitals. Green is the perfect foil for most other colours, but when using several greens together, it is best to keep light and dark tones of the same green. Sea green and olive, for instance, make a sickly combination; as do yellow-green and pine. Although green is a cool colour, it will not make a room feel cold so long as there are some warm contrasts. The lighter greens feel most youthful, refreshing and full of positive energy, just like new growth in springtime. They look good in a contemporary-style room with plum-purple and chocolate-brown. Olive, moss, lime and lichen are other unusual shades of green with a contemporary edge.
05. Understanding Psychology of Colour for Aqua and Turquoise
Oceans, dreams, imagination
Sensitivity, freshness, holidays
Summer, mountain streams
Navajo jewellery, Ancient Egypt
Calming and relaxing aqua and turquoise fall between blue and green and carry with them all the positive aspects of those two colours. Aqua takes its name from the greenish blue of shallow water where the sea meets the sand and shares it with a transparent gemstone of the same colour. Turquoise is the blue green colour of an opaque semi-precious stone found in the Arizona desert. Although the two colours are similar and often confused, one is fluid and transparent and the other opaque and solid. The blue greens are highly adaptable and look good both inside and outdoors, where their sparkle is not diminished by the bright sunlight. Aqua is the dreamier of the two colours and looks especially good with colours that have similar relaxing properties, such as the whole range of lavenders. This is a favourite colour for bathrooms and cosmetic products are often packaged in shades of aqua for those wanting a coordinated look.
06. Blue Color Psychology
Sea, sky, freshness, mountains
Cold, aquamarine, sapphires
Sadness, bluebells, ribbons, jeans
Berries, birds, heaven duck eggs
Intelligence, calm
Stimulating blue is cool, spatial and invigorating. Blue is associated with peace, masculinity, intuition, cleanliness, trust, authority and intelligence. In some shades, blue is balancing, calming and rejuvenating. It absorbs light and makes a room appear considerably darker than it would if painted with a light-reflecting colour such as yellow. Walls painted blue appear to recede so put blue to work when space is at a premium. The eye perceives blue as having a blurred edge, so it is useful for softening hard edges in a room. Bright blue and white are a crisp combination because white sharpens up blue edges, while blue makes white look cleaner and brighter. Indoors, this combination needs a shot of balancing orange or golden yellow to warm it up. Blue is good to use outdoors, providing a resting place for the eyes in bright sunshine. The shade beneath blue parasols looks the coolest and most inviting of all.
07. Color Psychology for Purple
Robes, violets, plums, heather
Heliotrope, aubergine, passion
Sky, lilac, lavender, mourning
Luxury, grapes, psychics
The 1960s
Being surrounded by lilac and purple is said to help achieve serenity. Purple is linked to creativity and is favoured by those living a Bohemian lifestyle. It is believed to have a negative influence on people with susceptible temperaments, so those prone to depression should avoid it. The colour ranges between blue and red with blue-violet at one end and maroon at the other. Violet is the darkest and deepest colour on the spectrum. The warmth of purple depends on the quantity of red in it. Deep purples are too heavy for large areas, but are good for adding depth, richness and colour accents to a room. Pale lilacs, lavenders and violets have the opposite effect and are excellent for walls and ceilings. Used in harmonious colour schemes, their effect is cool but comfortable; they are ideal for bedrooms and studies. In a room used for social activities, the colours work best with warm contrasts such as earthy oranges and deep yellows.
08. Colour Psychology: Pale Pink
Softness, baby girls, face powder
Meringues, sugared almonds
Strawberry ice cream, piglets, roses
Clouds, candy floss, fresh plaster
Sea shells
Soothing and rejuvenating pale pink brings a warm glow into any room. The colour is associated with sweetness and innocence and signifies health and well-being. Pink is well suited for use over large areas. Other colours influence its character. For example, it is sophisticated when paired with dove grey. With pale lemon yellow, white and powder blue, it is nursery soft and with faded aqua and terracotta red, it is typically the Mediterranean. Pink is the natural colour of freshly plastered walls, warm earthy pink with a rustic character that is enhanced by deeper terracotta shades, natural wood and deep greens. Mixed with verdigrises and ochre, it is reminiscent of faded pink villas on Tuscan hillsides. Rosy pink is softer and sweeter, the colour of cascades of rambling roses around cottage doorways. Pink can be very bold and striking in the deeper salmon shades that are tinged with orange.
09. Understanding Psychology of Colour for Hot Pink
Passion, heat, tropics, celebrations
Exotic flowers, lipstick, Indian saris
Chinese lanterns, spices
Seaside rock, lobsters
Passionate hot pink is feminine and spicy. It is a courageous choice that will grant a room instant sensuous appeal and vitality. In nature, it is the colour of brilliant desert cactus flowers, where maximum visibility is needed to attract pollinating insects; it is also seen in luscious bougainvillea trailing down whitewashed villa walls around the Mediterranean. Pigments of the colour have been made in India and the far East for centuries, giving it an exotic appeal to Westerners. The intensity of hot pink is seen at its best in Indian saris, Chinese silks and shimmering satins. Needless to mention, it is the perfect colour for a love nest, but it is also a fun colour to use in other rooms. Hot pink will appear to shrink a room, so it should only be used where that is the desired effect. In the East, pink is often used with gold, but this should be done sparingly, or the effect will be too brash. Keep the heat turned full by mixing pink with other strong colours.
10. Metallic Color Psychology
Wealth, glamour, worship
Marriage, opulence, celebration
Luxury, solidarity, weight, shimmer
Good luck
Gold is the most glamorous metallic colour. The fashion for gold comes and goes. During the Regency or Empire period, it was used as decoration on black ebony furniture. Chinese lacquered furniture in red and black with fine gold filigree patterns influenced artists and designers in the late Victorian era. In the 1980s gold made a big comeback in interior decorating, and this time it was more sassy than classy. Gold, white leather, mirror tiles, deep shag pile carpets and perhaps a tented ceiling sent out all the right signals, but the look was never meant to last. In the contemporary home, gold is most likely to appear as part of an ethnic-inspired colour scheme such as one from India, Thailand or Morocco where fabrics and accessories are often patterned with gold. A magical array of modern products creates very convincing shades of gold. The most outstanding feature of gold is that it gleans by day and sparkles in candlelight.
Silver is the moon’s colour and it is thought, by association, to have a balancing, feminine influence on us. It flatters most other colours and is very easy to fit into a colour scheme. Silver is cool and sharp with a reflective mirrored surface that picks up surrounding colours. It is the colour of pewter, stainless steel, zinc, tin, chrome, aluminium and galvanised iron. In the past decade, since the arrival of the industrial style, many of these silver metals have been making a big impact on home decorating. Silver is most likely to dominate in the kitchen, where ‘catering style’ demands professional style cooking ranges, stainless steel work surfaces, sinks and appliances. Chrome is popular for items such as kettles, toasters and food processors. Elsewhere, painted silver walls look good with colours such as purple, lilac, cool blues and rosy pink and with soft fabric textures like velvet and silk that share silver’s reflective qualities.
11. Color Psychology for Yellow
Sunshine, gold, straw, saffron
Bananas, custard, daffodils
Canaries, primroses, warmth
Ducklings, the moon
Social yellow is a colour that makes us happy. It glows and reflects light, which makes it a useful colour for rooms with a northerly aspect. It is the brightest of the true colours and carries with it all the positive qualities of brilliance and light. Symbolically yellow is associated with intellect, understanding and knowledge. Yellow is strongly affected by the colours used alongside it. It is the most luminous when paired with black. With violet, it looks hard; with orange, it appears purer and with green, it radiates life and energy. Yellow and blue can be an uncomfortable combination unless the shade of blue is softened with grey. Red and yellow are celebratory colours. Use yellow in a large kitchen where meals are prepared and served – you will be guaranteed a lively atmosphere at meal times. In a playroom, it will encourage generosity and good behaviour; and in a work room, it will encourage imagination, creativity and communication.
12. Colour Psychology: Brown
Wood, coffee, chocolate, dogs
Horses, toffee, mushrooms, earth
Comfort, security, skin, velvet
Nuts, cookies
Comforting brown is the colour of so many of the good things in life – polished wood, leather, crumbly earth, dogs and horses, freshly baked bread, coffee beans and chocolate. It is a colour of great variations but is always warm. Brown appears in most rooms as the colour of polished wood but is often not credited as being part of the colour scheme. Brown dominated homes in the Second World War in a very drab way. In the 1970s orange and brown were a hippy combination, and right now brown is back in fashion as a part of the natural palette. Use dark brown in an eco-style room with soft sap green, taupe and olive; or mix contemporary dark wooden furniture with pale jade and deep plum walls. Deep chocolate brown and cream striped walls look delicious in a dining room, and red-brown floor tiles infuse a kitchen with warmth.
Important Tip on Psychology of Colour
If you paint a cold room in a warm colour such as red, you will create a room that is psychologically warm – it will be associated with flames, heat and fire.
We hope you loved reading the psychology of colour. If you still want to continue to take a deep dive into how colours make you feel, here’s a blog especially for you:
Colour Psychology: How Colours Make You Feel
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Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.