by Michelle Juergen
using color psychology in interior design is central to shaping the atmosphere of a space
HAVE YOU EVER walked into a room and suddenly felt calm, excited or even hungry? The colors used in the space likely impacted your mood without your awareness. That’s the art and impact of color psychology.
The study of how color affects human mood and behavior, color psychology explores how different hues can influence emotional and physiological responses. Some colors increase blood pressure, stoking energy and activity, while others stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart and breathing rates.
How color affects us has long been philosophized—from German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1810 book “Theory of Colours” to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung’s color theory in the 1920s. It even dates back to ancient Egypt, where every color had its own symbolism and was made from natural elements.
The use of color in interior design projects, then, is clearly not just for style or whimsy; it can significantly alter the feel of a space.
“In interior design, selecting colors influenced by psychology is crucial because it directly impacts the mood, emotions and even well-being of the occupants,” says Jeannette Salazar, owner of Jeannette Salazar Interior Design. “The right colors can evoke specific feelings, enhance comfort, and ultimately contribute to creating a harmonious and purposeful living or working environment.”
Red, for example, is thought to increase energy, conjure passion and stimulate hunger, while blue is said to have a serene, stabilizing effect. Green, too, represents calm, as well as growth and renewal, while yellow is associated with happiness and optimism.
“Color is one of the most powerful decor aspects that helps to dictate how we will design any particular space,” says Michael Violante, principal designer at Violante & Rochford Interiors. “In our work, we use pops of yellow to wake up. A red dining room can make you feel happy; blue and green bring the sky and nature inside.”
Todd Stringer, lead building and remodeling designer for Dana Stringer Interiors, says it’s critical to understand clients’ needs, wants and personalities to ascertain what colors— including black, white and neutral shades—will sculpt the character of a space and invoke desired qualities like intimacy, openness, drama or freshness.
“Humans have always used color to read our environment,” Todd Stringer says. “These perceived qualities deeply affect our mood. Of course, people are highly idiosyncratic as to how these conditions, patterns and colors affect us individually.”
Everyone responds to color differently; yellow, for example, may cause anxiety in some, so neutrals and lighter shades can help balance the use of more vibrant colors.
“People have colors that make them feel comfortable,” Violante says. “For any project we work on, we are trying to find colors the client likes. Neutral colors give us flexibility in the house to use a number of colors that make the client feel good.”
So, before you paint that accent wall fire-engine red, consider how the hue makes you feel—and whether that emotion is one you’re happy to immerse in every day.
resources
Jeannette Salazar Interior Design
Violante & Rochford Interiors
Dana Stringer Interiors
