When a room is well designed, you walk in it and feel peaceful and at ease. Most of the time, we don't really pay attention to the reason why this happens. It is the interior designer's job to create the ambiance and mood of a room through a careful and selective process. Based on your preferences, you should feel both mentally and physically comfortable within your space.
There are multiple techniques the designer can use to achieve this balance in comfort. One of them, and the topic of today's post , is colour.
Being close to the water, mountains and trees, nature's presence has a huge effect on interior design choices in Vancouver and on the west coast, but nature's influence isn't the only one. Colour can interfere or influence our moods and thoughts. These feelings vary depending on the client's age, gender and culture.
Let's examine the different colours and their psychological meanings:
Blue: is a calming and serene hue, and is often used in offices because it is thought to promote productivity and enhance intuition. Be careful though, it is a also a cool colour so it can also bring a feeling of sadness to a room that is not balanced with other hues.
Green: is considered a restful colour on the eye. It is believed to relieve stress and promote mental relaxation so it is great when used in the bedroom, to promote tranquility.
Orange: stimulates creativity and enthusiasm, it is a very cheerful and energetic and promotes feelings of rejuvenation. It's a great colour for an exercise room, or as an accent colour on walls, fabrics, throws, or furnishings.
Yellow: is a happy colour, it captures the brightness of sunshine. It can be used vastly, but it can be a bit overwhelming if used as the main color scheme. Yellow encourages communication, so it is great to be used in kitchens and living rooms, but it can also cause eye strain so it's best not to use it in baby rooms.
Red: is a very uplifting and energetic colour. It is great when used in kitchens or dining rooms, as it is known to increase appetite. Used in a living room, it draws and connects people together. In some cultures, red is thought to represent wealth and prosperity. It also stimulates passion.
Brown: is a classic blend of various hues and it never gets old. Brown invokes feelings of stability and grounds the room with a solid earth tone. Brown reminds us psychologically of nature, and is thought to promote feelings of strength and security.
Purple: is an uplifting colour. It is dramatic and sophisticated and it's great when wanting to create that 'wow' factor. A lighter hue, like lavender, has a calming feel, similar to blue, but it is easier to use because it is never as "chilly".
White: White is a classic, can be used widely throughout a space. It embodies the essence of balance and purity, being comprised of an equal balance of all the colors in the spectrum. White helps to create a bright, clean and vibrant space that maximizes available light. White is also elegant, but it needs to be accented in the right way, to avoid creating sterile, vacuous space.
Black: has the power to ground a room, and like white, is very elegant and sophisticated. Psychologically, black evokes mystery and a sense of protection. It is sometimes better to use as an accent colour, as it absorbs rather than reflects light.
There are multiple techniques the designer can use to achieve this balance in comfort. One of them, and the topic of today's post , is colour.
Being close to the water, mountains and trees, nature's presence has a huge effect on interior design choices in Vancouver and on the west coast, but nature's influence isn't the only one. Colour can interfere or influence our moods and thoughts. These feelings vary depending on the client's age, gender and culture.
Let's examine the different colours and their psychological meanings:
Blue: is a calming and serene hue, and is often used in offices because it is thought to promote productivity and enhance intuition. Be careful though, it is a also a cool colour so it can also bring a feeling of sadness to a room that is not balanced with other hues.
Green: is considered a restful colour on the eye. It is believed to relieve stress and promote mental relaxation so it is great when used in the bedroom, to promote tranquility.
Yellow: is a happy colour, it captures the brightness of sunshine. It can be used vastly, but it can be a bit overwhelming if used as the main color scheme. Yellow encourages communication, so it is great to be used in kitchens and living rooms, but it can also cause eye strain so it's best not to use it in baby rooms.
Red: is a very uplifting and energetic colour. It is great when used in kitchens or dining rooms, as it is known to increase appetite. Used in a living room, it draws and connects people together. In some cultures, red is thought to represent wealth and prosperity. It also stimulates passion.
Brown: is a classic blend of various hues and it never gets old. Brown invokes feelings of stability and grounds the room with a solid earth tone. Brown reminds us psychologically of nature, and is thought to promote feelings of strength and security.
Purple: is an uplifting colour. It is dramatic and sophisticated and it's great when wanting to create that 'wow' factor. A lighter hue, like lavender, has a calming feel, similar to blue, but it is easier to use because it is never as "chilly".
White: White is a classic, can be used widely throughout a space. It embodies the essence of balance and purity, being comprised of an equal balance of all the colors in the spectrum. White helps to create a bright, clean and vibrant space that maximizes available light. White is also elegant, but it needs to be accented in the right way, to avoid creating sterile, vacuous space.
Black: has the power to ground a room, and like white, is very elegant and sophisticated. Psychologically, black evokes mystery and a sense of protection. It is sometimes better to use as an accent colour, as it absorbs rather than reflects light.
If you would like to book a interior or exterior colour consultation, please contact Shima Alavi, Principal interior designer at our Vancouver office: shima.alavi@taointeriors.com, or submit a contact form on our website at www.taointeriors.com
