March 11, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Are you a passionate person who wants to be surrounded by drama?
Or maybe your ideal world would be more cool and calm. Are you a sunny soul, a savvy sophisticate or a grounded grownup?
Then paint your walls red, blue, yellow, gray or brown, respectively. Or just use the color as accents, for a smaller dose of drama or peacefulness.
Psychologists and designers have long known the effects hues can have on humans. Hospitals use calming pastels for patients who need to rest and heal. Fast food restaurants often use energetic yellows and oranges to keep customers moving.
Here are some hues that can color your world.
Red
Considered the color of romance and passion, stimulating red is a design tool that heightens the senses, said Jeannie Matteucci in an article for HGTV.
Red walls will make a room feel more intimate, and, used on one wall, can visually change the proportions of a long, narrow room. Red can make an alcove or small room feel like a destination, Matteucci said. Different shades, patterns and amounts of red can provide full drama or just perk up an otherwise neutral room.
Pink
Pink isn’t just for little girls. It’s also for people who are sincere and sophisticated, according to an article on Wikipedia.
A lot depends on the shade, Matteucci said. A vivid fushia can signal energy and drama. A soft, light pink can be soothing and skin flattering. Pink may work best as an accent color, paired with neutrals, or as a pop of color, she said.
Yellow
Yellow signals happiness and competence to many people. It’s a color lots of people consider uplifting and energizing.
But Matteucci advises against too much of a good thing. A muted yellow may be energetic, but taxi cab yellow may offer more stimulation than anyone needs. Yellow is a popular color for kitchens, but in muted shades and combined with other neutrals, yellow can go anywhere.
Green
Green is for growth and renewal, and due to its connection with nature, the right shade can lends a calming feeling to any room, Matteucci said.
Choose your shade and intensity based on the feeling you want in the room.
Blue
Blue evokes feelings of calm and freshness, and represents strength and dependability, Matteucci said. Sapphire is as high energy as sky blue is tranquil. Darker shades are dramatic, and light shades make rooms seem larger, Matteucci said.
Purple
Purple is the color of royalty and creativity, Matteucci said, adding it combines the calm of blue with the excitement of red.
Touches or royal purple add drama, and light lavender can add creativity and fun at a livable level. A few purple accents, in paint, fabric or accessories, can transform a whole room, Matteucci said.
Gray
Gray is a serene neutral that many people ignore, Matteucci said. A solid gray symbolizes strength and sophistication, and softer grays offer a more delicate feeling, she said.
Matteucci said some people find certain grays depressing, but choose gray as a background hue and it will “make your colors sing,” she said.
Brown
Brown is a weighty, robust, rugged color, Matteucci said, and encourages us to slow down. Brown makes a good background color with stronger colors, like bright greens and oranges.
Brown can make a room feel warm and inviting.
To see rooms that make the most of each color, and ways to use each hue on home exteriors, click here.
