The Psychology of Color in Home Design

Many of us know intuitively that colors affect our mood and emotions. But did you know, how you incorporate colors in your home’s design can make an emotional impact too? That is why we will be introducing a series on the impact of color psychology in home design and remodeling.

After all, colors can evoke a wide range of emotions. Even though you may have a favorite, how colors influence our emotional wellbeing can be universal. Whether it is your favorite color or not.

When guests wait to go on talk shows and TV appearances, they wait in a “Green Room.” The simple reason? The color green can calm and focus you. In fact, it has been known to lower the levels of hypertension and blood pressure. In a study to determine pediatric patient room color preferences of healthy children vs. pediatric patients, it was found that pediatric patients preferred the color yellow – the color of happiness and optimism. Adult color research has shown that people tend to universally prefer the color green; now that’s pretty interesting considering what we’ve already learned about the color green.

Color Psychology of Wall Colors

While wall colors can make a big impact on your psychological preferences and well-being, even small pops of color can also alter your mental state. A sign in red will most likely cause you to stop in your tracks and take heed of the message (or warning). A study found that placebo drugs that were red, yellow, and orange were associated with a stimulant effect, while blue and green were related to a tranquilizing effect. In this study, colors affected the perceived action of a drug and even seemed to influence the effectiveness of the drug.

Pops of color in design can also have surprisingly emotional and psychological impact.  So, when deciding upon materials, design ideas, and color palettes for your home’s remodel, it is important to understand not only which colors you love the most and why, but also how color choices may impact your mood, behavior, and the space itself.

Over the next few weeks, we will be writing about all of the colors of the rainbow. We’ll start by looking at the coolest colors, which are more commonly used in home design:

We will explore how these colors make you feel, the personality traits of people who like these colors, and how these colors can be best used when remodeling and designing your home.

When it comes to design and remodel choices, materials, craftsmanship, and style are definitely important – but when it comes to emotion – color psychology is key.

If you’re ready to get started on our first color, blue, let’s jump right in and see how folks use the color classic blue in home design and what this means to their psyche while lounging with blue. 

Start reading more about blue in home design now.>>