Color Therapy Your Home

By Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG

Color is the most important design element in creating the ambiance for a space. Color can change our mood from sad to happy, from uncertainty to clarity, from fear to confidence.  

The colors we surround ourselves with can help stimulate, relax, empower, or even waken us. Color and light have a great importance on the environmental characteristics of space.

The personalities of the colors are most important when used as a room’s dominant color. Keep in mind that various tints and shades of the same color can evoke different moods. For example, red (which is an aggressive color) gives off an entirely different vibe than pink (which has been proven to reduce aggressive behavior). For this reason, it’s critical to understand the relationship between color and mood. 

RED

Red isn't for the faint of heart. Being associated with romance and passion, it’s the best choice when you want to stir up excitement. Red is a stimulating design tool that heightens the senses. Red can feel timeless, contemporary, traditional or rustic depending on the hue and context. Just a bit of red can warm up a cool gray and white white room, or add drama when used as the main color in a small space, such as a powder room. From merlot, to crimson and barn red, there are endless ways to use this warm hue to create a mood.

As to what rooms to use red in the home?

Dining Rooms: as it promotes sociable and lively feelings; it whets our appetite. So if you’re always on a diet, red might not be the best color for you.  

 Powder Room: Imagine your guest’s reaction, when they open the door to a red powder room. If you’re a little “color shy”, a small room is a great place to play with color. Dark wood tone cabinetry combined with garnet or burgundy walls is pure elegance.  

Master Bedroom: Red is the color of passion, so why not the bedroom? Yes! Red can be highly stimulating and a little can go a long way. Accents of red work best. Try softer reds like, burgundy, rose, rust or ruby.

PINK

Pink isn’t just for little girls anymore and despite what you may have heard, it goes with way more than frills and lace. Pink has proven to be an enduring classic; it’s sophisticated, and even sexy. Here are some ways in where to use pink — whether you're eighteen or eighty.

As to what rooms to use pink in the home?

Bedrooms are a natural place for pink especially if it’s your favorite color. But if you’re looking for some passion in your life, consider fuchsia in your bedroom.  

The kitchen is a fun place to use pink. The brighter, more playful pinks can add whimsy to the space in accessories and small appliances. If the kitchen spills into the family room, that’s even better, sense you can sprinkle this playful hue into the families heart center. 

Bathrooms: is ideal place to use pink. It brings out the healthy glow of the skin. Sense softer pinks are calming, it’s a natural color to surround yourself while taking a long, relaxing bubble bath.  

                                                              YELLOW

Yellow is a color of many meanings. It’s the warmth of the sun and makes us feel optimistic, when we see in the first flowers of spring. When paired with black yellow warns us of danger, and when we see a yellow bow, it encourages us to hope. 

For the homes, yellow is much less complex. Instead, yellow becomes a welcoming, happy hue that brightens our spirits. Yellow is just one of those colors that instantly makes people happy. Accent it with bright reds for a palette that plays off the color wheel, or take it down a notch, by pairing it with gray and neutral textiles. 

As to what rooms to use yellow in the home?

Small Places-Yellow is ideal for opening up, small dark areas such as entries, laundry rooms or hallways. 

Kitchens, Dining Rooms- are a natural for yellow. Yellow symbolizes the sun and qualities of optimism. It can work as a antidotal pick me up. 

Work Out Rooms-Who doesn’t need a little encouragement to work out? Sense yellow is a happy, high-energy color it’s great to use in exercise rooms. 

ORANGE

If you're looking to add a punch of energy to your space, then orange is your color. Warm colors such as orange, exude a vibrant energy and intensity unmatched by their cooler cousins. Use these hues in spaces where you want to encourage interaction and activities. An often-forgotten color, orange can instantly warm up a room in even the subtlest accents. Orange is best kept to accessories. Variations of orange, such as salmon, coral, and peach are cheerful colors and a better color choice or any other area of the house that can use a little energy. 

As to what rooms to use orange in the home?

Living Rooms-A cheerful color, orange can promote self-motivation and even stimulate the appetite.

Kitchens and Dining Rooms- Are there finicky eaters in your home? Try using an orange tablecloth or placemats; better yet, paint an accent wall orange. Orange stimulates the appetite, especially when combined with red and yellow. Of course, if you're on a diet, avoid orange.

Fun Space-Are you designing a family room where you want people to socialize and play? Then use orange and let the parties begin.  

GREEN

Green is the most eco-chic color on the color wheel. It reminds us of spring and therefore new beginnings. It brings feelings of calm, anticipation and hope, and it has a soothing, relaxing effect on the mind and body. From soft sages to electric lime, this super-versatile color adds balance, harmony to any color palette. Bring the outdoors inside with Mother Nature's favorite color. Lively, refreshing and eye catching, the right tone of green can work in any home. 

As to what rooms to use green in the home?

Bedrooms: Like blue, green has amazing stress reducing qualities. Blue-greens are a great choice for bedrooms, because they combine the most calming aspects from both color families. If your bedroom is your safe-haven, then blue-green is your color.   

Family Rooms and Dens: are always a great place for green. 

Dining Rooms: green cools things down; it encourages unwinding but has enough warmth to promote comfort and togetherness.

BLUE

If you love blue, you aren’t alone. And since the color blue is attributed to such positive effects as reducing stress and promoting relaxation, blue makes a perfect color choice for most areas of a home.From the calmest of baby blue bedrooms to dramatic cobalt living rooms, blue is one of the most versatile colors to decorate with. 

As to what rooms to use blue in the home?

Bathrooms-blue is a natural color where water is present. If this is your favorite place to unwind as well as refresh, blue is a good choice. Depending on the color of blue and the bathroom’s lighting it can especially effect where people are applying cosmetics, as it can reflect cool undertones on the skin.  

Family rooms and dens- are always a great place for blue. Darker blues encourage contemplation and promotes intellectual thought; If the dark blue seams depressing, increase your lighting or incorporate complementary warm tones.  

Bedrooms-Universally blue is the favorite color for bedrooms, for its tremendous stress reducing qualities. If your bedroom is a favorite place to unwind, blue is a good choice. To make sure it doesn't look too chilly, select a blue with warm undertone and accessorize the space with warm accents, in brown, red, orange or coral. But if tend to sleep warm, and would prefer a cooler place to catch your zees, then blue is the color for you. Temperatures drop in blue rooms. 

PURPLE

Purple is the color of royalty and it hints at passion as well as spirituality. Purple may not be the first choice for interior design, outside of children's rooms. But when used smartly and sparingly, it can add a stylish element of surprise to traditional or modern spaces. It’s a perfect choice for many adult spaces, from the bedroom to the kitchen, in city apartments and country homes alike. Whether you cloak an entire room in purple or just use it as an accent, this mystical hue is bound to make a statement. 

As to what rooms to use purple in the home?

Home Office: Having a creative block? Paint your studio indigo and violet will get your creative juices flowing again. Be sure to add some red-violet to keep your feet connected to the earth. 

Meditation Room: being the most powerful visible wavelength of the electromagnetic energy, it can bliss you out, making it ideal for meditation rooms. Purple also helps to stimulate creativity. 

Kitchen: This is a fun place to highlight bright purples to deep eggplant. My mother, who is known for going against the norm, painted her kitchen purple. Being a wine-lover, she used playful accessories, dishes, rugs and art work to play off the wine motif.  

NEUTRALS

Neutrals (black, gray, white and brown) are the mainstay in every interior designer’s tool kit. With tones as varied as driftwood gray and creamy latte, neutrals are anything but boring. Neutrals can be the perfect color backdrop for any design style. Pair these naturally sophisticated rich hues with bright accompaniments or layer it with patterns for added interest in your home.

BLACK

Just like the little black dress that's been a staple in women's wardrobes, since Coco Chanel unveiled the first version in Vogue magazine in the 1920s, the color black never seems to go out of style, and especially in the home.

As to what rooms to use black in the home? 

This authoritative color is certainly an enduring favorite among designers. In fact, some experts maintain that every room needs a touch of black to ground the color scheme and give it depth. 

Black makes other colors beside it pop and it conveys a sense of drama. But most important, its versatility offers an unlimited verity of uses and tastes for a home's decor. 

Whether it's a splash of black on an exterior door, whether the color comes from a baby grand sitting in the foyer, or whether the color surrounds an Andy Warhol print over the fireplace, black can frame, infuse or sheath anything and look great. I will be the first to agree that black is fancy-pants chic. But just a word of caution, don’t go too heavy-handed with this powerful hue, as black can slow down energy in a space faster than any other color. 

My dear teacher Leatrice Eiseman, says in best her book Colors For Your Every Mood, “Although attitudes about black have changed in general, most people would agree that too in the home or office is an literally an “overkill”-too somber, too depressing, too dark. To live in too dark of an environment would be like returning to the cave! Although dark colors can be used in some areas of the home, where enclosure might be cozy and comforting (like hunter green walls in the den), solid black is simply too oppressive and light-absorbing on major space like the walls.” 

GRAY

It's not just smoke and mirrors. Whether you want to add a touch of silver decor to a dining room, design a slate-gray powder room, this lighter cousin of black will add elegance any space.

Gray has gained in popularity among top designers, who appreciate its versatility and sophistication. But, in regards to color and its affect on health, a little bit of gray, especially cool gray can go a long way. So the obvious places where gray doesn’t function well as a primary color scheme. 

Remember there are no bad colors. Every color has their place in the right environment.  

The darker the gray, the more powerful it becomes. A dark gray symbolizes strength, where a lighter, while a softer gray has a more delicate feel. Gray can also turn down the volume loud pieces of furniture such as sofa or provide the perfect backdrop that allows wood accents to shine.  

Stark, modern interiors, where there’s a lot of white walls and white furniture tend to look like they’re floating. By adding gray flooring to the space, it becomes grounded.  

WHITE

Ask an interior designer or any architect which color they find to be the most beautiful in regard to light, and you're likely to hear the same answer. White! Whether your style is rustic or modern, there are countless possibilities when decorating with white. Never dismiss white as being boring or an easy way out! Sometimes sticking to the basics is your best bet. 

As to what rooms to use white in the home?

Every space, especially off-white. While white does present challenges when it comes to proper cleaning, durability and practicality, when utilized properly, it can be breathtakingly beautiful and bright. It helps to create shadows and contrasts that emphasize planes and surfaces, making a room feel much taller or larger than it actually is.

Bathrooms: White is a natural color for bathrooms. If you're designing a bathroom with a pure white theme, you'll have plenty of options to choose from. 

Kitchens: White works especially well for kitchens, especially small ones because it’s light and bright, which makes the space appear larger. White kitchen cabinets are easily the most popular color trend.   

Dining Room: A white palette for your dining room furniture and decor to create an atmosphere that's both classic and modern. 

NOTE: Since white is so reflective, the right lighting is extremely important for white interiors. Lighting helps give definition and character to a space. The room can seem warm or cold, depending on the light source (natural or man-made). 

BROWN 

From a calming, sandy light tan to a dark womb-like, cozy dark brown, that makes you want to curl up with a book, you’ll probably agree, browns naturally takes on a relaxing vibe. They’re friendly and inviting, with minimal risk. For more soothing spaces, use lighter tans or to mix things up, and venture into dark chocolate browns. 

Brown can be used in lieu of black, for a gentler color combination. In fact, the late 19th century, impressionist artists did just that. Scholars claim that the warmth and vibrancy of Monet’s paintings is largely due to black being replaced by browns and purples. So, if you want to warm up your palette, ditch the black and replace it with dark brown. Hey, it worked for Monet. 

As to what rooms to use brown and taupe in the home?

Sense brown, beige and taupe are as comforting as a plate of warm, chocolate chip cookies, they can adapt perfectly to any room. 

Dining Rooms: Brown is more inviting than black. A medium to deep brown for the walls and paint the trim in creamy beige. This an elegant, combination is a classic.  

Hallways: Beige is the perfect backdrop to highlight special details in your space, whether an art collection or pieces from world travels. Also sense lighter colors reflect more light, than darker colors, you’re less likely to turn on the hallway lights, hence saving money on your utility bill.  

Bedroom: Taupe is a great color for bedrooms. It’s the most moody and dramatic of all the neutrals. Taupes can be tricky, due to their complex undertones. But don’t let that scare you. A taupe interior, can be very chic.  

For some subtle mental stimulation accent with green or blue. Do you want a calming backdrop to a room so your accessories will pop? Brown is a terrific neutral that works well with vibrant accent colors. 

Denise Turner-masterfully navigates two worlds of color. As an international, award-winning interior designer and colorist, she helps businesses to drive sales with color. As a ColorTherapy expert and Energy Medicine healer, she utilizes color to empower others to heal themselves and their families. Turner is an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) professional member, Certified Interior Designer, CMG (Color Marketing Group) Board of Director, former ASID chapter president, and UCLA graduate.

denise@Colorturners.com www.colorturners.com