How Your Colors Affect YOU

By Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG

For color scientists, color is more than just personal taste. Color has a physical impact on how we feel about a space, for instance. Studies have shown that we get excited when exposed to colors with longer wavelengths, such as red, orange, and yellow, compared to shorter wavelength colors that will calm you, such as purple, blue and green.  

Chromodynamic studies have shown that being in a blue room, for example, can help us get into a higher alpha-delta brain-wave state, which is associated with relaxation.

I’ll admit, it does sound very scientific, but it really is based on common sense. Think about it! In a bedroom where we want restful sleep, most people instinctively gravitate to blue, rather than to vibrant warm colors. These tendencies make blue the most favorite color for the bedroom, internationally. 

Being in a room with warm colors will make you heat up. Think of the colors that are used in restaurants. Although this trend is shifting, to more “grown-up” color schemes, as a rule, fast food restaurants use repeated warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows, and browns). Initially these colors are inviting and make you feel hungry. They also help to speed up your eating habits, making you leave the space faster than you would have otherwise, making room for the next patron. 

Photo by Vinicius Amano on Unsplash