How To Use The Psychology of Colour To Improve Your Home

When it comes to designing our homes, we are all unique in our colour and design preferences. Whether opting for brightly coloured walls, subtle natural accessories or bold bespoke fitted furniture, each home is personal.

A powerful tool, the addition of colour into your home should not be used lightly! For example, have you ever felt anxious walking into a yellow room? Or do you feel more relaxed after lying on a soft blue sofa? This is because colour and emotions are linked.

Discover how you can master the secret code of colour. We will walk you through this guide to the psychology of colour, giving you the right tools to tailor your colour choice to your personal needs.

What is the psychology of colour?

In short, the psychology of colour looks at our emotional response when faced with different colours. 

But how does colour affect human behaviour? Well, colour acts as a powerful communication tool signalling to our brains. These signals can influence your mood, and even your physiological reactions such as blood pressure, eye strain and metabolism changes. That’s incredible! 

When it comes to colour emotions and perception, this measure is difficult to gauge due to the variety of opinions and responses towards a colour. Common causes for differing colour perceptions are age, gender and culture. For example, here in the West, the colour white is used to portray innocence and purity. However, in other parts of the world such as Asia, the colour white relates to sadness, grief and even death. 

Colour Association plays a huge part in how we view and evaluate a wide selection of different colours and their effect on our behaviour. Warm colours such as red, yellow and orange stimulate and excite emotions. Whereas cool colours including light blue, violet and green can produce a sense of calmness and tranquillity.

What colour attracts the human eye most?

We see in colour by our brains translating light signals from our eyes into colour. Whilst many of us can see a whole spectrum of colours, it is green that our eyes are drawn to most. It has been discovered that our eyes are most sensitive to light at a wavelength of 555 nanometers which is a bright green colour.

Using colours and moods to improve your home

Red

Red is the colour of confidence. When adding splashes of red to your decor, you are signalling to the world your power, passion and strength. We particularly like the idea of a rich red desk chair to accent any fitted home office!

But be warned, as red can also leave your guests sensing anger, danger and feeling uneasy within your home.  

Consider adding a splash of red in the dining room or by your coffee table, as it has been psychologically proven that red can be used to create and enhance your appetite. This is why you will often see red colours when dining out.

Orange

Orange ignites feelings of warmth, energy and friendliness. It also helps throughout the winter months by adding deep tones to build an inviting and relaxing inside space. 

By adding flashes of orange around your home, you can turn unsure visitors into firm friends. Strategically placed accent walls, pillows or curtains are great ways of incorporating orange into any living room, entryway, fitted bedroom, or even kitchen space.

The cons of adding this citrusy colour to your home are that it can lead to frustration, ignorance or a sense of immaturity.

Black

This is a colour that should be used sparingly! When adding black to your home, mastering the fine line between too much and too little is a requirement. An authoritative and powerful colour, a small dose of black can add an instant hit of sophistication, security and substance to your home. We are a particular fan of black styled kitchen doors and wardrobe handles, stair railings and even black accented wardrobe interiors. These are very trendy and look great against neutral colours.

Adding black to your home really drives the feeling of control you have over your outfits and your storage. Always bear in mind that too much can lead to cold, oppressive vibes so keep the colour in moderation around your home.

Yellow

A bright, cheerful colour, the power of yellow should never be underestimated. Exuding warmth and happiness, it is one of the colours that attracts the human eye the most. Yellow builds a welcoming and fun living space, where you can express your creativity. Practice on the side of caution, however, as a misuse of this bright colour can trigger anxiety and fear. 

A top tip for those wanting to sell their house is to add yellow to your interior. This is because yellows and egg whites can give the illusion of your home looking bigger than it appears.

Green

Signalling nature and growth, for those wanting to renew their health in a fresh home, look no further than green. It is the perfect colour for producing a sense of prosperity and hope in your home. If you are struggling through unsure times, adding a hint of green to your home can transform your inner well-being and relieve stress. The downside to green is that it can devise feelings of envy, sickness, or worse, boredom.

When creating a home office, be sure to add green to your room. Whether as a splash of paint on the walls, a soft shaggy carpet or as a chair, the addition of green has been found to increase concentration for longer.

Blue

The colour blue is perfect for those wanting to create and nurture new friendships. Blue is superb at allowing you to experience and ignite feelings of trust, loyalty, dependability, and serenity. But beware, use this colour wisely as an overload of blue can create an air of coldness and a cloak of emotionlessness within your home.

Pink

Pink is associated with romance and love. For those wanting to create a cosy, love nest to enjoy with their significant other, this should be your colour of choice. Pink helps to create balance while allowing your mind to run wild through its added power of imagination. The downside to this colour is that it can be interpreted as feminine, outrageous as well as leaving you feeling impulsive. 

Adding an impulsive splash of pink to your home can be the perfect way to spark your creativity. Pink shades can be incorporated throughout your home in all manner of decors such as fitted wardrobes, bright rugs and patterned pillows.

White

A neutral, clean and smart colour, white can be found in the majority of homes worldwide. With the ability to generate a fresh feel, white is perfect for bringing an air of clarity, simplicity and minimalism to your decor. This minimalist effect white has works wonders when used on bedroom furniture like gloss sliding wardrobes and in walk-in wardrobe designs to create a real feeling of space and like you have all the storage in the world!

Be careful not to overuse this shade, as a white overload or wash can create a sterile, cold and unwelcoming home with limited character and appeal. Find a balance with added pops of colour to compliment your interior.

Grey

Perfect for rooms with a lot of natural light, grey is the best colour for giving a modern sense of sophistication and elegance to any room. Since it’s a more neutral colour it’s best to use various shades around your room to add a sense of texture. With grey as the base colour, you can experiment to see which colours complement the overall colour and atmosphere you want for your room.

Glass Colours

Colour isn’t just for the walls of a room, it’s vitally important you make sure your furniture compliments the base colour you select for your room. For example, a sliding wardrobe is a great way to add some shining colour that makes a room feel more stylish. You can customise the colour of the glass to give it a shiny finish that really stands out!

Here at Swans Systems, our sliding wardrobe doors are customisable with a range of glass colour choices as well as a variety of different coloured frames. Add some unique colours to make your room feel more like a home!

Conclusion

It takes time and practice to master, but when it comes to transforming the mood of your home, colour is essential. An art form, the psychology of colour is a must and by following these tips, you too can create a warm and welcoming home, for anyone.

We would love to hear your thoughts on your design processes and discover what emotions certain colours trigger for you?