Red: The Color of Success and
Productivity
Red is the perfect color choice for a
productive work environment. Red is the most energetic color there
is. It has been known to not only raise your heart rate and thereby increase
your energy levels, but also pump adrenaline through you. It’s a fiery,
aggressive color that has an immediate impact on your entire nervous system,
which means it’s very important that you carefully choose where you use it.
Do: Use red in an office environment.
Whether it’s in your home office or your corner office, red will fire you up
for a very productive, energized work day. As it promotes circulation and
speeds respiration, you should be firing on all cylinders when surrounded by
it.
Don’t: Use red in your
bedroom. If you’re planning on a restful night’s sleep, don’t paint your
bedroom walls red. Even though most of the time you spend in the bedroom is
likely to be in the dark, you want to promote a relaxing atmosphere where you
sleep. Red will stimulate your system, meaning your drift-off will be in
conflict with your environment. The aggressive nature of red is also a double
edged sword - channeling that aggression can be useful in some environments,
but may not be something you want to do in every room.
Yellow: The Color of Happiness
Yellow promotes
conversation in a communal living area.
Yellow
is known to be a very uplifting color - it’s the color most often associated
with happiness, energy and togetherness. When chosen in the right hue, it is
both soothing and cheer inducing, which makes it perfect as an interior color.
Do - Use yellow in a communal
environment, such as the living room or kitchen. It promotes a feeling of
togetherness and comfort, and due to its energizing effects, it’s perfect for
stimulating conversation and promoting community.
Don’t - Use yellow in a
toddler’s room. Yellow is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, and
can therefore prove overwhelming. The last thing you want is for your baby’s
room to make her cry.
Orange - The Color of Energy and
Excitement
Orange means a great workout.
Guaranteed.
Orange has been known to increase energy
levels and excitement. Similar to red in that vein, but with a happier bent as
opposed to the ruthless, slightly more aggressive notes of its energetic
cousin. In fact, it falls somewhere between the effects of yellow and red.
Orange is for go-getting and energy-pumping.
Do - Use orange in a home gym. Orange
will inspire, invigorate and energize you - exactly what you want when headed
into a work-out. It promotes an enthusiastic demeanor, making those last 10
minutes on the treadmill that much more bearable.
Don’t - Use orange if
you’re easily stressed out or spend your days in a stressful environment and
want to come home to tranquility. Orange can be a little jarring if you’re not
in the mood for it. It is best contained to areas in which you want to raise
your energy levels and produce. If you work in an environment that already does
that, you may want to skip it in your home.
Blue - The Color of a Rested, Beautiful
You
The key to a beautiful you is in a
restful night’s sleep surrounded by blueBlue is the color of the sea and the sky
- it is calming, soothing and fundamentally slows you down. Blue calms your
nerves and lets you breathe more easily, which is something we probably all
crave at one point in our day. It lowers your blood pressure, which means it
has an almost medicinal effect on your mood and temperament. Think of blue as a
glass of red wine for your home.
Do - Use blue in your bedroom and
bathroom. Whether you’re taking a bath, a nap or laying down for a full night’s
rest, blue will ensure you rise beautiful and peaceful. It’s the answer to your
search for beauty sleep and peaceful repose.
Don’t - Use in an office
environment. Using blue in an environment that is intended to be productive and
invigorating is counter productive. You can’t expect to be a killer at work, if
all your mind wants to do is go to sleep. A blue room is the perfect place to end
a day in, but not ideal to spend your day in - unless of
course it’s the weekend and you’re recovering from a mind-boggling week.
If you’re in the mood for lovin’, paint
your bedroom green. Green
is a symbol of fertility and new beginnings. It is lush and vibrant, while
maintaing a soothing and comforting feel. It’s the color of spring and deep and
enchanted forests. Though it comes in varying hues, from mint to hunter, it’s
through-line remains constant.
Do - Use green in your
bedroom. Many commonly perceive red as the raciest of colors and the ultimate
in sexy decor, but we firmly believe that green takes the ‘bedroom-color-cake.’
It’s restful to the eye and calming, but also subliminally puts you in the mood
for love.
Don’t - Use green if
you’re superstitious. Much in contrast to the common belief that green, the
color of the four leaf clover, is lucky, many with a bent towards superstition
find green to be a color that brings bad luck. Also, green, much like blue, is
counterproductive in an environment that is meant to be energetic. Painting
your home gym green is likely to result in an abbreviated cardio session and a
bee-line to the couch.
Purple - The Color of Creativity
The possibilities for creativity are
endless when you paint your kitchen purple. Purple is luxurious and inspiring. It is
a color that is known to inspire creativity and thought, leading to wealth and
comfort. It is royal and velvety and it makes you feel like you can achieve.
Though purple is a color you don’t see quite as often in interior design, it is
one that should definitely be incorporated into the home of the fun and
creative or those aspiring to be such.
Do - Use purple in the
kitchen, a playroom or an art studio. It will inspire you to work with your
hands and think outside the box. From extravagant meals, to creative playtime
for the kids, to picking up the brush and paints, purple is sure to set the
tone for hours of inspiration.
Don’t - Use purple in
your child’s bedroom. Although it’s ideal for a children’s playroom, it is not
quite as great a fit for where your little one sleeps. A well rested child
needs a sleeping environment that calms the brain, not one that revs it up.
‘Light’s out’ means no purple.
It’s clear that color can have a great impact on how we feel as well as how we lead our lives on a day to day basis. This
may more important than you may have thought.