A couple of days ago the doorbell rang. It was a delivery driver asking if I’d accept delivery of a parcel on behalf of my neighbour. Before she left, she turned to me and said “Your house has such a happy feeling to it”.
What colour, or combination of colours, we chose to use in each room directly affects how we feel, think and behave. So, following on from last week’s post about using colour in our homes, today we work our way through the remaining colours, as we think about how we want our spaces to FEEL, what sort of behaviours we want to see in each room, and the different effects that each colour has on us?
Purple
Purple has the shortest wavelength on the colour spectrum. Being a mix of blue and red, purple is associated with spiritual awareness and reflection. Purple hues include lavender, lilac, mauve, violet, magenta, plum and aubergine.
Purple can be used to great effect in bedrooms to create a quiet, reflective space, and in meditation rooms. Avoid using purple in kitchens and dining rooms, as the blue elements of this colour will negatively affect the appetite.
Blue
Blue is the world’s favourite colour, and is the colour of the sky and the sea. Blue includes powder blue, periwinkle, duck egg, teal, cerulean, turquoise, cobalt, indigo and ultramarine.
Light blue is mentally calming, and is a great colour to use in bedrooms, to help you relax before sleep, or in a home office to stimulate creative thinking. Dark blue is mentally stimulating, and is a great colour to induce focus and concentration in a home office. Blue is not the best choice of colour for a kitchen as it causes appetite suppression. It’s also best avoided in any space that already feels cold, and too much blue can result in a space that feels depressing.
Green
Green is the colour of balance and harmony, and we find it a very reassuring colour on a very primitive level. Green ranges in colour from lime, pistachio, mint, aqua, pea green, bottle green, olive, khaki, avocado, sage, emerald, jade, chartreuse and verdigris.
Green works well in a few different spaces in a home, but particularly in bedrooms, living rooms and home offices. However, be aware of using too much green in a space as this can lead to feelings of stagnation and lack of motivation.
Brown
Brown is the colour of the earth and wood, and is dependable and reassuring; cosy and warm. Brown ranges from beige, buff, tan, sepia and taupe, to rich umber, chocolate, coffee and chestnut browns.
Brown conveys a feeling of understated refinement, and is great for living rooms and home offices. However, the adverse heaviness of this colour means that it’s not so good to use in nurseries, and too much brown in a space can leave you feeling stuck.
Black
Black is glamorous, elegant and sophisticated on the one hand, but can feel aggressive, heavy and suffocating. This is a colour to be used sparingly, and it can make small spaces feel smaller and more claustrophobic. Shades of black include kohl, obsidian, charcoal, jet and pitch black.
Grey
The recent popularity of grey is on the wane, possibly due to the adverse, draining effect of using too much of this colour.
In the home, grey works well as a backdrop colour, but it should be avoided in nurseries and bedrooms, where you are likely to wake up feeling tired, as well as any areas where creativity is needed. Being surrounded by too much grey can leave you feeling depleted and drained.
I hope that these two posts have inspired you to think about how you use colour in your own home. Do leave a comment with any questions you might have.
I’ll be back in 2020 with lots more posts to help you to create a home that encourages wellness. In the meantime, happy Christmas!