Did you know green is considered to be one of the most ‘refreshing’ or ‘restful’ colors?

It makes sense when you think about the images that it elicits… earthy nature scenes full of grass, wildflowers, and some form of water glistening in the background. It’s peaceful. It’s relaxing. Maybe just thinking about it is…making you…sleepy… (Well, don’t start snoozing just yet!)

Though the effect of color on our psyche is indeed at play in the world around us, it’s not a perfect x+y=z format. The color green may not have the exact same influence on you as it does for your mother, brother, neighbor. However, apart from extreme aversions, there are themes to each color and what they do to our mental state.

A quick aside…We’re obviously a painting and contracting company, so we’re not going to dive into the psychology of why you may detest a certain shade. There are other professionals for that sort of thing! We just think you can use this general knowledge as a tool in your tool belt whilst considering the design of your home.

If you research this, you’re going to find some variations on the exact emotional correlation from study to study and the professionals doing the studying, but by and large, the consistencies and similarities are there. Red…love, passion. Orange…confidence, adventurous. Yellow…happiness, warmth. Green…nature, hope. Blue…peace, security. Purple…creative, regal. Do any of these surprise you? We would venture to guess that (at the very least) most of them didn’t! On the flip side, sometimes the impression left can be negative…blue: sadness, red: anger, green: envy, etc. We’ll go out on another limb here and assume that these ones also all added up for you! And to that we say—science!

We would never suggest putting a color permanently in a coffin solely based on its associations to an emotion. We believe there can be a time and place for any color. It may just involve fine tuning…like finding a slightly different tint while also considering room size, location, light, etc.

Obviously if you hate a color. You hate it. No need to psychoanalyze that. Simply don’t use that color and be on your merry way. But if you don’t have any predispositions to dislike one over the other, then consider your temperament, consider the science, and consider how you want each room in your home to feel. Be it a dark, daring hue or a soft & subtle shade: proceed with gusto!

Color has power and influence in the mind. This shouldn’t control your decisions or make you afraid to try something new. Rather, it should free you up to have fun with it and see what shades make your home come alive for you!