Set The Mood with Colour
Understanding the Psychology of Colours
Written by Belinda Albo – Interior Designer and Author
Read Belinda Albo’s Bio

Colour is a powerful tool in any designer's arsenal. Learning the way we react to colour and how it makes us feel is integral to creating the perfect living space. For instance, the colour green is known to relay these responses: a sense of being well adjusted, calm, stable, and also represents wealth and security. That's why it's important to understand how we select the colours for our home. It has been suggested that people are more emotionally content and perform better when they are surrounded by the colours they respond to favourably.

According to the Wagner Study (conducted by the Wagner Institute for Color Research in California), we select colour for our home emotionally and our response to colour is both inherited and learned. They vary according to our gender, age and intelligence... including our experiences, and the climate in which we live.

Our colour sense is constantly evolving because as we change our status in life, we also change our colour preferences. This may be the reason we "FEEL" the need to redecorate so often!

Here are a few colour responses to some of our favourite colours:

	Red – Powerful, extrovert, impulsive, athletic, quick to speak, and emotional.		White – Spiritual, purity, clean, and magical.
	Blue – Sensual, cautious, money maker, security, and trust.		Brown – Dependable, comfortable, earthy, and security.
	Black – Luxurious, death, dignified, and elegant.		Yellow – Spiritual, highly intelligent, introspective, and cheerful.
	Orange – Quick witted, good natured, happy-go-lucky, and theatrical.		Pink – Feminine, young, soft, good health, and delicate.
	Violet – Imaginative, romantic, self confident, and dignified.		Green – Wealth and security, well adjusted, calm, and stable.