01. COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
Factors such as lighting, furnishings, materials and finishes contribute towards the ambience of a space.
It is useful to have an awareness of colour psychology when planning colour schemes but a balanced cohesive and aesthetic palette should be the decisive factor. It is quite easy to propose calming blue or green tones in a waiting roombut this could result in a uninspiring space. Colour psychology explores the impact colour has on human behaviour, and while this remains an area where there is somuch more to learn, continuous research is developing our knowledge and understanding of colour psychology. Every individual responds to colour and its effects uniquely, and so preferences and responses can not always be generalised. Culture, language andmemories all contribute towards the impact colour has on our behaviour.
There have beenmany studies but these are either very specific or very general. Colour referencing systems are not consistent and so there remains much debate surrounding the psychological and physical effects of colour. Colour crosses the boundaries of different fields of enquiry. Physicists focus on frequencies and particles, chemists inmolecular structures, neuroscientists look at brain signals, and opticians and physiologists look at how the eye sees, artists on the other hand use colour instinctively. Colour is a subjectivematter, most people will have an opinion on colour and onmany occasions there is neither a right nor a wrong answer. There are three basic properties of colour; hue, saturation and lightness, and any variation of these will impact on how a colour is perceived.
A lightened version of red becomes pink. A roompainted pink will have a different impact fromone that is paintedmaroon. A navy blue is dark and will create a different energy in comparison to a roompainted a pale sky blue. Vibrant shades tend to be best suited to a contemporary environment although (as always with colour) there will be exceptions. Lighter tones are less demanding and generally calmer whereas vibrant colours are highly energetic and are higher in intensity. Under- stimulation can result in restlessness and irritability whereas over stimulation can result in discomfort and increased muscle tension.
When we decorate interiors it would be insightful to determine the psychological impact of a particular colour but it is not always so straightfoward. There are many factors that can influence how we feel and experience colour.
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