COLOR PSYCHOLOGY & Interior Design

The phenomenon of color has long fascinated humans. Color is inextricably linked to our daily lives. We are immersed in color in our environment and can even experience color with closed eyes; we can imagine and dream about colors. We all have a relationship with color, which plays a big part in how we perceive the world.

Color physiology

The sensation of color is generated by light, reflected from surfaces, and sensed by the human eye. It was not until Newton (1666) that we learned that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all visible colors. Light is emitted by a light source in wavelengths. Our eye senses those wavelengths and transmits them to the brain, where they are identified as color. Individual wavelengths are perceived as separate colors (hues).

In our brain, light is received in two areas: The cerebral cortex and the hypothalamus, or midbrain. While the cerebral cortex, the center of our cognitive activity, receives and interprets information, the midbrain is the center for regulating blood pressure and body temperature and producing hormones. When the midbrain is stimulated by a thought or outside stimulus, like light, the midbrain triggers the release of hormones. That alone might explain how colors impact our bodies and overall well-being.

What is color psychology?

Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human feelings and behavior. It explores how colors can influence

Intentional Interiors (continued)

emotional responses and how responses to color are affected by factors such as age and cultural background.

Have you ever asked yourself why you favor certain colors over others? Why a color triggers a negative response in you? When the reasoning part of our brain, the cerebral cortex, is stimulated by wavelengths, it identifies each hue and organizes a subconscious reaction based on past learning. Our personal preferences and ideas about color begin almost at birth and are influenced by many factors such as culture, the influence of fashion, trends, individual experiences and environmental surroundings. All those factors play an important role in your unique emotional and behavioral response to color.

In recent years, the subject has gained in popularity, and more research studies have emerged around the globe.

One 2020 study that surveyed the emotional associations with different colors of 4,598 people from 30 different countries found that people commonly associate certain colors with specific emotions. According to the study results, i.e., 68% of respondents associated red with love, >>