3 minute read
Playing with colours
colours PLAYING WITH “Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Pablo Picasso
Have you ever noticed a correlation between how you are feeling and the colour of the clothes you are wearing? Or perhaps, the way in which you feel when you walk into a brightly coloured or dark room?
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Colour plays such a powerful part in our lives, whether we consciously realise it or not.
Artists, interior designers, marketers and many other professions operate with the knowledge that colours provoke certain emotions. Whether you are considering playing around with colours for your home, rental property or workplace, you too can use this to your advantage when creating your perfect space.
There will always be a place for keeping things neutral, particularly in property for tenants or for potential buyers – future homeowners – to make it their own.
However, there are occasions where choosing to enhance or highlight specific hues and tones throughout your property may increase its appeal. When trying to attract buyers, or even prospective tenants, you might choose to use colour to make them feel welcome. Or, for yourself as a homeowner, colour may help enhance your feelings of comfort.
YELLOW: Happiness, positivity and joy.
ORANGE: Motivation and positivity. It combines the energy of red with the fun of yellow.
For a home, it is best to stick with similar tones throughout and this all depends on how you want the home to feel. For instance, in order to make smaller properties appear larger, using light tones that reflect light will help create the feeling of space. In the same way that certain colours can make people feel a positive emotion, they can also cause negative emotions to occur, so thinking about the space and the way in which the colour is being used will help to make sure the balance of emotion is in your favour.
Perhaps you have a blank canvas or feel your home’s interior is a little dated and in need of a refresh. When it comes to choosing the right colour, take note of how certain colours make you feel… and whether you want to feel that way in that particular room.
RED: Often associated with excitement and passion, it tends to promote action. It is the most intense colour and can evoke strong emotions.
If you have never picked up on how the colour of a wall makes you feel, rest assured you are not alone. Most of the time it will be a subconscious feeling rather than an obvious reaction, and it may take a little while for this to register with your conscious mind.
Yellow, for example, seems to be a common ‘love it or hate it’ colour. Does it make you feel happy, as most likely intended, or does its brightness become too distracting and off-putting?
Generally speaking, colours are separated into warm tones (reds, oranges, and yellows) and cool tones (blues, greens, and purples). BLUE: Calming and peaceful, blue evokes feelings of trust and dependability.
PURPLE: Imagination and spirituality, it can evoke feelings of luxury and loyalty, among others.
PINK: Sense of compassion and love, showing empathy and sensitivity.
BROWN: Structure, security and protection.
BLACK: Sophistication, seriousness, control and independence.
WHITE: Complete and pure – innocence, cleanliness and peace.
GOLD: Charm, confidence and luxury. Prosperity and friendliness.
Having a play with colour doesn’t necessarily mean splashing out on a new paint job for your property. Adding hints of colour as part of your décor can be just as effective. Experiment by adding coloured cushions, throws, rugs, prints and paintings to a room.
