True Power of Colors - Color Psychology

By Mehnaz Khan

"In any interior space, color is the most significant element impacting human behavior, mood, and emotions. By understanding the psychological meaning of color, you can use it to your advantage to create spaces that bring joy and enhance the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of those who live there." -Mehnaz Khan

In today's world, color is commonly seen as a visual stimulus—an element used merely to adorn things and make them pretty and beautiful—and that's it. But the reality is that the aesthetic aspect of color is a very small part of its inuence. Color plays a crucial role in your everyday life and is a highly signicant element in any interior space.

True Power of Colors

Color Makes Life Simple and Easy To understand the true power of color, imagine how difcult life would be in a colorless world. From the moment the day begins, nearly every decision you make is a color decision—without you even realizing it. That rst cup of coffee in the morning is a color decision; by looking at the color of your coffee, you know how much creamer you’ve added and what the taste might be.

What color coffee are you?

Similarly, all the fruits and vegetables you buy at the grocery store are chosen based on color. Because of color, we make decisions faster and move on.

If we lived in a colorless world, you would have to touch and feel every banana to know which is ripe and you can eat now.

Color Protects and Keeps Us Safe

Mother Nature protects us by adding color to our world. By looking at the color of your food, you can tell if it’s safe to eat or if it has gone bad. In nature, the vibrant colors of certain animals signal danger, telling us to stay away.

When meat in your refrigerator is gone bad, it turns blue. This is mother nature’s way of protecting us and keeping us safe.

The Psychological Impact of Colors on Emotions and Feelings 

Since color causes physiological changes in the human body, you can use it to your advantage to alter the way you feel and behave. While personal likes and dislikes play a role, they are shaped by life experiences. A good event or a bad event can create subconscious associations with certain colors. Of course, different cultures have unique attitudes toward color. For example, in the West, white is the color of weddings, while in the East, it signies mourning. However, no matter the cultural context, the psychological impact of color remains constant. Whether you like a color or not, its properties remain unchanged. For instance, disliking the taste of broccoli doesn’t negate its nutritional properties. Similarly, a color’s psychological effects persist regardless of personal preference.

The green sofa in this living room was intentionally chosen for its positive psychological properties. I'm sure you've heard that green is the color of balance and harmony. The reason is because when you look at the visible spectrum of light, green is at the center of the spectrum and therefore represents perfect balance.

Color in Interiors 

Research has consistently shown that the spaces where we spend our days and nights impact the way we feel and behave. The elements in your environment act as triggers for your subconscious and unconscious mind. By using these triggers strategically, you can create spaces that enhance the quality of your life. For instance, if you aren’t productive in your home ofce or if you’re not getting quality sleep, you can improve these situations by altering your environment.

The simplest and most signicant way to change and enhance your surroundings is by applying the principles of color psychology. Not all colors are created equal— they affect human psychology and physiology in unique ways. Each color in the visible spectrum corresponds to a different wavelength, which is why we see various colors and experience distinct effects.

By surrounding yourself with a happy shade of yellow you can enhance the feelings of optimism and self-condence. While on the other hand, too much yellow or the wrong shade overstimulates the nervous system.

Psychological Meanings of Four Main Colors

• Blue – This is the color of intellect. Shades of blue always engage the mind. High-intensity blues stimulate intellectual activity, while low-intensity blues calm a troubled mind.
• Red – Red is the color of the physical, engaging the body. High-intensity reds are physically invigorating, while low-intensity reds (aka pinks) offer a soothing effect.
• Yellow – This color connects to emotions, stimulating feelings.
• Green – Green strikes a balance between mind, body, and emotion. Highintensity greens are invigorating, while low-intensity greens bring a sense of calm and harmony.

Blue is the color of the intellect. High chromatic intensity blues enhance focus and concentration.

Following yearly or even seasonal color trends or painting your walls a color simply because everyone else is doing it is a very frivolous approach to decorating. It’s like saying one brand claims that 'vitamin D' is the vitamin of the year, and suddenly everyone begins to take it. That's not how we operate. We know that we will take vitamin supplements that our bodies need, not because a friend is taking them. The only people who benet from these trends are the paint brands and fastfashion interior brands that release new choices every season to make more money.

For those who choose to live mindfully, it’s important to understand the physiological meaning of different colors and use them to your advantage. 

Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

Take a moment to reect on the colors in your favorite spaces. Do they make you feel energized, calm, or perhaps unsettled? Try adding a small pop of color—like a pillow or artwork—but making a conscious and mindful choice, and notice how it changes the way you feel in that room. Share your results in the comments.

*Images Credit: Mehnaz Khan

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