Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
Many of us spend a whole lot of time and money choosing paint colors whether it’s at home or our place of business, and there are good reasons why. Instinctively, we know color choices are about more than just our personal preferences.
Color invokes a strong sense of mood, and it’s important to know what mental state might be inspired by your paint color choices. They can determine how comfortable or happy you feel in your home, or how much money customers feel like spending at your business. Some colors make you feel energized, while others make you feel like getting cozy under a blanket. Some make you trust, some might inspire the opposite.
It’s important to think through how you want your family (or customers) to feel when they’re in your space before going for that chartreuse hue on a whim. We’ve divided the color wheel according to five emotional states various shades can evoke. And as you’ll see by the examples below, the particular shade of the color you choose also has an impact.
You can apply these same ideas or you wardrobe, interior design, or marketing for your brand. Keep reading to uncover some secrets of color psychology.
Trust and safety
Some colors give off a sense of trustworthiness, so they function well for caution signs and brands that want to promote honesty and loyalty. For instance, you might think of safety and transparency when you see an organic brand using bright colors that are easy to see. Examples of colors that promote security include:
- Black
- Brown
- Red
- Blue
- Green
Henry Rose is a non-toxic perfume brand that promises 100% transparency when it comes to its ingredients, and its Instagram color choices inspire trustworthiness.
View this post on Instagram
Calm
To create a peaceful environment, use cool tones that are pleasing to the psyche. Many facilities—such as gyms, hospitals, and clinics—use cool tones in their interior design to keep clients happy during their visits. Further, calming colors are excellent for home design, particularly bedrooms and bathrooms. Calm colors include:
- Blue
- Purple
- Green
View this post on Instagram
Excitement
Bright colors and warm shades excite the mind and energize you. Advertisers use these colors to make you hungry. It’s a good idea to consider bright colors when choosing kitchen paint colors. Since you likely spend time in your kitchen every morning, you’ll start your day feeling energized. Colors that may make you feel excited and happy include:
- Red
- Yellow
- Orange
- Green
Teen Vogue uses color brilliantly to get its readers excited about visiting the website.
View this post on Instagram
Motivation
Surround yourself with shades that get you moving. You can wear colors that inspire you and help you stay focused throughout the day. Some of the best colors for motivation can include your favorites, but especially:
- Purple
- Orange
- Red
View this post on Instagram
Melancholy and/or sophistication
Some colors can provoke a sense of melancholy. As the movie Inside Out made clear, sadness plays an important role in the landscape of human emotion—it’s essential for humans to understand one another.
At the same time, a sense of melancholy might not be what want to people to feel in your home or business.
However, dark colors can feel moody and sophisticated rather than depressing when a room is well-styled. Think black kitchen cabinets, black bathroom walls with gold fixtures, and the beautiful rooms pictured above.
- Black
- Blue
- Gray