Color Characteristics

Colors can change the way you feel about a room once you get them on the floor, wall or furniture. Lets look at some of the ways certain colors make you feel.

Red is a color associated with anger and rage, this possibly because it causes a rise in blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. Generally speaking most people feel it is too vibrant for bedrooms, however if you are only occupying the room at night and with low light the color will be muted giving it a rich elegant appearance. Use wisdom when using this color if it is an irritant to your spouse try to add it in small ways, like accent pillows and art work.

Orange like red is a stimulant, orange stimulates many appetites. Pure orange is not a recommended color in excess. In fact terra-cotta, salmon, peach, coral and shrimp are more useful. Peach can be restful when used in a bedroom and flattering to your appearance if you have light skin when used in the bathroom. Using orange variations in the living room provide warmth and energy, however in a west facing kitchen they may feel extremely hot.

Yellow is the color of sunshine and imparts feelings of joy and happiness. This is a perfect addition to kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms, alleviating depression and lack of energy. When added to small spaces like halls and entryways it takes on an expansive and welcoming feel.

Green is a good color for practically any area of the home. It is a restful color that combines the refreshing of blue with the joy of yellow to provide a restful color. Sage variations in the kitchen can cool the room considerably. Use it in the family room to promote relaxation while retaining warmth and togetherness. Used in your bedroom it will be relaxing and nice.

Blue is generally accepted as a calming color. It has the opposite effect of red tones in that it calms blood pressure, heart rate and respiration. That is probably why you will find it recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. Use caution though that light baby blue looks great on a paint swatch but can come across as cold on the walls or furnishings, particularly if the room receives little natural lighting. However if you do choose to go with a light blue be sure and balance it with some warm hues throughout the room in your furnishings or fabrics. To get the calming effect that blue is famous for in other rooms in the house think about warm blues like periwinkle or bright like turquoise.

To achieve a rich dramatic feel go for deep purple hues like eggplant. This sophisticated color is associated with luxury and creativity and when used as an accent it can add much depth to the color scheme. Go a bit lighter and enjoy the calming effects similar to blue hues but without the risk of cold or aloof feeling.

Neutral colors are the foundation of any decorators kit. The fashions come and go and neutral colors will be in and out the nice thing is their flexibility. Add some vibrant hues to liven it up and remove them when the season or fashion changes.

Black is a color that does best in small amounts or as an accent. Some decorators insist that every area needs a small amount of black to ground the color scheme as well as add some depth.

Leon Tuberman has almost 40 years of experience in home furnishings and interior decorating. His furniture store, Barn Furniture has one the largest selections of American made solid wood furniture online. Whether you're searching for living room, home office, bedroom or dining room furniture, The Barn offers the best in heirloom quality wood furniture for your home.