Welcome to the World of Colors

The Emotional Impact of Color

Our lives are filled with color. Everywhere we look we are surrounded by color, from the blue skies to the green grass to the black night. When decorating our homes we try to choose colors which will make people feel welcome. Colors have a direct and powerful influence on people, their interpretations of the world and their development. Color affects our actions and reactions in our environment. The brighter a color is, the stronger the emotional response. For example:

When the Blackfriar Bridge in London was painted green, suicidal jumps from the bridge dropped 34%.
Chickens kept in a red environment are happier and eat less.
Research shows that the use of particular colors can increase motivation, concentration, learning retention and recall by 55% to 78%.
Need to shed a few pounds? The color blue can help. By changing the light in the refrigerator, dying our food blue or putting your food on a blue plate your appetite will be suppressed. For the most part, blue does not exist as a natural food color.

Emotional Responses to Color

BLUE	tranquil; appetite suppressant; helps self acceptance; resolves conflicts
GREEN	soothing; people who work in green rooms experience fewer stomach aches; being in a green room relieves pain and is beneficial to a teething baby
ORANGE	improves mental clarity; promotes happiness; increases flow of oxygen to the brain
PINK	subdues
RED	anger; increases bodily tension; stimulates the autonomic nervous system
WHITE	causes people to get headaches more often
YELLOW (bright)	fatiguing; babies cry more in yellow rooms; husbands and wives fight more in yellow kitchens
YELLOW (pale)	creates feeling of harmony