"It's not easy being GREEN!" Kermit the Frog
Category Interior Design
"It's not easy being GREEN!" Kermit the Frog
We may all have preferences, but like so many things in life ( not all things in life.. ) we have SCIENCE to lend us a helping hand. ..To give a little, insight, to help make sense of it all.
COLOUR is something I give much thought to, which can be hazardous as my favorite color is YELLOW and anything BRIGHT!
Ironically I prefer to blend in but do enjoy they way they make me FEEL, I like their vibrancy!
Thankfully its "trendy" to wear colourful socks with an otherwise forgettable outfit, something I have practiced since there weren't many bright socks to choose from. Some acceptable flamboyance perhaps.
Mercifully, yellow (and in particularly in grey combo) is also currently En Vogue with home decor! *Thanks Country Road*
After purchasing our 1st home and renovating, my wife and I were faced with colour choices galore! We took the route of off white base with colour "accents." This allows us (mostly Jacqui) to change the smaller color injections from time to time, thus keeping the look FRESH. She reminds me of a weaver bird replacing incorrect pieces of the whole, ironically the male weaver.
Colours CAN and WILL alter your physical, mental and emotional being… By understanding the qualities and effects that colours have on us, we can enhance our quality of life and bring a feeling of harmony into OUR HOME. It is important to know that regardless of our preference, colors will STILL have an affect on us.
Here is what that science stuff tells us. No surprise then that there is and in-your-face abundance of red finish at your Local Virgin Active.
Here's the list!!! (Summary and Longer version below.)
Red is stimulating, orange activates joy, yellow helps us think clearly, green brings balance, blue is calming, purple helps to build self esteem.
With the above in mind take a look at the qualities and effects certain colors have.
Red
Associated with: danger, passion, energy, warmth, adventure, optimism
Best for: dining rooms as it promotes sociable and lively feelings, and stimulates the appetite
Pitfalls: it can be overpowering and lead to headaches. Either vary the shade, paint one wall red, or use it for accessories only.
Don't use red in a baby's room
Pink
Associated with: love
Best for: bedrooms as it can be peaceful and restful. A hot fuchsia can introduce passion
Pitfalls: can be appear to be very girlie and sickly sweet. To counteract this, introduce hints of dark charcoal or black
Orange
Associated with: stability, reassurance, warmth, and is thought to aid digestion
Best for: living and dining rooms
Pitfalls: might keep the occupant awake when used in a bedroom. It can make a room look smaller because it's an advancing colour, so make sure the room gets plenty of light
Green
Associated with: nature and energy, calming and restful, balance (halfway between red and blue) security, stability
Best for: bedrooms, living rooms
Pitfalls: too much green is thought to make people too complacent or too laid back. Inject some red or orange to counteract these feelings
Blue
Associated with: calming and soothing; promotes intellectual thought; believed to keep hunger at bay; loyalty, serenity, authority, protection, contemplative, prevents nightmares
Best for: bedrooms, bathrooms, studies
Pitfalls: can look cold and unwelcoming. Make sure it doesn't look too chilly by choosing a blue with a warm undertone
Yellow
Associated with: sunshine and energy, stimulates the intellect
Best for: kitchens, dining rooms or north-facing rooms
Pitfalls: not very restful for a bedroom. Yellow is thought to enhance feelings of emotional distress
Lilac
Associated with: spiritual matters - suggests the misty area between the sky and heaven, feminine
Best for: bedrooms and bathrooms to create a stress-free sanctuary
Pitfalls: can be insipid. Liven it up with black or silver, or both
Purple
Associated with: creativity, fertility, joy, but also magic, evil, death and sex
Best for: bedrooms
Pitfalls: can be overpowering
Brown
Associated with: security, stability and very practical
Best for: living rooms
Pitfalls: introduce a livelier colour for mental stimulation such as green or blue
Black
Associated with: death, eccentricity, drama. It's a non-colour that absorbs colour and reflects nothing back
Best for: using in moderation
Pitfalls: depressing - think of all those angst-ridden teenage bedrooms. Use it to temper the sweetness of other sugary colours such as pink, but don't use it as a base colour
Credits / Sources
Kermit the Frog
Plascon Colour
BBC homes
Author: Garth Ronne
