An element that identifies shapes and recognizes a structure efficiently without any lack is the exceptional quality of color. It also aids in changing behavioral aspects based on the mood reflected by different colors.
Carl Jung (the father of color psychology) did many experiments and succeeded in understanding the psychology behind colors.
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”
Topics gifted in here to explore the color psychology of home decor are:
● Color systems
○ Prang system
○ Munsell system
● Color of the year
● Study of the color
● The color’s dimensions
○ Hue
○ Value
○ Intensity/chroma
● Examples of how color changes the mood
● Painting Locations
Color systems
There are two types of color systems:
1. Prang system
2. Munsell system
Prang System
According to the Brewster-Newton theory, there are 12 basic hues in the prang color system.
They are:
3 primary colors
3 secondary colors
6 intermediate colors
Primary colors (Father of all colors)
● Yellow
● Blue
● Red
Secondary colors (The mixture of any two primary colors)
● Green (yellow and blue)
● Orange (yellow and red)
● Violet (red and blue)
Intermediate colors (created by combining a neighboring secondary color from the color chart)
● Yellow-green
●Yellow-orange
●Red-orange
● Red-violet
● Blue-violet
● Blue-green
Tertiary colors (The mixture of two secondary colors)
● Russet or reddish brown (violet and green)
● Slate or bluish-grey (violet and orange)
● Olive or brownish yellow (orange and green)
Quaternary colors (The combination of two tertiary colors)
● Buff (russet and olive)
● Plum (slate and russet)
● Sage (olive and slate)
Munsell system
According to the Munsell color system, orange and yellow are used excessively.
Yellow, green, blue, and purple are the five primary colors.
Yellow-red, green-yellow, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple are the five intermediate colors.
Color of the year
According to Pantone Color Institute experts, each year is favored with 2 or 3 colors by considering all aspects of society: fashion and lifestyle, business and marketing, social media, and politics. After COVID, people were releasing themselves and touring all over the world in the years 2023 and 2022, with experts announcing a real natural color that can be seen from the Netherlands to Vietnam, which is VIVA MAGENTA, as the color of the year for 2023, to influence people to do the tour to get themselves out of the mental and physical stress experienced throughout COVID.
2023 Color of the Year: Viva Magenta (18-1750 TCX)
2024 Color of the Year: Apricot Crush (15-1153 TPX)
Study of the color
People choose colors based on their personalities and likeability. To reactivate their minds, color helps them by triggering enormous emotional responses.
2+4 colors are the base colors
2 Achromatic colors: black and white (neutral)
4 Chromatic colors: red, yellow, green, and blue
The Law of Chromatic Distribution states that chromatic intensity increases as areas shrink in size. Using fewer bright colors will make it appear more brilliant and prominent. Too much intense color can irritate the eyes and make them uncomfortable because the eye may have no place to rest. Balance small areas with intense colors and large areas with neutral ones.
The color’s dimensions
Hue, value, and intensity/chroma are the three dimensions of colors.
Hue
Hues, in essence, refer to the names of the colors. It helps us identify the contrast between redness, blueness, and greenness.
Value
Value refers to the lightness and darkness that are added to hue colors to create tints. For example, if red is added to the light value, it becomes a shade of pink, and if it is added to the dark value, it becomes a tint of brown.
Intensity/chroma
The intensity of a color is increasing or decreasing. In layman’s terms, we say “grey the color,” which means reducing the color intensity to make it look like a black and white filter was applied to a photograph.
Red and green, orange and blue, and yellow and violet are examples of complementary colors.
Examples : how color changes the mood
Employees who work in green offices are more satisfied with their jobs.
Blue is a well-known color because it conveys competence, brilliance, and trustworthiness. So most schools are painted blue.
Red: love, excitement, danger, and passion.
Green strengthens positive feelings while weakening negative ones. Most brands incorporate green into their brand color to create the illusion of eco-friendliness, which can be seen in product packaging at the very least.
Green-painted businesses attract more customers.
Orange is considered one of the best antidepressant medicines. Orange in its neutralized forms, such as rust, copper, peach, and cedar, is one of the most commonly used colors in decorating.
Painting Locations
Walls, floors, and ceilings are the most prevalent areas to paint.
Draperies and bed covers are the medium-range areas to cover.
Sofa sets and small pieces of upholstered furniture are the smaller areas to cover.
Conclusions
An element that leads us to dream about different themes and concepts is inevitable. Once the psychology of color is understood, it is simple to apply to create elegantly efficient personal and commercial spaces.