Painting Hues and Mood: Part 2

In the previous entry, I discussed color and mood associations with some basic interior paint choices. However, exploring brighter choices can often be risky. Because these hues combine multiple primary colors, the associations of prevalent colors in the mix can dramatically affect the mood.

Purple

Darker shades of purple are often recognized as being associated with luxury and creativity. In particular violet is a color that stimulates the problem solving areas of the brain. It promotes both intuition and artistic ability. These bolder hues appear rich, dramatic and sophisticated. Frequently used as a secondary color, they are a great complement to add depth or fit certain schemes.  Lighter shades including lilac and lavender are good alternatives for achieving the restful quality often found in blue, without sacrificing room temperature perception.

Orange

Orange is an active and energetic color. It evokes energy and enthusiasm. Though this color may be too active for a living room or bedrooms, the color is very ideal for an exercise room or home gym. This color can bring out all the emotions needed to amp up a fitness routine. Throughout ancient cultures orange was believed to increase energy levels and even heal lungs.

Pink

As a popular choice for young girls, pink is the color of a sensitive heart, evoking feelings of affection and a caring, warm individual.  Pink also represents peacefulness and gentleness, making it a good choice for a child’s room or powder room.

Neutrals

Colors such as black, gray, white, and brown all occupy space under a very basic umbrella of color scheme and design tools. They are versatile in their ability to add and subtract visual notes from a room. For example, black is often used as an accent to add depth. While these colors move in and out of style or fashion, they will always serve as useful tools for design.

Crimson

This color is infamous for being known to make some individuals feel irritable. Inherent to creating feelings of rage and hostility, this is a color that should be avoided as the main color of a room. Sitting for long periods of time in a room painted in this color will likely upset the balance of peace and harmony most people strive to achieve in their home.

Consider Walls and Ceilings

The ceiling not only represents one-sixth of the space in a room, but also another opportunity to play on interior painting moods. Most are familiar with the general rule that ceilings with lighter colored paint than the walls feel higher, while those that are darker feel lower. Contrary to popular belief, these darker colors have the ability to make rooms seem more comfortable and cozy as opposed to claustrophobic. This trick can be used to help pull off a unique color and mood effect.

While these notes can serve as very general guidelines for a starting point in selecting paint color, personal preference should be the deciding factor. Favorite painting hues can always be explored. No matter the mood and associations, certain colors can be altered or otherwise toned-down by experimenting with different shades or adding neutral accents.