The Psychology of Color

Color evokes a feeling, it can change your mood, it can enhance an experience. Think about looking at a cotton candy sky on a warm summer night. What type of emotion does that bring up? For me it forages a sense of peace, serenity, and pure bliss. When designing a room or art piece I always start with the mood I want to convey and from there the color pallet evolves. To help narrow down a mood when designing a room I always ask this main question: How do I want to feel when I step into the space? Once that is established my creative brain can run wild. 

There is vast information regarding the psychology of color all over the internet but I am going to share my color psychology basics. I hope you find this helpful when starting to create or design a space. Below is a basic list of colors and their corresponding emotional traits. Now, as with everything in life, this is simply a rough guide. You know yourself and body best and I suggest you test this out for yourself. I usually create a Pinterest board based on color, spend time studying it, and then reflect on my mood. 

Red: Love, passion, power, energy, strength, heat, desire, action

Blue: Security, cool, loyalty, trust, tranquility, intelligence, success, power 

Green: Freshness, healing, natural, new, safety, loyalty 

Yellow: Cheerful, warm, energetic, happy, perky, joy, fun

Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, luxury, ambition, wealth, imagination, mystery

Pink: Healthy, Feminine, Sweet, Playful, compassion, softness, creativity, respect 

Orange: Courage, confidence, friendliness, success, original, optimism

Brown: Earth, outdoors, longevity, conservative

White: Innocence, peace, purity, easy, clean, graceful, good

Gray: Reliability, security, intelligence, solid

Black: Protection, elegance, dramatic, formal, timeless, authority