Colour Theory

The human eye can distinguish more than 7 million colours, and our minds react in complex emotional ways when faced with each one. Ever wonder why retailers call their colours names like Expansive Sky, Refined Melody or Quiet Splendour? These descriptive names help the colour neophyte identify their gut reactions to the seemingly infinite variety of colours available. Colours can evoke memories, stimulate desires, tranquilize or excite. It stands to reason that using colour wisely in your home can create a space that makes you feel good, and offer an intensely personal statement about who you are.

For the beginner, many designers offer colour consultations. These sessions can be expensive; research showed many running up to $250/hour. Daniel Turner, a Toronto artist who has painted everything from outdoor murals to interiors as well as his own original works, offers this simpler advice: "Look at art books, home decorating and even fashion magazines to identify what colours speak to you." He believes that colour is a form of self-expression and that it is as simple as what makes you feel good. "Most people can't pinpoint what satisfies them emotionally, and it takes time and a bit of work to develop your eye."

If you're new to colour theory the colour wheel is a good place to start your education. There are 12 colors in a standard colour wheel that is divided into three designations; primary colours (pure red, blue and yellow), secondary colours, which are a combination of two primary colours, and the tertiary colours, which are a combination of primary and secondary colours. The colour wheel can help you use your favourite colours to create a particular feeling in your home. For example, if you love blue, you can create a sophisticated and serene monochromatic colour scheme by using adjacent shades of blue from the wheel. A complementary scheme, achieved by using blue's opposite on the wheel, orange, creates energy and interest in a room.

Paint manufacturers like Para and Benjamin Moore offer comprehensive websites that explain colour theory, talk about seasonal trends and offer great guidelines on how to make colour work in your home. You can even download free colour trial software that lets you visualize how your choices will look on the wall.

Colour theory can be used wherever and however you want to add colour, and is not limited to paint. However if it is paint you are interested in here are a few basics to get you started:

Consider the context of your colour choices. "Paint often dries darker than you'd think. It takes on a different feel and look on the wall than on the chip or in the can," says Turner. Some stores now offer trial sizes so you can actually roll a bit onto the wall before you commit.

Think about the light sources in your room. Metamerism is the phenomenon that makes the same colour look different in different lights. Most of us don't live with the fluorescents used in stores, so be careful. The size of the space makes a difference too. Small narrow rooms will intensify colour; large open spaces can handle more saturated colour.

Think about the other colours in your home. The colours that surround another colour will affect. A white wall can look pink when paired with a red carpet, for example. If you love the colour of a particular fabric or accessory in your home, specialty paint stores can match it exactly for a completely personalized and original colour scheme.

Colour is a powerful tool that can add a new dimension to your home. Don't be afraid to experiment! After all, changing the colour of your walls is as easy as rolling on a new coat of paint.

How Maketers Use Colour

Designers aren't the only ones who take colour seriously. Marketers have long realized that different colours elicit different reactions and can influence consumers, and use this to their advantage. Think about fast food restaurants. You'll find that many of them use the colour orange, and this is not a coincidence. It's because orange is said to be an appetite stimulant. Brown is also believed to stimulate appetite, especially when combined with peach or strawberry pink. Violet, on the other hand, is said to depress appetite.

How else can colour influence us? People are said to feel calmer is a blue room while a bright red room increases blood pressure. Green encourages calm and rest and is a symbol of health, of freshness, and of nature. Pale pinks are calming while vibrant pinks have the opposite effect.

You may want to consider how marketers use colour when you are deciding what colours to use in your home, but ultimately it's important to trust your instincts. Go with the colours you like, the colours that will make your home the place you are most comfortable.

People respond to different colours in different ways, and these responses take place on a subconscious, emotional level. For example, in North America black is often associated with death or mourning, while in many places in Asia white is the colour of mourning.