Color Psychology & Painting Ideas

 Whether you realize it or not, color affects us every day. It influences our perception in subtle ways, a phenomenon commonly referred to as "Color Psychology". There are differences in reaction to different colors, and these often depend on the person. Factors such as gender, nationality, cultural background, and even body temperature can all affect mood when it comes to colors.

Despite this, some key things remain the same. For example, red is usually associated with aggression. Other meanings for red, and other colors can include:

• Red: passion, excitement, danger, action, love, determination, power, strength and war. It also may enhance appetite, so stay away from painting this color in the kitchen!
• Orange: creativity, adventure, success, and balance. It's a color that is often associated with joy, sunshine, and tropical locations.
• Brown: resilience, reliability, dependability, honesty, and nature. Light shades of brown come across as more positive than darker ones.
• Yellow: intellect, happiness, warmth, positivity, cheerfulness, and loyalty. It has been shown to stimulate mental and muscle activity, which might be a good paint choice for an office or gym.
• Green: growth, harmony, freshness, safety, generosity, and wisdom. Shades of Green also produce a calming effect, making it a good color for painting a bedroom.
• Blue: authentic, peace, trust, compassionate, enthusiastic, and sincere. Fun fact: 35% of Americans choose blue as their favorite color and has been particularly popular in painting projects this year.
• Purple: royalty, power, nobility, luxury, magic, ambition, and spirituality. Over-use of purple can lead to feelings of frustration and arrogance, which is why it's best used as an accent color.
• Pink: femininity, playfulness, love, vulnerability, youth, hope, innocence, and optimism. It is considered a calming and non-threatening color.
• White: light, purity, perfection, cleanliness, faith, goodness and humility. It can represent a successful beginning, like purchasing a new home.
• Black: power, elegance, formality, mystery, prestigiousness, and sophistication. It is a color that can evoke a call to action.

When we paint our homes or our workspaces, choosing a color is key. It might be the smallest difference and the most subtle appeal to our brains, but any rooms you spend the majority of our time in will affect you. As the old saying goes, choose wisely! Never be afraid of color, just choose the best one for the room's purpose. MDF has helped many of their clients choose colors by using samples before their projects begin and we would love to pick the best shade for you!