| Tricks of the Trade© |
Morning edition Monday June 12, 2000 |
The Colors We Use
Last week I had the privilege of attending a seminar where the guest speaker was a leading decorator, and expert in color. At first I thought what could a person possibly learn from sitting for four hours listening to someone babble on about colors. The mere thought of attending was making me drowsy, let alone this was going to be a Friday night.
When I walked out of that meeting I had a feeling that I gained more in that single evening than I would of reading six books on the subject. We have all heard what some colors mean to us, but to have the entire history of color and what they mean is fascinating.
One thing I found interesting is what particular colors do for the eyes, how they are received by the parts of our eye and what happens when those messages are sent to the brain. Color plays a large roll in how we react to situations, how we relax, how we are stimulated, and even affects the way we eat and socialize with others.
RED: Did you know that red was one of the first colors a baby can discern, that male babies prefer yellow based reds such as tomato colors. And that female babies prefer blue based reds such as raspberry. The chemical reaction of red while eating will cause a person to eat more, and stay longer. Thus making this an ideal color for restaurant decor or in bars. Red has always symbolized a signal to stop since and early age for all of us. If you have two contracts on the table and a customer can't make up there mind try pointing to the one you prefer with a bright red pen, it will help them to make up their mind sooner by drawing their eyes longer to the document being pointed to.
ORANGE: This color is associated with low quality or being very accessible. This color is used in both the restaurant and hotel industry to convey low cost to passers by. Wether its a lobby, a roof, or a bill board, it gets our attention and tells us its a bargain. Orange is not what one would use to bring about a feeling of elegance, more so of something informal or very casual.
YELLOW: The color yellow is transmitted to the brain faster than any other color, in nature yellow represents caution (hornets, bees, and fire). In our world yellow represents caution in warning signs, construction signs, and fire trucks. Babies will cry more when surrounded by yellow, and studies have shown adults to lose tempers when around yellow. Its a very high anxiety color, but in turn is good for drawing attention, or for packaging products. Yellow flowers in the foyer are said to be great when selling a house, the people remember the house with the beautiful yellow flowers after a long day of home shopping.
BLUE: This is the number one favorite color of people by far, it represents respectability, responsibility, knowledge, caring, and trustworthiness. Country type blues are the number one color in homes, but blue is not a color that sells houses well. Blue is a color that encourages fantasy and at the same time is very tranquilizing. This color is ideal for calming, such as doctors offices and in the rooms of over-active children. Blue is not a color that goes well with eating, if you want to push away from the table sooner (or the in-laws are coming).....dig out the blue dishes.
GREEN: These are living colors. Green is a great color around food and diminishes sweetness. Green represents wealth and money, makes people feel secure and tended. Some health disorders such as eczema, diarrhea, and stomach upset tend to lessen in a room painted in green.
BROWN: This is a very friendly color, its will represent someone as being believable. Browns work very well in interiors, and its known to be a warm and friendly color.
GREY: Its the only color without an after-image, known as a color representing creativity. Grey is best for a background color and will inspire people to do more for a longer period.
BLACK & WHITE: These are not colors, but are known as the power twins because of the bold statements they make. Black represents dignity, sophistication, refinement, and authority. White represents delicacy, purity, and cleanliness. White also encourages precision in the workplace.
Mark McIntyre
Paint Decor & More
Centreville, New Brunswick
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