Color Help: Color Imagery for Happy Homes

Color researchers have estimated that up to 70% of our subconscious reactions to people and environments are based solely on our reactions to color. With that in mind, it's important that you give special attention to the effects you want to create when choosing the color schemes for the interior spaces in your home.

Color is a visual experience that influences our psychological reality. The way the mind perceives the colors our eyes see is called color imagery, and that mental image profoundly affects our emotions and physical comfort. Colors call out to our feelings and create the emotional atmosphere within a room.

So always begin your color deliberations by asking yourself what feelings you want to evoke in a particular room. Give thought to the purpose of the room. For instance, bathrooms should be retreats for cleansing rituals. In that light, what colors come to mind? Refreshing, blues, greens, creamy white, or your childhood bathroom color? Envision a Florida spring, tropical lagoon, or mountain waterfall. Expand on your joyful memories by adding colors that work for you.

In contrast to bathrooms, a dining room's purpose is to gather the family together to share meals. Psychologists have proven that food actually tastes better when served in rooms decorated in "food" colors, such as reds, greens, browns, yellows, and pinks.

In our 1878 Victorian dining room, we painted the walls hot pink and then created a transparent overcoat glaze, using an amber tint and polyurethane. The result is a soft peach color. (The amber tint was the paint color from a neighboring room.) After finishing the dining room, we wallpapered the ceiling and painted it dark green with a rouge red border.

Each room in your home serves a different purpose and will require some thought as to which color you will need to add to the walls in order to elicit a particular emotional and physiological response from the people who will be using that room for a specific activity. If 70% of our subconscious reactions to people and situations have to do with color response, that means creating meaningful backdrops for every room in the house isn't something that should be approached lightly.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm



Unfinished Furniture - Finish It Yourself!

Unfinished furniture has started to become extremely popular in the... Read More

What Two Words Will Double the Space in Your Home?

Just two words and a bit of explanation about them... Read More

Wood Panels and Humidity

Coping with wood movementAll wood workers need to be aware... Read More

How House Plans Work

The Ins and Outs Of Choosing Online Custom Home Plans!... Read More

Help With Buying A New Ceiling Fan

When you are choosing a new ceiling fan there are... Read More

So You?ve Put an Offer on a Home. What?s Next?

You've finally found the home of your dreams, 3 bedrooms,... Read More

An Affordable Shortcut To Designing Your Dream Home

You have likely been making mental notes for years. Every... Read More

Mexico: Who Farted?

Do you have embarrassing gas problems? Do you find this... Read More

Baking Soda for Cleaning

Baking soda is a common, inexpensive household item that can... Read More

Installing Retrofit and Replacement Vinyl Windows

In previous articles i explained to you how to determine... Read More

Shopping For Carpet

The allure of carpet lays not only its soft and... Read More

Kitchen Design Online ? Understanding the Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts

Good kitchen design online means having a layout for your... Read More

Why Are There So Many Different Light Bulbs?

There are many different types of light bulbs. Each has... Read More

Rodent Proofing Your Home

It's that time of year where rats and mice are... Read More

Prefabricated Home Packages

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what's... Read More

A Healthy Home

Your home is your castle. You decide, possibly together with... Read More

The Ultimate Comfort - Top 5 Reasons For Getting an Awning

Awnings are an economical and efficient way to shade a... Read More

Add Sizzle to Your Surroundings

Is your home décor lacking that extra something that spells... Read More

Successful Motor Protection Formulae

As we have discussed before, all overload relays have one... Read More

Replacing Aluminum Frame Single Pane Windows

In our past articles I talked about all the steps... Read More

Remove Ink Stains From Carpet

One of the best solvents you can use to remove... Read More

Bamboo Flooring for the 21st Century

Bamboo flooring has emerged as a new material for the... Read More

Power Tools and HAV - Hand Arm Vibration - Prevention is Better Than Cure

Power tools are some of the most useful devices ever... Read More

Enjoy The Beauty Of Hardwood With The Endurance Of Laminate Flooring

Everyone likes the beautiful, timeless look of hardwood floors. Elegant,... Read More

The Advantages of Steel Buildings

Use of steel as a construction material has seen phenomenal... Read More

If you'd like to keep up-to-date,
please complete the form below and we'll put you on the mailing list
to receive our twice-yearly newsletter for supporters

* Your email address:
* choes your language: