Years ago, I developed a product we called Color = Emotion™, which I wrote along with my friend and mentor, Darlene Kinning. We created a mini-deck of colors and commentary about how color makes us feel. It was one of The Trend Curve’s most successful products at that time. I was reminded of this mini-deck during a recent conversation with a Member of our subscriber family, who asked me about the psychology of color.
Everyone who has noticed their mood change when they walk into a room already knows about color’s impact on human emotions. Color is the most important aspect of any product or setting because each of us has a visceral reaction to color. Our color preferences also make subliminal statements about our personality.
Color = Emotion is an introduction to those messages. Here it is—ONLY for Members of The Trend Curve’s subscriber family.
Violet
Mystical, Accent
Violets, lavenders and other purples are considered mystical and spiritual. They are also magically cooling to red/orange combinations. They are best teamed with gray, blue or any green. Exuding brain-stimulating rays, try these colors to zap senior moment days.
Pink
Intimate, Delicate
This touching tint, chosen for its “everything is all right” association, casts flattering reflections. Some pinks seem to glow, while other exude natural tendencies, evoking marble, rose quartz and other stones. Delicate pinks invite quiet conversation or a good book. Feeling romantic? Turn on the pink lamp.
Red
Advancing, Dynamic
Red quickens pulse rates, releasing adrenaline that produces pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. Try wearing red to buoy your confidence or to bring a bit of excitement into a room. Shaded reds are comforting. Intense reds pop—and they look great as accents to classic black-and-white combinations.
Orange
Vital, Expressive
Oranges services the circulatory system: it keeps your motor running. Feeling tired? Add orange to your color scheme. Orange also brings spicy warmth into low light areas. If you hate orange, you resent being forced to move in a hurry.
Yellow
Expansive, Friendly
Yellow relates to how we interact with the world around us. Try yellow in a kitchen and friends will want to tell you their secrets as they think that you have a heart of gold. Need someone to really listen to you? Talk to the person wearing yellow.
Green
Cooling, Agreeable
Lovers of this verdant color of living things are cheerfully pleasant, dependable and likely to accept your ideas. Suggest bright, clear greens to lighten and expand places and earthy, moss shades for quiet spaces.
Blue-Green
Tranquil, Distant
Turquoise and aqua are confidence-inspiring hues. Flattering to most people, they feel serene when placed between any green and blue, and act like a south sea breeze into warm reds and yellows. Calming, but with a sensitive alertness, blue-greens inspire heartfelt communication.
Blue
Spatial, Reserved
Blue is North America’s favorite color. It’s also the color that will calm your nerves and decrease your heart rate. Clear thinking and creative expression increases in a blue room. Historically, navy has always had a commanding presence. For a sense of order and balance, add it to color schemes that include one or both of its primary complements of red or gold. Need someone to take charge? Ask the person in navy blue.
Gray
Neutral, Subdued
Gray has had a meteoric rise. It evokes weathered wood, stone pebbles in the driveway, foggy days and silver linings. Gray stands for the status quo, perhaps contentment. Light or dark, shining or flat, gray is a sophisticated blank canvas that is ready for an artist’s stroke of color.
Brown
Earthy, Natural
Brown, the color of a freshly plowed field, promises steady growth and stability. Conservatives seeking brown will find it in wood, brick and other natural products. Reluctant to change? Brown is the color for you. Tan and beige are light-value browns. They like to be in the room, but on the sidelines, in the background. People who choose tan or beige are usually good listeners and much quieter than they think.