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The Psychology of Colour: How it Affects Interior Design Decisions

The Psychology of Colour: How it Affects Interior Design Decisions

The psychology of colour is a real thing and interior design companies in Singapore use this theory to enhance the quality of their creations. The premise here is that every single colour has the power to evoke various emotions and moods. As a result, the right choices made can result in a peaceful and calm home or a vibrant and lively one.

Colour psychology has been around for some time. Various studies have been carried out through the years and many of them confirm the validity of these claims.

The Basic Premises of Colour Psychology

The psychological properties of colours provoke a certain emotion whenever a person observes the respective tone for a certain period of time.

Red, for example, is seen as the colour of aggression, strength and energy. This is the colour of blood, the primary colour of life. Because of all these properties, however, red is not suitable for use in the bedroom or an office. It has too strong of a presence that will never go unnoticed.

Blue, on the other hand, is perceived as a much more “intellectual” colour. It is the colour of the sky, hence it is perceived as a tone of serenity, tranquillity and infinity. It is an ideal choice for the bedroom.

Colour psychology is derived from the so-called Wright Theory. According to the theory, each tone affects distinct psychological modes and the effect is universal across different groups of people and generations.

There are four primary colour groups:

  • Group 1 is comprised of clean and fresh colours
  • Group 2 consists of cool and subtle tones
  • Group 3 features fiery and upbeat colours
  • Group 4 is dedicated to very light or very dark tones that are characterised as intense.

Colours in the same group are in harmony with each other and each group represents a certain personality type. It is believed that human beings generally fall into one of the categories. Personality and tones interact with each other, which is why professional interior designers should have an understanding of the Wright Theory, the classification of human emotions and how these are being impacted by colour selection.

How the Psychology of Colour Can Enhance Interior Design Solutions

Whether the interior of a home, an office or a retail boutique will have to be designed, colours will play a key role in ensuring a beautiful outcome. Interior design companies will take the customer’s preferences in mind but they’ll also focus on the Wright Theory to achieve balance. This way, they’ll get to pick colours that are suitable for the respective space and that also go well with each other and of course, what the client is most comfortable with.

Each colour has a psychological effect, whether it’s used on the wall or the tone of furniture and accessories. People feel most comfortable with the colours that are reflective of their personality. In addition, the function of the respective design will have to be considered. Thus, interior designers will need to strike a fine balance.

The task is easier to accomplish in residential interior design when creating an environment that is shared by a small group of similar-minded individuals. When retail interior design solutions are taken in consideration, however, the task becomes much more challenging. A boutique will be visited by people from all walks of life. Their temperaments and aesthetic preferences will differ. A background colour that’s perceived as attractive by some may be seen as too aggressive by others. So, instead of using colours that target an individual or small family, the colours chosen has to both reflect both brand and the shopper demographic that the brand is targeting. When it comes to office interior design, colours need to work well for the different function areas – for focus, for collaboration, for rest and for socialising, and at the same time reflect the company’s type of industry and office culture.

It’s obvious that a single choice cannot satisfy everyone. Some colours, however, are not as noticeable and bold as others. As a result, their appeal may be a bit more widespread than the attractiveness of dark, bright and highly visible hues.

In interior design, a few tools could also be used to ensure the balance and attractiveness of the colour schemes being chosen. The colour wheel is one such tool.

The colour wheel characterises different tones in several ways. There are complimentary colours that work together well, analogous colours (the groups of colours that are next to each other on the wheel like red and orange), cool colours, warm colours and non-colours. The final group consists of tones that aren’t present on the colour wheel but are still crucial to the execution of a good interior design project. Such colours include greys, beiges, browns, black and white.

Through the use of the colour psychology theory and the colour wheel, interior designers can make things more sophisticated and interesting. Not only will they choose the primary tone that’s best for the specific room or premise, they will also get to pick additional tones that provoke the right mood and that also work well with the primary one.

To sum it up, the function of the room and the specific people who will be spending a lot of time in it will be determining for the selection of the right tone. Interior designers need to ask themselves one very important question – what mood should the specific room evoke? How will the colour appear in bright light? In dim light? Will there be many accents that feature additional tones? While the psychology of colour theory gives interior designers a bit of guidance, making the final choice will be much more complex and it will necessitate a good knowledge of the client and their temperament.

Teams like the Home Guide professionals have extensive knowledge in picking the right colours for residential, commercial and office interior design projects. They understand the power of different tones and the importance of picking a colour scheme that will enhance the function of the respective place and make everyone feel happy.

Do not hesitate to contact Home Guide, regardless of the specifics and the scope of interior design work that needs to be done. Whether you’ve just moved to a new HDB apartment in Singapore or you want to open a retail store, the team has the knowledge and the experience to help you make the most of it.

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