Colour Psychology in Interior Design
Colour Psychology in Interior Design
As an interior designer we are aware how a colour can impact a room adding a burst of colour or using it on the walls to add depth or warmth. When taking a brief, colour is a key question to the client attaining their likes and dislikes, understanding what the room is to be used for whether it be for work, relaxing, entertaining etc. Colour is one of the main factors and can have such a powerful effect to the room’s atmosphere.
During this pandemic we are all spending considerably more time at home, colour psychology is more important now than ever before within interior design. Asking questions such as… can we improve our mood by adding/changing colour within our home. Our dining room is now been switched from the entertaining room to the workplace or classroom. Can you be productive in a room designed to be used for entertaining?? Living rooms where we relaxed in the evenings or on a lazy weekend are now where we are spending the majority of our days, can we feel uplifted in a room that is designed to chill us out. Are our bedrooms calm enough to help us have a restful sleep after a long day?? How much of effect is this having on our children and our own emotions??
Hearing more and more children suffering from anxiety as a mum you can’t help but worry. It’s an unknown rollercoaster that we ourselves struggle to work outlet alone these children who hear things on the radio/tv, passing quiet comments between adults in the kitchen, what do their minds make of this? As parents to two young children ourselves we have noticed a big difference in our little ones anxiety, struggles with sleep and communicating their emotions and frustrations. We try to keep communication open with both children, let them ask their questions when they are ready and answer as honestly as we can and feel appropriate for them to hear.
I am not saying we all need to redesign our whole home for this pandemic as there is a light at the end of tunnel, we will not be living like this forever. We can introduce colours into the room to help uplift, add positivity, happiness or invoke calmness to our days. So many colours have different meaning and evoke so many emotions…
There has been a lot of research conducted with the relationship between colour and both adult and children emotions. Colour can help connect the neuropathways in the brain, when colour passes through the retinal cells in the eyes, create brain impulses to the hormone regulating endocrine glands which then evokes an emotional and psychological response. These can also have effect on the central nervous system, which is why we see the different effects colour can have, they can cause excitement, calm, inspiration, anxiety tension and enhance our performance. Children are known to be more sensitive to colour, especially younger ages, where they may not be able to communicate their emotions through speech or write it down and teenagers who are going through their own hormonal progression. As a society we tend to use colour as a tool to help describe actions red for anger, danger, stop, green for go, safe, and right. These are all around us from birth.
Colour also effects the ambience and space of the room making it feel warmer or cooler, larger or smaller, lighter or darker, which in turn effects these brain impulses.
RED
Is a dramatic hue known to rouse emotions its positive links are with passion, love, excitement and energy?
Also associated with power and ambition thought as a productive colour for home office, many office spaces and creative spaces.
There are a variety of tones in the red spectrum such as crimson, burgundy and bright red can be used to create a range of styles from traditional to pop art feel.
Research has shown that although this strong primary colour often seen used with children toys it should only be used as an accent colour, using an intense red in children’s rooms or study areas can have a negative and aggressive. effect on behaviour, leaving them feeling tense.
YELLOW
Known as a joyful colour linked with happiness, optimism and sunshine giving the feeling of warmth, joy, enthusiasm, fun and inspiration.
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Symbolically used for mental and spiritual wellness. This light colour affects the memory, motivation and attention, therefore is great to use in children’s spaces, use as accent colour intense yellow can evoke tenseness and anger.
The variety of shades such as mustard, through to pale yellow are always vibrant addition to your room, use of metallic golden shades to induce light and space in to a darkened room lifting the ambience.
BLUE
Blue is a strong colour, create feeling of tranquillity, relaxation, loyalty peace and success. This is a perfect colour to use in spaces you want to relax such as bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces.
Blues are known to reduced body temperatures, blood pressure and pulse rate, giving that feeling of space and comfort reflecting the colour of the sky and ocean.
For children cool colours such as blue are recommended to aid concentration while also being a relaxing environment. Too much blue or dark blue can invoke feelings of sorrow.
GREEN
Bringing the natural world indoors, giving a sense of calm and balance.
Green is one of the most relaxing colours, research shows it has calming effect on the nervous system and can contribute to better health.
We use green in society to represent safe to cross, to use, recycle, its associated with positivity influencing our mental health reducing tension in the body.
It’s the perfect colour to use in children’s and teenagers’ bedrooms, Combining the serenity of blue using greens with a yellow undertone helps teenagers relax and have mental clarity.
Colour shades vary from emerald, lime and through too olive tones, you can introduce these colours into your room by use from wall colours, accessories or simply adding plants and foliage.
PINK
Pink tends to be thought of little girls’ rooms and is not a first choice for other spaces.
It can invoke warmth and comfort, having a positive calming effect on us and our children as it is a feminine, nurturing colour, linked to love. Research shows can lower heart rate.
Shades vary from ‘baby’ pink, fuchsia, rose, through to magenta. It can be used in adult spaces by using refreshing patterns and fuss free furniture. It is best to be used as a feature colour too much pink can be oppressive and tiring, as its not known to be an energetic colour it’s best to be used in restful places and avoided with shy children.
PURPLE
Is traditional associated with wealth as it was the hardest of colours to make therefore only rich and Nobel people could afford it. Today it is linked with spirituality.
Purple gives the feel of luxury to any interiors. Research has shown it stimulates creativity as well as having a calming effect. Therefore, perfect to use in areas which involve creativity activities as well as children’s/ teenagers’ rooms and spaces.
Although can be thought of a feminine colour, especially the lighter spectrum such as violet and lavender, darker shades as plum and aubergine combined with greys and blacks can give a masculine feel.
“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” ~Wassily Kandinsky
Furniture Packages
Furniture Packages
Whether you are selling your property or it’s an investment, such as a buy to let, or even a holiday rental you may consider investing in custom furniture packages. This can help showcase your property in its best light, making it stand out amongst the market. Empty and bare properties can be hard for potential tenants and buyers to envisage themselves living there. Well-furnished properties can maximise your return with a relatively low cost.
Deciding to furnish your property can seem like an expense compared to unfurnished. However, research has proven that with a furniture package to show off your property you will often let it quicker and for a higher rate. This has been especially true for apartments within city areas that are attracting young professionals and overseas students.
It is often thought that it will save you money by sourcing items of furniture yourself but it is easy to under estimate the time it will take looking for the right items, negotiating each item dealing with multiple parties to arrange delivery, and then assembling each one of these. The truth is that the time spent may not be worth the money you have saved.
Using a specialist landlord furniture packages provider can help to get the job done quicker, easier and more cost effectively resulting in a hassle free and stress-free process.
It is important to take time to consider the style of the furnishings you require. Appealing to your target audience and target rent can influence the style and level of furnishings you may want to purchase. For instance, you do not want to furnish a high-level modern penthouse with classic outdated furniture, just as you do not want to spend money on top quality furniture that will be used for student accommodation that will see high turnaround of occupants and usage.
Generally, the style and colour of the furniture packages should be kept quite neutral, enabling the colour to blend in with accessories and items that can be easily exchanged with new tenants. The goal is to ensure that the property looks impersonal yet stylish to appeal to the maximum number of potential tenants and buyers.
Appointing companies that offer design led packages can be the preferred choice, the packages are specially designed for you, making them tailored to the size and style of the property, the target audience, rent and budget are considered throughout the process. Enhancing the home by making it more luxurious and comfortable. Landlords furniture packages are a perfect option for homeowners as well as developers.
This turnkey service is also a popular option for home-staging and showcasing your vacant property to its best. As well as providing furniture packages for the rental market many suppliers also offer accessory and utility packs that can be used as an additional selling tool ensuring that the property is literally ready for occupancy. This ensures a service stress free for both the owner as well as the potential tenant.
Specialised living room furniture packages and landlord furniture packages are always popular requests and are available though our bespoke interior design service.
Christmas Interior Design
Christmas Interior Design
The shops are starting to turn festive and it’s time to think of Christmas interior design! The Season to be merry is nearly upon us, a time where friends and families gather at one or another homes, exchanging gifts, throwing a festive party and a good excuse for a catch up and mulled wine.
It’s a time of year where homeowners naturally start looking at their decorations and start planning their Christmas interior design. It’s time to update those specific items or rooms and make sure any renovations are due to be completed, ready for the celebrations to start.
It is also a time when we start thinking of buying our Christmas decorations, an essential part of Christmas interior design. There are so many shops and styles to choose from including a lot of brash and tasteless items out there, but it doesn’t have to be like that. There are no rights or wrongs when choosing a theme, working with what you have is a great place to start, using materials and colours that enhance your interiors rather than detracting from your home.
Of course a real tree can be romantic, emitting the beautiful smell of Christmas. The nostalgic feeling of picking the right one for your home can be a magical time for the family. However, with the increasing need to think of the environment it is important to think of the consequence. A couple of years ago we went for the faux option with a magical visit to a Christmas tree farm for some family fun activities. There are so many fantastic looking artificial trees out there with integrated lights, that can be reused year after year – and no mess. They can be embellished with additional stems and berries creating a more fuller woodland look, one of the themes that is looking popular for Christmas 2019.
Less is more is often used when displaying decorations. There is no need to buy all new each year. Having those few that you have collected over the years with special memories is key to creating a homely, cosy Christmas and mixed in with your main theme can create a wonderfully traditional look.
The key trends this year are all based on simplicity and elegance with the use of bold colours such as deep burgundy, dark blue and the classic forest green combined with a mixed use of materials and textures using natural products, such as pine cones decorated with muted metallics like rose gold, copper or bronze. The classic glass ornament adds a vintage touch to your Christmas looking elegant and stylish.
The traditional wreath is an important part of Christmas interior design, not only for decor but for its historic and symbolic value. There is such a variety of styles of wreaths in the stores that we’re sure to find one that matches our décor. Alternatively, you can create your own Christmas wreath (either at a wreath making party with a professional on hand to help or at home). This is popular and growing trend and ensures that it can be made to match your style perfectly.
The rustic natural organic look is another key trend to Christmas 2019 that we are pleased to see return to popularity. This works exceptionally well with the woodland themed wreath. An ideal way to express this is through by collecting branches, twigs, eucalyptus, evergreen, spruce berries and pinecones, and using them to create an original centrepiece. Done simply, this approach can create a beautiful natural look.
The key feature of Christmas day is the dining table. We’ve found that using one or two basic colours and a theme is enough. It’s all too easy to overdo the element of Christmas interior design. This is a perfect place to introduce the muted metallics that are trending this year, with the use of bronze napkin rings, or rose gold place settings. Candles can create a beautiful and elegant centre piece. Remember keep simple – less is more.
