The Psychology of Color

Many believe that colors have a lot of power in creating expression and influencing our emotions. Because of this belief, this concept of color psychology has become very popular in art, design, and marketing strategies. While there are general ideas about the effects of each color, how they affect you is truly based on your own experiences or culture.

Why is color therapy important? Well, if you are wanting to create a calming environment in your bathroom, red-colored tile may not be the product for you. It can be helpful to see what interior design products would work best for the mood you are trying to create. Let’s take a look at the colors of the rainbow and how each color can potentially affect your mindset and emotions.

“I found I could say things with colors that I couldn’t say in any other way — things that I had no words for.”

— Georgia O'Keeffe

Red

Red, one of the primary colors, is one of the most striking colors and tends to grab people’s attention more than other colors. This is why this color is often used for important danger signs. Red is also associated with energy, strength, power, and passion. Can you see a correlation with these words? They all are associated with boldness. The color red is said to increase one’s breathing rate and blood pressure, which makes sense when you look at its associated words.

Yellow

Yellow, the brightest color in the rainbow, is often linked to creativity, happiness, and positive energy. According to ColorPsychology.org, “yellow has been scientifically proven by studies to enhance mental activity and heighten awareness and energy levels.” Yellow is also said to create warmth, stimulate thinking, generate muscle energy, and encourage joy.

Orange

The color orange is a combination of the colors red and yellow — relating to red energy and yellow happiness. Orange tends to create positivity and communication. It encourages people to express themselves in a free way and feel confident about doing so.

Blue

Oh, the color blue! This color is very popular in interior design, especially when it comes to tile. This may be because it is associated with calmness and peace. When you think about these two descriptors, what do you usually see? Possibly the beach or a beautiful lake? Coincidence? I don’t think so! Many people choose to use the color blue within their homes to create a serine environment. Relating to a physical sense, the color blue creates the opposite reaction of the color red, in that it tends to lower one’s heart rate and slow metabolism.

Green

The color green is the color that connects us most with nature. It is often associated with health, productivity, connection, and growth. This is another color that can bring us back to a peaceful state. Physically, it is said to slow metabolism and relieve anxiety. Green also represents connection.

Purple

Purple is a beautiful mixture of red and blue, and therefore, has aspects of both colors. Similar to red, purple is associated with luxury and power. However, the power that purple is associated with relates to royalty. Relating to blue, purple brings relaxed energy and a sense of stability. Red and blue together creates feelings of wisdom. Having the color purple within your home can encourage creativity, independence, and confidence.

Pink

Even though the color pink comes from the intense color red mixed with white, pink is often associated with love and kindness. People often think of innocence, childhood, and vulnerability when they see this color. It is known as a non-threatening color. Because of its association with childhood, it is often seen as a link to hope and optimism. Pink is one of those tile colors that has recently made a comeback. This color was very popular in the 1950s, especially in bathrooms. With vintage becoming new in the past few years, pink tile is growing in popularity. One of our earlier blog posts, A Blast from the Past - Design Trends that are Making a Comeback, talks more about these fun trends that have worked their way back into the modern age.

White

The color of new beginnings has arrived! White is often seen as an awakening color that moves us into the direction of change or starting something new. It is also seen as a clean and orderly color. For instance, doctor’s offices often contain a white design, which shows the cleanliness and organization of the company. Similarly to what we saw with the color pink, white often represents purity and innocence. This color has become extremely popular in the interior design realm in the past few years. People are moving to the simplistic design ideas that often associate with light and positivity.

Brown

Brown is typically associated with stability, wisdom, and dependability. It is often used in traditional interior design. Many people state that the color brown makes them feel safe and supported. This color can often be a representation of honesty and safety. Wooden tiles or brown brick and concrete tile are a great way of incorporating this stable color, while also modernizing your space.

Black

Black is a very complex color because it is simply a mixture of all colors, making it very diverse. This color can be associated with elegance and prestige. It is a great neutral for many spaces.

Whether you are wanting to create a calm and peaceful environment or a passionate and bold one, there is definitely a tile color for you! Each color has a different affect on our moods and emotions, which is very helpful to know when figuring out the design for your space. When you take a step back and look at where colors are located throughout our world, it is easy to understand how they can affect us. What colors are around you when you feel the most confident? Which colors make you feel organized and refreshed? Those colors may even be different from what is listed here!

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