As a color design professional, I was so excited to see that the September issue of House Beautiful is devoted to color. Upon perusing the article titles, my heart sank. Upon reading them, I was downright irritated. Here was a credible design publication providing readers with completely inaccurate information about color and how to choose colors for their personality. It made me wonder how many people will waste their time and money only to be ultimately disappointed.
The first article I read was called "How to Fix Your Home with Color". Sounds easy enough. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Concentration
Yellow increases your focus. It is known for enhancing intelligence and mental agility. It can help stimulate conversation and clarify thoughts. Try a yellow...No. 2 pencil, bookmark, pad of Post-it notes.
A pad of Post-It notes will increase concentration. That's all it takes? Wow. So if that's the case, and I paint a classroom yellow (and give all the children No. 2 pencils for good measure), all of the kids will be focused and be A-students of course. I would also want to paint one of the walls orange since that is the universal color of happiness. Because who wouldn't want happy, high-achieving children? Then we'll get the teacher a green desk because that's the color of prosperity, and then the teacher will get that well-deserved raise.
I wish I were exaggerating, but these ideas were taken directely from the article. If it were this simple, would we be vexing over choosing colors the way we do? If there was a formula, couldn't the paint companies produce 8 standard colors and scrap all the rest? I'm trained in Applied Color Psychology, the science behind color and the human response. I'm sorry to say that no color is going to "make" you feel a certain way. Yes, certain colors have a measurable physiological effect. Short-lived in most cases. Whether it's our personality or experiences we've had in our lives, we do have individual responses to color. Some of us need more stimulation than others. Blue isn't necessarily a calming color. Some people feel cold in a light blue room.
My frustration levels soar when I see color myths like this being perpetuated. My clients get confused about how their homes are "supposed" to be to make them feel good. It's all about you. When we work together, we learn what YOUR colors are. No quiz is going to do that. A newspaper reporter once described me as something akin to a "color mystic." It's not that complicated, and I'm no psychic. I just listen and learn about you and use my experience and training to create the perfect color design for you.
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