When a person walks into a room, they feel a certain emotion without even recognizing what exactly causes it. The lighting of a room greatly impacts the way a person feels in there. This week’s blog we will look into the way colors and lighting affects people’s emotions.
Color used as a tool:
Color has been used as a tool for communication. It can be used to signal action, influence guests or customers’ moods, and can even influence physiological reactions. Specific colors have been linked to increased blood pressure, eyestrain, and increased metabolism. Pablo Picasso said, “Colors, like features, follow the changes of emotions,”.
Color Psychology:
The English scientist named Sir Issac Newton discovered when perfect white light passes through a prism, the light separates into all of the visible colors the human eye can see. Newton also shared his discovery that each color is made of a single wavelength and cannot be separated any further into other colors.
After further experimenting, Newton discovered that light could be combined to form other colors. For example, to make an orange color, a red light is mixed with a yellow light. Similarly, some colors cancel each other out when combined. For example, green and magenta cancel each other out creating a white light.
Given the prevalence of color, you would think there would be more studies involving color psychology. Most work has been driven by mostly practical concerns and not scientific rigor. Despite the lack of research in color psychology, it is a hot topic in design, art, and marketing along with other areas.
Researchers and experts have pointed out important observations about color psychology. Color has an extremely useful affect on moods, behaviors, and feelings.
Psychological effects of colored lights in residential and commercial rooms:
Have you ever thought about the power color has over our emotions? Perceptions of color tend to be slightly subjective. However, there are certain color effects that have universal meaning.
We refer to colors in the red family as warm colors. These include orange, yellow, and red. Warm colors have an effect on people just as cool colors do. We will get to those later. Warm colors make people feel warmth and comfort. They also make people feel anger, aggression, and hostility.
When using these colors, the lighting of a room must compliment the vibe you are aiming for. If you walk into a restaurant, hotel, or someone’s home that has plenty of warm colors and complimentary lighting, this strategic combination can evoke loving and comforting emotions.
Lighting specialists and interior designers tend to work hand and hand to achieve the desired vibe in a residential or commercial space. Speak with specialists at Sanford Electric Company to bring your dream space into fruition.
Cool colors:
Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors- the opposite of warm colors. Cool colors include blue, purple, and green. The cool color are often described as calming, but they may also may someone feel sadness, indifference, or loneliness.
For various purposes, commercial and residential spaces strategically choose colors and lighting options to make people feel different emotions. If a store wants you to stay and shop for candles and home decor, the lighting may be clean and cool to reflect recent home decor trends. This way shoppers can picture their products in their own homes. Customers think the products they a
re selling will help make their homes feel the way they feel in the store.
Likewise, if a restaurant is upscale and owners expect longer table times, meaning guests will stay a long time at their table from drinks to dessert compared to restaurants less extravagant, they choose comfortable tables and seating. Traditionally, they would choose a warm or cool color paint for the walls and decor.
Lastly, they pair it with the perfect lighting to create an intimate, warming, and possibly romantic mood. The right lighting may be a chandelier with warm tones, wall uplighting with cool colors, or LED table tops.
Next week, we will further discuss color psychology and begin to discuss how color is used to heal in ancient cultures. When building a new house, remodeling, decorating a commercial space, or building a new building, speak with specialists at Sanford Electric Company to obtain the desired ambiance.
Staff Writer
