Color Theory: Why Color Matters in Your Home
Have you ever walked into a room and felt immediately calm? Or warm? Or excited? In any given interior space, the way your eye processes color can affect how you interpret the style, mood, and overall comfort level. For interior designers — and home decorators — this means carefully choosing colors of furniture, accents and walls. So why exactly does color theory matter in your home or condo? Today, we find out.
Color Theory
Color theory is the science behind how we interpret the colors we see. Colors can energize us, cheer us up, relax us, or help us concentrate. Colors can also be tiring or irritating after a while. For instance, red can evoke anger or passion, while blue creates a tranquil and calm feeling. Whether it’s residential or retail space, interior designers often use color theory to create a purposeful theme to any given room.
What to Consider for Your Home
First, consider the light exposure you get in a given day. You might want a dark green accent wall, but if you’re dealing with North-facing or small windows, it might make your room look even smaller (and square footage may also be a concern). Secondly, what will you use the room for? For example, if you’re designing a home office, you might want to keep things simple to keep yourself concentrated. This will help you decide what mood you want to set for your space.
Once you have a mood in mind, this is where color theory can help. Use pops of yellow for friendly, spontaneous energy. Green can communicate growth and prosperity. Black or darker schemes introduce elegance and confidence. Let your own vision for the space inspire you.
Bonus: Don’t Forget Your Classic White Walls
If you’re afraid to commit to something bold, white walls are a great fail-safe option. White and neutral tones are popular these days when it comes to home design, and they’ll make your space feel lighter and brighter. It can also create a clean backdrop to play with color elsewhere in the room.
Ultimately, color is a way to have fun in your house, apartment or condo — and a way to make your space feel more like home.
Photo from 1137 W. Monroe #6
