Colours affect how we feel and perform

The meaning of colour

Many psychologists have studied colours and the impact they have, and have found that colours are perceived differently and engender some form of response in the majority of people. Nevertheless, it’s been difficult to determine exactly what different colours make us feel since, to some extent, this also depends on culture, time and place. But even if opinions are divided as to how colours affect us, one thing everyone agrees on is that they have a significant impact, and that they often influence us more than we realise. We now know that human colour perception is located in the limbic system, the part of our brain that manages functions such as emotional responses and subconscious thoughts. This in itself suggests a strong link between our perception of colour and our ability to process emotions, learn new things and increase our motivation. That’s why it’s important to consider which activities will be carried out in an interior space environment, so that you choose the right colour to encourage these activities. This increases the possibility of creating or changing behaviour.

Nature’s colours shows the way to timelessness and sustainability

Selecting what’s trendy and appealing right now can be counterproductive. The choice of colours depends on what you’ll be doing, what you want to achieve and on the people spending time in the space. Timeless colours chosen on the basis of context ultimately increase the value of your investment. The right choice of colour in the right place also reduces wear and tear, and the need for maintenance. There are many indications that colours close to nature’s own colour palette, such as green and earthy hues, have a special effect on people’s ability to recuperate and are thus suitable for most working environments. Earthy and muted tone-on-tone colours not only create a sense of tranquillity but are also easy to mix and match with each other, while maintaining the look of consistency and harmony. This makes it easy to combine furniture from different parts of the company’s premises as needs arise, creating an interior space that’s flexible and sustainable over a long period of time.

Different colours influence us in different ways

Colours affect everything from mood to neurophysiological reactions. Some colours can stimulate conversation and bursts of energy or activity, while other colours encourage serenity, silence or reflection. Everyone is affected differently by colours, and tastes differ depending on who you ask. In other words, it’s very important to know who will be spending time in the spaces and which activities they will be carrying out before choosing colours.
 
A colour is more than just a colour. It’s important to bear in mind that it can be cold or warm and come in a variety of different shades. In other words, green is not only pleasant, it can be something completely different depending on the interplay between colour, tone, light, cold, warmth and contrast. Even slight differences can alter the perception of a room and its proportions. What looks a certain way on a flat surface can make a completely different impression when applied in a room. The impression can also be altered depending on daylight and lighting. Furthermore, colours affect each other when viewed together, which can change perceptions of the height, width, depth, balance and orientation of the room.
 
Light and warmth have a profound effect on the way that people perceive colours. You can change the colour and holistic impression of a room considerably simply by altering the lighting. The time of day is also crucial for how we see a colour. A blue colour on a cold, cloudy winter’s day can be perceived as a completely different shade of blue when the sun hits the colour and warms up the room. Light colours have the advantage of absorbing light from the outside, which makes us more alert during the day. Darker colours, on the other hand, block the light, so should be used wisely. Studies have shown that cold colours tend to be valued more negatively and warm colours more positively. Yet cold, cool colours reduce blood pressure and aid concentration.

Colour versus colourfulness

Colour choice plays a central role when designing an interior space, but it’s not quite as simple as choosing the right colour. You also need to take the concept of colourfulness into consideration. Simply explained, colours are green or blue and colourfulness is the intensity of that green or blue. Colourfulness indicates how strong or intense the colour is. The term is mainly used within the NCS (Natural Color System®) scale and is designated with c in the colour code on a 100-degree scale. Two colours may have the same colourfulness, but may vary in blackness and whiteness. The less colourfulness, the more the colour in question tends towards the grey scale. A yellow colour with a colourfulness of 99 is a strong yellow, while a yellow colour with colourfulness of 5 will have a greyish look. Closely related colours can therefore be perceived in completely different ways depending on their colourfulness. Studies show that more vibrant colours arouse stronger feelings – both negative and positive.

Contrasts in everyday life

The choice of colour thus affects how people act in different situations and spaces. It all depends on who will be spending time in your space, which activities they will be performing, and what you would like people to do and feel. Colours are a way of guiding people in a certain direction or influencing their behaviour. One example is that different focus zones or home bases can be delineated by working with a uniform colour scheme. This makes it easier to find and everyone knows what goes on in that particular zone. Carefully considered colour choices can enhance peace of mind, clarity and navigation in a space.

Another important factor for orientation in a space is the presence of contrasts. Contrasts can be used to highlight or conceal surfaces. An armrest bracket may have a contrasting colour to indicate that it has an important function. Another example is that a door can be painted in the same colour as the wall to conceal it and signal that this door should not be used. Or vice versa – a door in a contrasting colour can clearly signal that ‘you should enter here’. A rug in a contrasting colour can also delineate a zone and invite you to carry out a certain type of activity.

Sources:

• “Färg, ljus och människa – ett miljöpsykologiskt perspektiv” Rikard Küller
• “Rummet som färgernas mötesplats” Monica Billger 
• “Varmt och kallt i norr och söder” Maud Hårleman
• “Forskare och praktiker om färg - ljus – rum” Karin Fridell Anter
• “Verkan av färg och ljus – beteenden och reaktioner” Thorbjörn Laike
• “The ultimate guide to office color psychology” Ergonomic Trends 
• “Fysisk lärmiljö - optimera för trygghet, arbetsro och lärande” Malin Valsö and Frida Malmgren
• “Vårdmiljöns betydelse” Helle Wijk, Morgan Andersson, Anna Bengtsson, Ingegerd Bergbom and Monica Berglund
• “Färg och ljus för människan - i rummet” Karin Fridell Anter, Ulf Klarén, Leif Berggren, Monica Billger and Pär Duwe
• “Work week productivity, visual complexity, and individual environmental sensitivity in three offices of different color interiors” Nancy Kwallek, Kokyung Soon and Carol M. Lewis
• “Goethes färglära” Per Sällström