Color for creative room
The Best Paint Colors to Boost Creativity
Style
Decorating
Ideas & Inspiration
Mindful Living
by Arlyn Hernandez
updated May 3, 2019
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Got writer’s block (or painter’s block, or are just in a general creative funk?) The color of your walls might be one of your culprits.
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It’s no secret that color can seriously affect your mood (we’ve previously explored how it can make you happier in your home, and highlighted the psychological merits of ROYGBV), but there are two colors in particular that can stimulate your creativity and productivity.
Fast Company released an article in 2015 that dove into the findings of a few studies on color. Evidently, according to this experiment out of the University of British Columbia, blues were ideal for the work environments of creatives, as the color promotes communication, trust and efficiency. In addition, since blue is naturally calming, it’s great for the workspace as it opens your mind to new ideas.
Another color proven to enhance the performance of creatives is green. The second-most abundant shade on the planet (blue is first), this low wavelength pigment promotes harmony and balance, which in turn can spur innovation, according to a study led by the University of Munich. The research team lead, Stephanie Lichtenfeld, reported that the nature-derived color “has implications beyond aesthetics” and even just a glimpse of green could trigger “the type of pure, open (mental) processing required to do well on creativity tasks.”
We rounded up a dozen of our favorite blue and green paint hues to splash on your walls or furniture that are sure to give you that extra boost you need to reach new creative heights!
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Top row: Can’t Find My Czechbook by OPI / Summer Regatta by Ralph Lauren / Pacific Coast Blue by Glidden
Bottom row: Bastille Blue by Glidden / Pacific Pleasure by Valspar / Whipple Blue by Benjamin Moore
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Top row: Chesterwood French Green by Valspar / New Pine by Ralph Lauren / Deep Jungle by Benjamin Moore
Bottom row: Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore / Freshwater Green by Valspar / Sweet Retreat by Clark + Kensington
Can’t paint? Give these cheats a try:
- Is your desk or hobby spot up against (or near) a window? Curtain panels in green, blue or even red are a good substitute, as they will frame your peripheral, giving your eye (and brain) a creative boost.
- If your office allows, try bringing in some accents for your desk (green mouse pad, a desk plant, maybe even a cork board covered in green fabric or paper.) You can also change the background of your desktop (or smartphone/tablet).
- Furniture pieces in nature-inspired greens and soothing blues are another way to enhance productivity and creativity without painting your walls. Upcycle a wood desk and paint it a fresh Kelly green or punchy cobalt blue!
*Re-edited from a post that originally appeared 07.06.2016. – AH
The Best Paint Color to Inspire Creativity
It's no secret that your environment has a profound effect on your mood. From access to nature and the outdoors to lighting conditions, even color can evoke certain emotions. There's even a whole science dedicated to the psychology of color. How we respond to color has to do with colors' saturation and brightness, explains environmental psychologist Sally Augustin, Ph.D., in an article for Psychology Today.
"Saturation is how pure a color is... Brightness is, as you’d expect, basically how light a color seems," she says.
That said, if red is associated with energy, and yellow with optimism, what is the best color for creativity? It turns out, the color of creativity might be this affirming shade.
Early studies, like a first of its kind German study in 2012, suggest the color green may boost creativity. In reporting on the study, NBC News writes that "participants who saw green before the task," the task being to write down as many uses of a tin can as possible in two minutes, "produced more creative ideas than those who saw white."
Why? "Green may serve as a cue that evokes the motivation to strive for improvement and task mastery, which in turn may facilitate growth," Dr. Stephanie Lichtenfeld, an assistant professor of psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany, tells NBC News. However, the context for these preferences, reports Smithsonian magazine, largely depends on our cultural associations.
That said, if you're in need of a breakthrough or grasping for a clever solution or innovative inspiration, a flash of green in your space may be the best color for creativity.
Blue is another great color to get creative juices flowing. Fast Company, a magazine that covers modern business and technology, reports that the color most associated with vast oceans, a calm lake, or a clear and sunny day "promotes communication, trust, and efficiency. It also helps people with creativity by opening the mind to new ideas." At work, for example, it might be a good idea to incorporate the color blue in a room used for brainstorming, reports Fast Company, referencing a 2009 University of British Columbia study.
Similarly, office supply company Quill created an infographic with information sourced from various websites outlining how to incorporate color into your work space for productivity. If generating enthusiasm and creating a high-energy work environment is your goal, try incorporating the color orange into your office color palette.
Red is seen as the best color to implement in late-night office spaces, while yellow is stimulating and promotes a sense of optimism.
On the other hand, some colors just don't do much to boost wellbeing in general. Take the color gray, for example. "While gray is psychologically neutral, the color also lacks energy," Fast Company reports. "It is suppressive and prepares people for hibernation, according to Colour Affects, a London-based color psychology consultant. This color should be used in small amounts in an office and offset by a brighter color, such as red or yellow."
10 Paint Color Apps That Make Decorating a Breeze
Article Sources
MyDomaine uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
An M, Colarelli SM, O'Brien K, Boyajian ME. Why We Need More Nature at Work: Effects of Natural Elements and Sunlight on Employee Mental Health and Work Attitudes.
PLoS ONE. 2016;11(5):e0155614. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155614Lichtenfeld S, Elliot AJ, Maier MA, Pekrun R. Fertile Green: Green Facilitates Creative Performance. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012;38(6):784-97. doi:10.1177/0146167212436611
The psychology of color in the interior, or why you feel sleepy in a green office
If you discard the idea that white is the most easily soiled color, then it is perhaps the most consistent with Nordic minimalism, so if you are planning an interior in a Scandinavian style, you you should think about using light shades. In addition, as experience shows, white color has a positive effect on the physical condition of a person. It helps to always be in good shape, fills with energy. With it, you will discard all your worries, fears. White stimulates the organs of vision and the endocrine system, and can even help cleanse your body of unnecessary waste and toxins. True, some caution must be observed with white, an overabundance of this color threatens with irritability and fatigue.
Red
Red is a rather aggressive and even tiring color, but it has a positive effect on a person: it can create a feeling of well-being in a person and, accordingly, influence his physiology. True, the red color can do much harm, everyone has a so-called “red color threshold”, that is, in other words, at first red works as a stimulant, gradually moving from a positive effect to a negative one, and can contribute to nervous disorders. In nervous people, especially children, red causes strong sensory reactions and irritation.
Yellow
Yellow stimulates brain activity and also develops creativity, don't be surprised if under the influence of the yellow room you start painting brilliant pictures! In addition, yellow restores lost energy and significantly improves mood. True, for the smallest, yellow can be harmful - it negatively affects the nervous system of babies, and they, in turn, do not stop crying and acting up.
Orange
This color just radiates with success and positive.
With this color, a bad mood does not threaten you. Choose orange color if you want to constantly be in a good mood, relieve stress and irritability, improve brain function, and raise your strong-willed qualities. The influence of orange on a person will contribute to the establishment of good, peaceful relations in the family, as well as develop a sense of responsibility in you. This color has practically no contraindications, although, probably, you should not completely close yourself in orange shades, because too bright lights can cause headaches.
Green
According to various Eastern practices, green is the color of wealth and prosperity. So, if green appears in your house, money will flow there like a river. Also, juicy green color helps to get rid of anxiety, unrest. Color has a refreshing effect, allows you to maintain vigor and stay in good shape throughout the body. An excess of green can work as a sleeping pill, it has a strong relaxing effect, so you should not use green in the bedroom - in the morning you need vigor, and green promotes complete relaxation.
This color is actively suitable for a nursery where a child with a diagnosis of "hyperactivity" will live, the blue color calms, suppresses aggression and provokes only positive emotions. Moreover, the effect of blue on a person improves concentration. If we are talking about adults, then in this case blue helps to cope with high temperature and blood pressure. Blue can also prevent inflammation and insomnia. The presence of blue in the interior relaxes, relieves fatigue. But be careful - an excess of blue can adversely affect hormonal levels.
Black
Black cannot be called a full-fledged color, because this paint absorbs any others, but its influence on the human psyche is simply colossal. In excess, black color may well provoke depression and severe nervous disorders, so you need to be extremely careful with it. True, black has one significant plus - it perfectly hides any flaws, such as uneven walls or poorly laid parquet.
Pink
It is he who is associated with the feminine principle, with sensuality and tenderness, with love and sentimentality.
Pink is associated with childhood and serenity, so pink is a recommended color for decorating a nursery. It creates a feeling of calm and security. And despite the fact that there is an aggressive red in pink, this color has a relaxing and relaxing effect. Also, pink color has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system. In addition, there is an effect of color on a person, on the endocrine system, on the functioning of the hearing and visual organs, and on immunity. Pink even relieves headaches.
Photo: Getty images
Sasha Barinova
Colors in the interior. The main characteristics of color
In everyday life, a person is surrounded by many colors and shades of color, and we do not even think about the fact that each color and color combinations have a certain effect on us emotionally and psychophysically. Certain colors can cause various positive or negative emotions. Color can calm, pacify, or vice versa cause a storm of emotions. Speaking of interior design in Dnepropetrovsk , it would be natural to use only colors in its design that positively affect a person, evoke positive emotions, and wisely distribute them among the premises of the apartment for different purposes, so that the bedroom, say, has a rest, children's the room - to the knowledge of the new, and the living room - pacified and favored the harmonious coexistence and development of all family members.
About the correct selection of colors for interior design , about the effect of color in interior on a person and will be discussed in this article.
RED COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Physiologically, the red color has an exciting, exciting effect on a person, enhances muscle activity. With prolonged exposure, it accelerates blood circulation, heartbeat, and increases blood pressure. If there is a moderate amount of red in the interior design, then it improves mood, causes a surge of joy and vigor. Red in interior design evokes positive emotions.
With a long stay in a room that is too red, a person may experience mental disorders, however, the moderate presence of shades of red in interior design will give it spectacularity and expressiveness. Red is recommended for use in areas with increased activity - gyms, supermarkets, corridors. Red always acts as a color accent on a more neutral background. In interior design, it goes well with white, black and gray colors.
ORANGE COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Orange combines the positive qualities of yellow and red. As red, it invigorates, inspires optimism and uplifting, and as yellow, it improves digestion, it resembles bright sunlight. Orange color in interior always attracts attention, fills the room with a festive mood and energy, improves well-being.
Orange color will help you get out of depression and return joy and love to life. Orange color in the interior is used not only in its pure saturated form, but also as pastel shades. In this form, the orange color is suitable for absolutely all rooms and can serve as an unobtrusive background for other colors in the interior.
It is good to use this color in combination with pastel cold shades, such as light sea wave, turquoise. They will emphasize the warmth of orange, create a pleasant good-natured atmosphere in the bedroom or living room.
YELLOW COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Yellow color is positive, encouraging, giving an incredible charge of vivacity and good mood.
promotes mental activity and personal development.
Yellow is indispensable when you want to create an atmosphere for intellectual work, including the work of an editor. However, more often in interior design it is used in combination with a color that carries a sense of security and tranquility - blue. Yellow, due to its exciting ability, is not acceptable in interior design for people with mental disorders.
It is not advisable to use pure yellow in interior design of enclosed spaces and on a large surface of walls or floors, which can lead to mental disorders in a person.
Yellow in interior design of apartment is difficult to fill and drown out with something, it is a very active color. Having completed the walls in bright yellow, you will not distract attention from it with any details and accents. For harmony, it is recommended to use rich yellow color only in small quantities - textiles, decorative elements and furniture.
GREEN COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
According to its physiological characteristics, the green color is very close to a person.
This color has a positive effect on the state of the body, increases efficiency, dilates blood vessels. Green is good in combination with almost all colors of the spectrum, it always refreshes and enlivens the room. In interior design, it is applicable in different quantities in all rooms without exception, because green has many shades - from turquoise to light green. Green, especially in combination with yellow, will give the interior design cheerfulness and optimism. Only bottle and olive colors from shades of green will contribute to calmness and tranquility, applicable in design interior rest and sleep rooms.
BLUE COLOR IN THE INTERIOR DESIGN
The use of blue color in interior design contributes to the visual increase in space, enhances the impression of airiness, lightness, depth and coolness. This color especially helps to reduce blood pressure and muscle tone, and has a calming effect on the nervous system.
Blue color is useful for people with unstable nervous system.
In addition, the color allows you to concentrate, helps with insomnia, and has a general calming effect.
BLUE COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Blue color in interior design of residential premises is very rarely used in its pure form, since its excess can cause an exacerbation of depression, general malaise or apathy of a person. More often in interior design, more calm and peaceful shades of blue are used - blue, indigo, aquamarine. Using these shades in interior creates a romantic atmosphere, coolness and the impression of freshness and airiness. Especially this color scheme is appropriate in the interior design of a room facing the south or east side of the horizon.
Blue or blue is very appropriate in the interior of a living space to use in combination with white, gray, and the use of individual color accents of yellow lemon color will be very appropriate.
PURPLE IN INTERIOR DESIGN
The use of purple in interior design is quite ambiguous, as purple in its purest form can be overwhelming and apathetic, but this color has many shades from purple to lilac. The interior, in which the purple color is present, is conducive to introspection, meditation, creative activity, purple, a shade of purple, is often used in the interior design of their workshops by artists and other creative people, it emphasizes individuality. In the interior design of a children's room, purple is not desirable; it is better to pay attention to lilac, pastel shades.
Violet color in kitchen interior design, photoGRAY IN INTERIOR DESIGN
The use of shades of gray in interior design is the latest fashion. Previously, for a long time it was believed that gray is too gloomy and not worthy of attention, too plain to dominate the interior, but in a modern, especially minimalist, interior, it is very popular.
Gray fits perfectly into any interior, as if softening it and making it more harmonious.
Gray color is characterized by mystery and versatility, as it combines opposites - white and black, as a background it emphasizes the details. The light gray color of the walls is equally combined with both red and green interior items, gray emphasizes the high cost and value of items, gives elegance and nobility. The color has a lot of shades, which allows it to be used in almost any interior design.
The shape is well read in gray color, the color does not distract from the perfection of architecture, which is often used by modern architects both in the interior and exterior of buildings. The texture and form of the material comes to the fore, whether it is raw concrete, with traces of formwork, or textured ash-colored wallpaper.
Gray always acts as an excellent background for more significant interior details, which become more expressive and colorful.
PINK IN INTERIOR DESIGN
The use of pink in interior design leads to maintaining optimism in the room occupant, promotes relaxation, while at the same time making it difficult to focus and concentrate on anything.
Will have a positive effect on people with sudden mood swings, smoothing and neutralizing their behavior. There is an opinion that a large amount of pink color in interior slows down the processes in the body, helps to reduce pressure. The use of pink in noisy rooms is recommended, while pink helps the body adapt and endure constant background noise.
In interior design, pink color should be measured and remembered that it is more appropriate in a female interior, and many men, on the contrary, can unbalance and cause scandals in the family.
The use of pink in the interior without measure can lead to cloying and outright bad taste. Pink color in the interior looks good and appropriate only if it is half diluted with another color, for example white. In this case, pink in interior design will look fresh and harmonious.
Another approach is also possible - the use of pink details in the interior, whether it be textiles or decor.
The use of white and pink colors would be appropriate in the interior of a young girl's room, in the bedroom of a married couple, even a young one, this color combination is not suitable for everyone.
In addition to the white-pink combination, black-gray-pink, brown-beige-pink will be appropriate, and the combination of pink with cold yellow or light green will also look interesting and extraordinary. A combination of pink with orange and red is also possible, but this is strictly for an amateur and for a certain situation, for example, in retro style.
Pink color is appropriate in interiors of different styles, from classic to modern.
BROWN IN INTERIOR DESIGN
All shades of brown, like the colors of the earth, psychologically balance, soothe and awaken memories of distant and close ancestors, attract to the family, remind of the father's house with a fireplace and wooden shutters. Brown inspires faith in a brighter future, therefore it is especially popular in times of devastation, stagnation and crises, to enhance the impression that everything passes, it will pass, and better times will come.
Any wooden item, be it doors, furniture, has a brown tint, and therefore is used everywhere in every interior of an apartment. Absolutely all shades of brown from dark to pastel beige are appropriate in the interior. Any warm colors in interior design give it coziness.
Light beige tones in interior design will visually add volume to the room, dark brown tones will evoke a feeling of security, intimacy and goodwill. Now interiors in brown tones are very popular - they are moderately neutral and at the same time this color scheme allows you to create rooms that are completely different in style - from classic to modern and minimalism.
BLACK COLOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Black color in large quantities is not recommended to be used in interior design , because by itself it puts pressure on a person, pumps up a depressed mood. However, in interior design it is impossible to do without black at all - it is good for them to visually distinguish between colors opposite in spectrum, while they will not look incompatible.
