When you think of color you may not think
about money, yet color is a major factor in many of our expenditures. We waste A
LOT of money because of color in many different ways.
Millions of dollars have been spent
designing colors for the packaging of items so that we will buy them when we go
shopping. Fashion designers decide what the colors we should be wearing each
season. As we try and find clothes to wear in our closets, color is often the
key to whether we feel we have enough clothes or have to go out and buy more.
Color affects the way our homes look, and our buying decisions. Many of the
things we buy are for no other reason than we need something to go with another
thing in the right color.
Color is very emotional. It appeals to our
sense of vision in the same way that music appeals to our sense of hearing. Some
colors are universally appealing, while other colors appeal differently to
people. Making color decisions in our life can be frustrating. Yet, how boring
the world would be if everything was beige or white!
Do you have any colors that you can't
stand? How about color combinations? Do you have any you particularly dislike?
Color evokes different emotional responses. Here are just a few of them to some
of the more common colors:
Reds
Bright Red- Aggressive, Vibrant, Energizing
Dark Red- Sophisticated, Rich, Old World
Pinks
Bright Pink- Party Time, Fun.
Pale Pink- Calming, naive
Yellows
Bright Yellow- Stimulating, cheerful
Pale Yellow- Compassion, intellectual, spiritual
Gold- Wealth, power
Blues
Medium Blue- Safety, Relaxation, Recreation
Pastel Blue- Calm, Insecurity, Cold, Introspective
Dark Blue- Conservative, Secure, Trust, Authoritative
Greens
Medium Green- Earthy, Safe, Comfortable
Light Green- Inexperienced, New Growth, Youth
Dark Green- Secure, wealth, Good Judgment
Blue Green- Artistic, romantic
Oranges
Medium Orange- Exciting, Earthy, Common
Pale Orange- Comfortable, stress-reducing
Purples
Medium Purple- Theatrical, Gaudy, Serious,
Spiritual
Pale Purple- Sweet, sensuous, imaginative
Nuetrals
Beige- Calm, Earthy, Natural, Passive
Grey- Non-committal, cold, sophisticated
Black- Dramatic, Stimulating, Oppressive
White- Pure, Clean, Crisp, Cool
Green - the "new" nuetral - serene, earthy, warm
Every color has many different shades.
Here are four groups of colors that people respond to in a fairly typical
way.
1. Colors that are light and pure make you feel happy, although they are not
viewed as "serious colors".
2. Colors that are toned down (such as bright red to
raspberry) are more calming, but can be viewed as more boring.
3. Rich colors, in medium to dark shades (like jewel
tones) are stimulating and dramatic. They may induce feelings of insecurity
or boredom.
4. Dark and Dull colors are considered serious, profound,
and introverted.
Think of how these colors are applied in
fashion. You don't see many steel gray bathing suits. Summer fun clothes are in
the first group of colors. Most business apparel is in the fourth group.
The great thing about color is that it
doesn't cost money! If you are painting your walls, it doesn't cost any more
money to paint them in a color you like than one you don't like. The trick is
getting it right!
Sometimes you have to make do with what we
have. Other times, you have a choice. Perhaps you don't have to buy an item in a
color you don't like if you look a little longer. It may be a good deal on the
price, but if you aren't going to enjoy looking at it, or wearing it because of
the color, it is not a good deal for you.
Think about color this week. Think about
which colors you enjoy looking at. Which colors reflect your personality? How do
you want to be perceived? Is there anything that you enjoy looking at just
because of the color?