Colour consultations are not a new thing when we are discussing interior design, but are we really paying attention to the importance and the impact it can have on our psychology apart from just the over all outlook of the home?
Colour plays an important role in how we have been perceiving this world, ever since the beginning of our time and yet there is still so much we need to understand about its impact on human psychology. This is because there are a lot of variables we need to factor in, for example, the ability to perceive the colour varies from person to person depending on the genetic composition, personal preferences, experiences in the past, cultural & gender differences, age, profession and so on.
And that is the reason why we always prefer to sit and understand you before we commence any work whether its for yourself or your home. In this article, we’ll explain what colour psychology is and educate you on how colour will not only change your entire outlook of the house but lot within you as well.
What is Colour Psychology?
It is the study of colours in relation to human behaviour. Here we aim to determine how colour affects our way of living including mood, feelings, behaviour & personality. Have you ever wondered why we inquire about the favourite colour when we want to know someone better? It may be a subconscious inquiry but it tells a lot about how our psyche works. Believe it or not, we have been drawn or repelled by certain colours consciously or subconsciously and it has been one of the important factors in our decision making process within our minds. Every individual would have a certain colour meanings associated that could be dependent on his/her upbringing, gender, location, values, and a variety of other factors.
Why Is This Important To Discuss Here?
When you are after a colour consultation for your home, we would like you to have a think about this in a little more depth. Because choosing the right colours for your home can evoke the desirable feelings & emotions, so does poor colour selection can negatively impact your psychology. And that is just not the modern science backing it up but this has been very well detailed out in Vastu Shastra & Feng Shui— the ancient wisdom from thousands of years.
When colours are used mindfully, it will help align your exterior space to the interiors of your mind. This is why understanding colour psychology can be so useful in Interior Design and Styling. Colours are the tools, designers use to influence how people think, behave and interpret any information. The choice of colours can help people decide what is important, what makes sense and get desirable outcome. And that’s why we need to understand a little more about the colour theory, what are the different types of colours and common meanings associated with it.
Below is a colour wheel - a simple graphical representation to explain three basic primary colours, three secondary colours and six tertiary colours and how it works. In your colour consultation, you can find out more about the colour theory and how it works. Also, feel free to stir any discussions on warm/ cool colours as well as difference between adjacent/ analogous & complementary colours.
Psychological Meanings To Colours
As mentioned, there are some common meanings we tend to associate with these colours. While you may be able to Google these common meanings, we would like you to consider choosing colours that represent what you would like your home to be about or how you wish to feel within that space.
Choosing colours for a home or interiors project can be the quite confusing and stressful on your own. It's too easy to just settle for safe-neutral colours and earthy tones because we all have heard stories how bolder choice colours could often end up in a regret later on. You may or may not want to hire an interior designer to help you choose all your furnishings and decor, but hiring such professional can help you choose colours that will give your home the designer look without the costly mistakes & price tag.
We hope that you’ve gained some insight on the impact of colours on our psychology, and why it's so important in the designing process, it’s time to apply the knowledge in enhancing the interiors of your home.
What is a Colour Consultation?
Firstly, let's understand that a colour consultation is a two-way street – more information you provide us, more are the opportunities for us to get to know you, understand your needs & likes and hence more chances to nail your dream look.
This consultation is usually organised after initial consultation in your interior design journey if you are hiring us for end-to-end interior design services OR it could be a just one-off consultation for your new build. During an initial consultation or phone call, our interior consultant is likely to ask you more questions about your colour preferences than offer advice. We know that the choice of colours is a very individual decision and want to be sure the colours they recommend will suit your lifestyle and personality -- not ours.
Your first half of your colour consultation will probably be more about understanding your needs & likes and we won't get down to the specifics until later. This conversation gives us an opportunity to hand pick a colour scheme based on your ideas and preferences.
A complete colour consultation may include everything from the colours of your walls to the colours of fabrics for your curtains and furnishings or we may work with you to choose wall colours based around your existing furnishings and decor depending on your needs. As a professional with training in colour theory and years of practical experience in architecture & interior design, we will be able to come up with ideas that will probably amaze you. For example:
Is red your favourite colour, but you dare not use it? We may help you understand how certain colours, when tastefully combined with certain tones, can be striking without being too loud.
Are the neutral tones on your walls too boring, but you don't know how to put some life into them? We may recommend an artwork or a feature wall in a bold colour that expresses your personality without much fuss.
Do you love your timber floor, but think it seems somehow out of place in the room? We may help you with how to use colours that complement the floor and enhance its natural beauty.
These are just a few of the ways our interior consultant can help you, but in order to get the most out of our service, you will need to be little more invested in terms of time & energy. Remember, it's a two-way street!
How to Prepare for a Colour Consultation
The more you can share your dreams with your interior consultant, the better they can help you. The best way to prepare for a colour consultation is to create an inspiration board. You can do this by cutting pages out of interiors magazines, your travel photos of places you've loved to visit and stays you've enjoyed most, festivals, occasions, food & aroma, pretty much anything and everything that tickles your fancy, pin it to a cork board or just make a digital collage or folder of images should be fine too. Don't worry about adding too many - as more the better it is. You can also add as many more inspiration boards as you like.
Having an inspiration board during your colour appointment will give us an immediate understanding of what you are looking for that will be much better than trying to explain yourself in words.
Book your Colour consultation with us today and let's get started exploring the right colour palate that works best for you and your family.