Colors: How do they make you feel?
Have you ever noticed how women and men perceive colors differently? Ask a man to tell you what color you have on and he’ll probably say “Blue.” Ask a woman the same question and she’ll say you’re wearing cobalt, sapphire, navy, baby, sky, robin’s egg, or perhaps periwinkle blue. Most men just don’t get caught up in the whole hue, shade, tonal thing when it comes to colors. These are the creatures who wear plain white shirts to work, all year, only changing their tie colors.
Soft pink reminds us of baby girls, and sky blue reminds us of baby boys. But hot pink reminds us of teenage girls, lipstick, and nail polish. To a lot of guys, pink is just pink.
But colors can remind us of certain times in our lives, and change our moods. Colors make us feel. For example, whenever my friend sees the color green, she thinks it’s calming. It could be hunter green, sage green, or moss green- they are calming and peaceful to her, reminding her of her home.
When you see the color red, does it excite you? Red makes me feel bold and energetic. I like red as an accent color. A big splash of red says, “See me!” I recently posted a picture of a wall I painted red, framed in white, with a beautiful painting in the middle. It was eye-catching to say the least, and I love the color it gave to the area. Red is vibrant, red is life!!
What do you feel when you see bright yellow? Does it make you look away because it’s too much color, or does it make you feel like a child, opening that new box of crayons? Is it warming and soothing like sitting in a stream of sunshine, or perhaps it makes you thirsty for lemonade. Yellow seems to be a color you either love or hate.
Blue can make us feel tranquil, and peaceful. It can also make us feel sad. It depends upon your mood at the time. Every time a friend of mine sees turquoise blue it makes her happy thinking about a trip she made to Arizona. There’s a lot of turquoise in the west. Blue is universal. It’s a safe color.
Gray is such a trendy color now. It used to make people feel drab, or plain. But now gray really is the new beige. It’s beautifully neutral, and peaceful; understated so you can accent it with nearly every color! I love grays accented with teal, purple or orange. Bright colors pop with gray. Gray makes me feel grounded and a little mischievous- you never know what color I’ll put with it!! Experiment!
Remember how orange used to be not-so-popular? Now suddenly, car makers are producing orange cars like crazy! Clothing offers more orange than I’ve seen in a long time, and the shades are gorgeous!
If you want to make a bold statement, do it with orange! It’s not just for October and November anymore!
When choosing colors for your home, take a moment to see how a color makes you feel. Don’t rule out anything based on assumption. Experiment. Nothing is more wonderful than coming home to your color, and feeling safe, and at ease. And don’t be afraid to change if you’re tired of it, or just not sure it’s for you.
Tami Loves…helping you feel at home with color.
