Chapter 11 Using Color Effectively
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• White is fresh, peaceful, and pure. It
is associated with youth, innocence,
and faith. White can make rooms
look crisper and livelier.
People feel most comfortable when
colors in their surroundings reflect fl
their personalities. For instance, outgo-
ing people might choose bright red or
yellow for the main color in a room.
Shy people might feel awkward in a red
room. Instead, they might prefer a room
that features a soft blue or green.
When making color decisions for
your home or the home of a client,
consider the preferences of each family
member. No single color will satisfy
everyone. However, the color and design
of the social area of the home should
make all members feel as comfortable
as possible. Use individual color pref-
erences in personalized sleeping areas
and other private work or play spaces.
The Color Spectrum
The
color spectrum
is the full range
of all existing colors. A beam of white
light produces spectral colors as it passes
through a prism. Although limit-
less in number, more than 10 million
colors have been identifi in the color fied
spectrum. Each distinct color derives
from a few basic colors. The rainbow
in 11-2 is the ideal example in nature of
how sunlight can separate into a contin-
uous band of colors, or a spectrum. In the
case of a rainbow, the raindrops them-
selves serve as tiny prisms separating
the light.
The variety of colors possible in
nature is virtually limitless. Paint manu-
facturers have translated the spectrum
into several hundreds of different paint
colors, 11-3.
Color Psychology at Work
Color is a vital tool for interior designers because it impacts how people feel.
Vibrant colors, especially oranges and reds, enliven the seating areas of many fast-food
restaurants. They tend to stimulate customers’ appetites.
Designers working for clients in various industries use color to achieve other goals.
For example, designers of airplane interiors avoid using large expanses of fast-food
reds and oranges. Their goal is not to stimulate appetites, but to create a relaxing
environment for passengers. Neutrals and muted shades often work well. In hospital
rooms, color is used to create spaces that do not raise anxiety or trigger depression
among ill or injured people.
In residential settings, designers often use the color blue in bedrooms because it
has a calming and peaceful effect.
LINK TO SOCIAL STUDIES & CULTURE
11-2
The water droplets
in a rainbow
separate light into
its many colors.