Pick Your Palette

Whether you're looking to unwind or kick it up a notch, we'll show you which hue's for you

Written by Judy Ostrow • Photographed by David Prince

The Thinker: Cool Colors: Pale violets, blues, and greens promote a sense of peaceful repose in dining rooms, baths, and bedrooms; use the deepest hues to create a dramatic effect.

Did you know that red stirs the appetite, while blue lulls you to sleep? Color has a potent emotional effect on all of us, so choose your hues wisely to stimulate different moods. Your style selections for each room should cater to the feelings you want to evoke.

In the early 1900s, government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses hired color consultants to dictate the perfect palettes for everything man-made, from office cubicles to condiment packaging. Thanks to experts like Faber Birren, the best-known color guru of that era, hospital operating rooms are typically painted a pale green for its soothing effect, and many products on supermarket shelves are red, because this is an attention-getting color. Hues were chosen based on their capacity to produce a desired outcome, such as increased productivity by workers, improved safety, and better sales.

Birren carried color analysis into the home, and dubbed his study of mood-altering hues "psychodecor." While his term never quite caught on, the idea of using color to enhance your comfort did; it's still one of the easiest home improvements you can make.

Cool Down
Blue, green, and violet make up the cool side of the color spectrum, and serve our thoughtful, meditative selves.

Blue can literally cool down a room, making the ambient temperature seem much lower. Use it as a dominant hue in an exercise room, where you'll hopefully work up a sweat on the treadmill. Blue also aids insomniacs who find they toss and turn in warm-colored rooms. Its softest shades help you focus in areas such as a home office or studio.

Deep green evokes a sense of comfort and tranquility ideal for living rooms, dens, and libraries. Just as real greenery rests the eye (it is directly opposite red on the color wheel) and complements a floral landscape, green walls harmonize rooms full of pattern and texture.

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