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It's amazing what a little paint can do: change your mood, remind you of an old friend or even help develop a TV character. Discover what colors suit your dwelling and yourself.
One reason we're reluctant to splash color throughout our homes is that we know color arouses strong reactions, and we don't want others to hate our choices. "People are afraid to put their personal taste out there because they don't want to be rejected," says Mark McCauley, a Barrington, Ill.-based interior designer and the author of "Color Therapy at Home". People tend to have much stronger views about color than about, say, styles of dining room furniture.
That's because color induces reactions based on both instinct and association in a way Chippendale furniture doesn't. Some color associations are highly individual. You may hate purple because it reminds you of your nasty Uncle Victor, who always wore purple sweaters; someone else may love it because it brings back memories of kind Aunt Mabel, who favored purple scarves. Other color associations are more instinctual, the same for every human across every culture. Red, for instance, is the color of blood and fire, things that naturally get our attention and make our hearts thump. It also stimulates the appetite, which is why you see it in so many restaurants.
Similarly, green is associated with leaves, grass -- things in nature most of us find relaxing and tranquil. That's why actors relax in the "green room" before performances.
Interior designers use our color associations to create moods -- in homes, in commercial spaces, even in the movies and on TV. "Sex and the City" production designer Jeremy Conway says he used color theory to help "visually define" the characters. As detailed in the upcoming book "Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell" (Melcher Media/Pocket Books, $40), for hard-charging lawyer Miranda he chose a bruising color scheme of black, blue and purple in the first season, during which she got her heart broken several times. But Miranda's color palette has changed. "Her character has really developed," Conway says. "She bought a new apartment; she's more confident. So we're shifting into tints -- pale lilacs and lavenders -- that reflect her development. She's come quite far in terms of color."
Originally appeared in the 29th September, 2002 issue of USA WEEKEND. Reprinted with permission.
Living colors
Color and your emotions
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