Behind the Design

Using Color in Your Home To Evoke Emotion

August 3, 2017

Mexican Interior Design is all about color! Just wander down the streets of Mexico and you'll understand the vibrancy of the region and how it translates into home decor. Using color in your home design evokes certain emotions within its inhabitants.

The color spectrum was discovered in 1666 when Sir Isaac Newton passed pure white light through a prism, realizing it separates into all visible colors. Most of today's artists and designers know that yellow and blue make green and what constitutes a warm color or a cool color, but I've found that very few of them know or respect the psychology of green or how warm colors make the viewer feel.

No matter if you are an interior designer or a website designer, choosing the correct color scheme can make or break your design. When first meeting a client to discuss their project, I do not necessarily ask them what color scheme they are looking for. I will ask them what they want people to feel. I find it better to say, 'can you give me three words to describe what you want this to look like." If they respond with words like, "sleek, technical, powerful" then I will be sure to have a color scheme of dark grays and black, and use bright, vibrant colors for accents. If I am meeting with a medical facility, and they give me words like, "healthy, clean, professional", then a white with green and yellow color scheme would be more appropriate.

Below, we breakdown what each primary color makes you feel so you can take them into consideration when you are decorating your home.

Red is associated with Love, Heat, evokes Anger, Intensity, Excitement. Often used in movies to signify a dangerous situation, character or prop. Chromotherapists use red to increase circulation and stimulate the body and mind.

Orange is considered an Energetic, Warm color, evokes Enthusiasm and Excitement. Orange is used to draw attention, as in traffic signs.

Yellow is Cheery, Warm, Nature; but evokes Frustration and Anger. Chromotherapists believe that yellow increases metabolism. Highly visible, attention grabber.

Green represents Nature, Health, Healing, Good Luck, Tranquility, Jealousy; has been known to increase the ability to read, used in decorating to relieve stress and calm, color of fertility.

Blue is Calm, Relaxed, Soothing; evokes Serenity, Sadness – Men Preferred, Research proven blue rooms make people more productive; least appetizing. Chromotherapists use blue to ease the suffering of illness and pain, also lower the pulse and body temperature.

Violet/Purple is a Symbol of Wealth and Royalty, Spirituality and Wisdom. Sometimes evokes: exotic, mysterious, not natural.

White is Innocence, Spacious, Purity, Sterile, Focus, isolation.

Now that you know what color creates which feeling you can take them into consideration when selecting paint for your walls or the furniture and home accessories in your home.

Our Talavera pottery and tiles comes in a rainbow of colors and many pieces are true "functional beauty" that catch the eye with their vibrant beauty.

If you need new furniture, consider our Southwest Furniture Collection, which is available in an array of colors to coordinate with a wealth of rooms in your home.

Let's Get Social - Join La Fuente Imports for interior design inspiration on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Houzz.

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