Can colour really calm us? Why is blue more relaxing than red? And if that’s true, why do we use blue lights for ambulances?
The world of colour psychology can often feel confusing and contradictory when trying to decide which colours to include within our home.
The problem is the way we learn about ‘colour psychology’. All too often, it’s explained too simply as an experience of emotions, without qualifying how we experience colour physiologically – from eye, to brain, to body – explain Stephen Westland, a Professor of Colour Science and Technology, and Soojin Lee, a Research Fellow in Colour Design, from the University of Leeds.
In a research paper commissioned by Harlequin, Lee and Westland explain the science behind our perception of colour, what goes on in our eyes and in the brain, and how we experience some colours as more ‘calming’ than others.
The full research can be read here, and summarised in some key points below:
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Colour fades when we view our homes only as ‘financial assets’
Lee and Westland explain that people tend to prefer colours like white and magnolia in their homes. They suggest this is partly because, when we’re incentivised to consider our home’s potential ‘resale value’, we become cautious bringing in too much bold or varied colour.
But in the process, colour is lost – and with it, many of the wonderful benefits that can positively influence our daily lives.
‘Colour! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams’
– Paul Gauguin
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BLUE WALLS ARE GREAT FOR RELAXATION. BUT BLUE IPHONE LIGHT? NOT SO MUCH. HERE’S WHY.
While colour psychology advice often treats colours as having fixed effects, research suggests human responses to colour are highly context dependent. Cultural meaning, lighting conditions, and even differences in retinal photoreceptors all play a role.
For example, blue is often described as calming and recommended for bedrooms, yet exposure to blue light from screens can disrupt sleep. This is because short-wavelength light from bright, emissive sources strongly activates melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells, which signal to the brain’s circadian system in the hypothalamus. By contrast, the blue of painted surfaces reflects lower-intensity light and is processed primarily within visual pathways, without the same circadian impact
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We focus on hue, and not enough on brightness
More often than not, when we talk about colour theory in the home, we’re given broad ideas about what individual colours represent. As a result, attention shifts to the hue of the paint, as opposed to its brightness. Yet the lightness or darkness of a colour is proven to be just as important: studies show that lighter colours create a sense of calm, while darker, stronger colours bring energy and excitement to a space.
So, when choosing colours for your home, think not just about the palette itself, but also about whether the colours you select are ‘light’ or ‘dark’ – depending on the atmosphere you want to create.