We painted the office space yellow before we moved in, a color that we thought would be a sunny happy spot for the many grey Portland days. But now that I've actually lived in this yellow for awhile, working and making and creating in here, I just can't help but shake the feeling- this yellow has got to go!
But why? I love yellow, it's probably my fave color to wear and I'm normally drawn to warm, earthy tones like this. So why does it now feel so not right? It could have something to do with color psychology...
Yellow is happy and stimulating, it improves memory, judgement, decision making, productivity (that's why legal pads are yellow!) Sounds good for an office environment, yes? Sure! But it depends a lot on the shade and intensity of the yellow, I'm learning... A bright yellow in large quantities (like, on 4 walls?) can be too stimulating for the nervous system. Yellow that's bold resembles fire and can trigger and inherent avoidance in us. Studies have shown babies cry more and people fight more in yellow rooms cause saturated, intense yellow like this can make you feel cranky after awhile.
Well, shit! No wonder it's not workin for me!
So I've decided to save the mustard yellow for my cardigan collection, and for the walls, we're goin blue...
We picked up a sample last weekend of a light and icy but vibrant blue (Martha Stewart Aegean Blue) that I am just dying to get on the walls now, it makes me feel better already.
And the color psychology behind blue? It's shown to be calming, reflective and inspires creativity. Light blue mimics the sky and feels wide and limitless. Blue has also been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rates in people, and research has shown people are more productive in blue rooms!
With an over-stimulated brain already, all I want is an office that can help me feel calm, relaxed and foster focus instead of helping make me feel tweaked out and cranky! I hopped off that stress train a couple weeks ago and am determined not to get back on, so every little bit helps, right? We'll see how it goes- I'll report back with some before/after pics once we paint!
How bout you? Have you ever found yourself psyched out, or psyched up by the colors you surround yourself with? Do you consider the psychology behind a color before you paint the walls with it or just choose what you like?
I've tried numerous colors in various apartments (before and after color theory class) and I always come back to dove white or pale gray! The only color I've been able to live with for any real length of time was in wallpaper. The patterns never bother me, it's the solid color. I am weird! Good luck with the blue - it's def calming.
Posted by: Sana, So Does Estella | Jul 06, 2011 at 11:46 AM
i can totally relate. i love bright and bold, but find that in my creative and quiet space, i yearn to have calming and soothing colors and surroundings. that blue is so gentle and pretty. i am sure it will look (and feel) great!
Posted by: wishful nals | Jul 06, 2011 at 11:54 AM
My friend has that color yellow in her livingroom. I'm glad your in tuned with yourself and can feel that it's too much. I think the blue is a great choice. I'm extremely sensitive to color. In fact I had an interview today and there's no way I could were all black or black and white. My place has been quite colorful for the last few years but I'm ready to go white and add pops of the colors I love. I'm super sensitive to color glad there's some people from my tribe out there.
Posted by: Monique | Jul 06, 2011 at 12:14 PM
Oooohhhh! That blue is real pretty! I definitely understand the overwhelmingness of an intense color on all four walls... Dylan and I painted the entire living room a brick red with a pinkish hue before we moved in thinking it was a really easy going color. After a few days of living with it, we knew that the weekend would be spent repainting. We left one wall that color (the wall behind the couch so we don't actually see it much!) and repainted the remaining three walls an awesome, soothing taupe color. The red was a complete brain hijacker. Upon entering the room, I would instantly become SO angry and emotional--I could feel all four walls squeezing in on me. Lesson learned! Can't wait to see pictures of your new blue walls!
Posted by: Nicole | Jul 06, 2011 at 12:20 PM
I've had bright orange bedrooms, and now my kitchen is painted that way, too. I've done shades of purple, icey blue and lots more. It's all worked well for me thanks to the variety.
In my parents' house, no two rooms have the same color, and there are accent walls in between. My husband painted our home when it was still his bachelor place, and there is brown every where. It drives me bonkers. Too much of the same color. Slowly working to change that.
The blue you've picked looks lovely. Very free. Good for a creative space. And if you end up not liking it, paint again! That's the glory of paint.
Posted by: Lizzy | Jul 06, 2011 at 12:25 PM
Yeah...but that blue looks awesome with that yellow! Maybe leave one wall? Or a big square that you could use to frame your corkboard? Just a suggestion ;)....
Posted by: Marcie Abney | Jul 06, 2011 at 01:21 PM
oh funny you said that! We have a big bookcase on one wall that I dont want to move, so behind the bookcase is gonna stay yellow and well be able to see it peeking thru the records books :)
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 01:31 PM
Mustard yellow and aqua is one of my latest color crazes...You must post a picture of the bookcase when you're through! Happy Painting!
Posted by: Marcie Abney | Jul 06, 2011 at 01:39 PM
I like the idea of bright colors on walls, but I'm guessing they're probably best suited for rooms that where you won't be spending too much time. I remember reading a while ago that a lot of arguments occurred in kitchens because most people painted their kitchens yellow.
Posted by: June Shin | Jul 06, 2011 at 01:54 PM
I discovered the same thing with my fav color, pukey green (yes, that's the best way I can describe it). When I repainted my bedroom, I took a paint sample with my favorite green on it and used the very lightest version of it - so pale it really looks yellow. Turned out lovely, it can seem soft green or yellow depending on the weather outside, and sometimes glows.
Posted by: Marissa | Jul 06, 2011 at 02:02 PM
You're going to love the blue. I've used yellow in the kitchen and that's a good place for it.
We now have a U-shaped configuration and it's beige (was light blue before) and the beige warms it up. I don't know where to break it up though.
Posted by: Linda B | Jul 06, 2011 at 03:22 PM
Oh yeah, I definitely think about color psych! Especially when it comes to the bedroom, because you want a color you love but you also want to be relaxed and ready to sleep peacefully. That and brightness for good photos guide my choices. :) That light blue will be so pretty!
Posted by: Trude | Jul 06, 2011 at 03:31 PM
oh thats so interesting! Makes sense!
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 04:09 PM
I once heard that usually the colours we feel that we need to see more often are the colours that are most missing in our souls (in a specific day or for a period of time). Considering that our souls are suposed to "be" as withe as the light of the sun, we sort of try to compensate that lack :)
Posted by: Tresa | Jul 06, 2011 at 04:10 PM
Oh my gosh, I cant even imagine you angry! haha!! :) I totally understand what you mean tho- so strange how colors can change our moods. Accent walls are good for bold colors, yes! The wall behind our couch is teal but yeah, we really dont see it much!
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 04:14 PM
ooh, that sounds pretty!
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Oh awesome! I love lots of colorful walls! Our house was all brownish tones too when we bought it- maybe thats why we went so bright when we painted! It felt so drab before.
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 04:22 PM
Hmm, interesting! Im definitely feeling the need for a more calming, relaxing vibe in my mind and body right now :)
Posted by: Miss Modish | Jul 06, 2011 at 05:01 PM
This is such a wonderful post because research has shown years over that color is not just important when it comes to marketing and advertising, it truly affects our relationships and our health. I love that you mention blue as a calming color, as well. Other calming colors are light blues and greens.
Posted by: Kourtney | Jul 06, 2011 at 09:17 PM
That is so weird... I am in Portland too, and almost painted my sewing room yellow! Though after much thought I think I have settled on a very similar blue to yours! I am not usually a blue person, the other rooms of my house are earthy colors. I did tons of color theory research when I did my business logo, which ended up a very hot pink, again not a color I'd usually choose, but the response is great. Who knew?
~Michele
Posted by: ByYourSide2009 | Jul 06, 2011 at 10:21 PM
I totally believe in the impact of color as well! Although, I have had (light) yellow bedrooms twice in my life, and loved them...especially for rooms that don't get enough morning sunlight, yellow walls realllly brighten them up and makes me cheerful to rise in the morning. Now I try to get the same effect by using yellow curtains. :) But yeah, for an office I probably wouldn't want that color. Not sure what I would choose...one thing I do remember is my mom telling me once that a certain shade of green is supposed to make you "crazy," haha!!
Posted by: Sally | Jul 07, 2011 at 05:37 AM
My fiance and I agonized over color choices when we bought our first house. We knew we didn't want white but it's so very hard to select colors you like that you think you'll still like in the future. Luckily, all that agonizing paid off because it's been 2 years and we still love all our color choices - even the deep aqua we painted the guest room. That said, if we ever do tire of the colors, I'm all for choosing something new and painting it all over again. It's an easy way to shift the mood in a room.
Posted by: Emily M | Jul 07, 2011 at 06:35 AM
Love the new color Jena. Not sure if someone already suggested this but I would try three walls with the blue leaving one yellow to see if you like it before going completely blue. They look like they compliment really well. Then maybe you could find a fabric pattern with both colors for simple curtains or pillows to pull it all together. Oooh... or paint picture frames/bulletin boards yellow for the blue walls and vice versa.
Posted by: Megan Leone | Jul 07, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Having written seven books on color (soon to be eight and nine) i can tell you that there are many factors to making a color in why this didn't work for you. First, to much intensity of yellow on all four walls causes a "bounce back' in light reflection-- so it is overkill. you should have gone for a softer more chamois-type yellow, what in the paint industry is called 'dirtying' a color. It still brings the illusion of sunlight, so necessary in the northwest where i live as well. I have yellow throughout the main portion of my home, but it is a color especially formulated for our "neck of the woods" so that it isn't a shocking blast, but a liveable, nurturing warming hue so necessary for our gray winter days, especially for anyone with SAD syndrome. People come into the home and constantly remark on the warmth and light it conveys.
Forget the ridiculous stories about bright yellow causing aggression or making babies cry more-- that was never scientifically proven and is urban legend, started by a color charlatan who loved to say outrageous things to get attention. it is all in the value and intensity of the color-- not just the hue. The blue that you chose is lovely, but on cold dreary days in Portland you are going to long for some warmth-- so bring some warmth into the room with accents or paint one of the walls a warm color that your eye can land on on those days you wished there was some sun!!
Leatrice Eiseman
Director, Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training
Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute
eisemancolorblog.com
Posted by: Leatrice Eiseman | Jul 07, 2011 at 11:10 AM
I really like the shade of blue you're swapping out for the yellow. Apparently the overkill in yellow tones is what's supposed to annoy McD's customers out of the restaurant dining areas! Not to say that your walls reminded me of McDonald's, but that's the only thing I could remember from a human factors class I took in relation to the color of walls. Can't wait to see what the room looks like once the blue goes up!
Posted by: katrina | Jul 07, 2011 at 01:28 PM
This is really interesting! I'm compelled to learn more about colour psychology. I can sort of relate to your story. My last apartment had a baby pink bedroom with red velvety curtains! It just didn't feel like me, therefore it wasn't comfortable. I ended up painting it a soft soothing grey, which looked amazing and felt calm and comfortable to me.
I like your new colour a lot, I think it'll look great and hopefully feel great for you as well :)
Posted by: Alyssa | Jul 07, 2011 at 05:42 PM
That looks so much like the light mint blue/green of our back room in the new shop---I LOVE it! I kinda consider the psychology, but mostly just how it makes meee feel. I often change my mind about a color after it's almost too late too. I really like where you're going with it.
Posted by: betsy | Jul 11, 2011 at 05:15 PM
Wow, Tresa, intense and lovely statement :)
I hope color psychology doesn't perpetuate "white is pure and innocent and black is degraded and sinister." It is dangerous to pigeonhole colors like that, especially when it is subconsciously applied to human beings. I always caution my students about this.
I like to believe that colors possess the powers I attribute to them (it may be that black is a "happy" color) rather than being subject to someone's definitions. Or is it inherent power within the colors?
Hhmmm...interesting!
Posted by: callmesusana | Jul 12, 2011 at 10:39 AM
I like tha color of your pad. Nice pictures too. :)
Posted by: Jessica Mahoney | Dec 09, 2012 at 09:44 PM