Why Color Matters


Have you ever walked into a room, and surprise!  Your anxiety turns into calm, or your anger into cheer?  Why your mood can quickly switch just by changing your environment may simply be because the colors you are now suddenly surrounded by are different.

Recently we visited the Denver Design District to listen to Lori Weitzner, a New York based textile designer and author of Ode to Color, speak on what she describes as color world’s, and how these world’s unique personalities may reflect and affect your own.

Most of you have heard about the psychology of color at some point in your life.  Own a restaurant, then paint the walls yellow.  Why? This color has been linked to an increase in appetite, which is exactly what a person in the food industry is looking for.  Weitzners’ approach is different though.  Rather than focusing on one specific color and how it can directly affect your behavior, she instead focuses on the many hues that belong to one color palette and examines a more generalized look at how this reflects and affects personality and mood.

In her book, Weitzner lists the ten worlds of color and thoroughly describes how & why each of them differ. 1) Waterside 2) Silverlight 3) Garden Party 4) Night Shadows 5) Whisper 6) Earthly 7) At Ease 8) Out Loud 9) Alchemy 10) Fragrant Woods.  Each of these color world’s representing different personality traits and consisting of different colors.

For example, waterside is a color world full of blues and teals.  It’s a color world that reflects a peaceful and tranquil state of mind.  So, if you’re someone who tends to stress and is in need of tranquility, using blue in a room is probably the way to go.  Or maybe you want something more lively?  The color world Garden Party is one full of uplifting and warmhearted colors like bright greens.  So, if you need a space to brighten up your mood then this palette would best be suited for you.

Color is very important to your emotional well-being and as designers we want to create a space that reflects (or possibly deflects) your personality to the tee.  So let us help you! With tools like the book Ode to Color we know we can create your perfect environment.