Every time we pick a color to paint our guest room, there's always one naysayer in our polling midst who vetoes the color and gasps out, "OH no. THAT color is used in mental wards!" So now, that delectable mint color that we were hovering over will is now officially known as as Mentally Ill Menthol.
So we decided that for once, we will put aside our visual preferences, and rely strictly on the science of psychology to pick the paint color that screams, "Welcome to our home! And don't forget to put the toilet seat down!"
Our study started out ambitious: we got Faber Birren's Color Psychology and Color Therapy: A Factual Study of the Influence of Color, and while we were fascinated by the more arcane dissection of colors and whatnot, we admit that halfway through we ditched to watch Beauty and the Geek reruns. So then, we opted for the Cliff Notes version, and it was like reading Dr. Seuss for the Color-Challenged. ("Red packs a wallop! It instills feeling of intimacy and passion!"). But before you sign this off completely, here's what we managed to glean from our ahem, research:
Red: We didn't know it increases the appetite (so THAT's why so many restaurants have red walls!), but we all know it's the official color of romance, passion, etc. We also didn't know that deep red paired with black insinuates anger, which makes us leery of adding that asian-inspired lacquer nightstand to the guest room.
Orange: Considered more friendly and welcoming than red which makes it a prime candidate for our guest room, but apparently also reveals pride and ambition. Hum.
Yellow: Advisable for dark hallways or smaller rooms for its bright cheeriness. It's also a bit of an attention hog, although according to Birren, it "emanates the aura of an intellectual person." (And also indicated friendship in the form of a rose, if anyone cares.)
Green: The color of relaxation, much more versatile than blue. Light green, we are advised, are excellent for bedrooms, living rooms, and yes, hospitals.
Blue: Calm and tranquil, excellent for bedrooms...and apparently, an appetite suppressant. Also, it implies great religious feeling and noble ideals.
Violet: Considered to be the most hated color by adults (what?), it can be used in kids rooms. As apparently, kids are not opposed to purple. Which might explain Barney, but doesn't explain the Woggles.
After reviewing the information, we decided to go with gray. That is, until we read: "Gray is to be associated with depression and fear."
Greeeat.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
You have no idea how strongly you're giving me the urge to acquire a guest room solely for the purpose of painting it mint green.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
Wait what!? Gray relays depression and fear? That may explain why I can't sleep at night since one of my bedroom walls is DARK gray. Sheesh. Maybe I'll switch to orange then. Hmmm.
view annaland's profile
I personally don't worry about what a color means...if I like it, I use it.
I never really agreed with the moods generally associated with colors. I do not find red agressive, I find it warm and vibrant. My bedroom was stop sign red for the longest time, I never went on an angry tirade because of it....
It all depends on how the color's used and paired with accents.
view cassandra158's profile
If we're being serious... is your guest room visible from the rest of the home?
If it's not, I'd do it in some color that you fantasize about using but that doesn't "go" with everything else. That way, you have a little retreat from reality when you're not using it for guests.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
there's little more to the "meaning" of colour than there is to dream interpretation. this is all culturally and highly individually subjective. use the colours you like and that complement your decor.
view vinegar's profile
i don't know about blue being an appetite suppressant, my kitchen is blue and it doesn't keep me from snacking.
view paintedfish's profile
I'm with vinegar.
I think the combination of colors, and the proportion of each color used in a room or home, is much more important than the colors and their supposed "meanings" taken individually. Where I work, we have many charcoal gray walls combined with orange accents; too much orange is obnoxious/weirdly stimulating and too much gray is supposedly depressing, but the earthy gray looks great with the orange and enhances it while reining it in.
I do love green in the bedroom, though. Green is physically the easiest on the eyes, so it's literally very soothing. Unless it's acid green or something. Every color has a split personality, and that's what this color psychology stuff cannot account for.
view mmadden's profile
I put dark green shades on guest room windows and my guests woke looking dead. Or, at least, so they said...
view momma's profile
what does it mean then that I want a room that is purply-gray? I must be very ill ;)
I don't have kids but isn't it the Wiggles? You say Woggle, I say Wiggle we all fall down.
view richie rich's profile
The only test I have for my paint colors is to make sure they are flattering with my skin tone. Like I know that I can't wear green cause it makes my olive skin look ill, so I definitely wouldn't want to be surrounded in a room with that background.
view EastVillageAmy's profile
East village Amy--that's what I do too. I just look at what colors most of my clothes are and then pick out paint chips.
And I realize that my entire apartment is either light green or blue. Looks like someone needs to relax.
view laure's profile
EastVillageAmy -
The ONLY test? Really?
I think pale pink is a good paint color because it is so universally flattering. Yellow can be iffy because it makes some people look sallow. And there's nothing like an extremely orange room to make nearly anyone look ill.
I'd like to see people included in Color Contest entries, to see if the room makes them look great or disgusting.
view mmadden's profile
When I was painting my living room, I was trying to create a tranquil space, so decided to go with light green. I felt like I was living inside a mint ice cream vat or, yes, a mental faciltity, rather than the zen palace I'd imagined. I had to repaint the whole room with a doctored version of the paint. (It's a good idea when painting to have some basic pigments on hand)
view m.'s profile
if i painted my rooms after what color most of my clothes are, they'd all be black and white. with some blue (denim).
view elizabeth in AL's profile
Rizki-RI
Is this also work on the exterior colors?...We plan to have our house paint light grey.
view Rizki's profile
Hmmm. What do you guys think a chocolaty color means?
view wiscompton's profile
Well, I was just about to paint the place grey. I love grey with touches of gold, yellow and white, and some pink. Nobody wants me to do it, but I like the balance, calm and weight of it. What should I do? Chocolate is warm, welcoming, cozy--see Mark Hampton's brown gloss library.
view avianmission's profile
I'm painting my small 4 by 6 entryway in Benjamin Moore's Dolphin, which is a rich grey with an undertone of green. I'm choosing a high-gloss finish and crisp white on the moldings.
I'm hanging a beautiful Oly carved looking mirror in white over a table with a vintage cement urn on it filled with orchids.
I can't wait for it to be finished. I love the news greys. They have gorgeous undertones and look so chic and fresh.
Katie
view katieb829's profile