It’s not without good reason that red is used for traffic stop signs!  The color red is great for grabbing attention and can increase brain activity and your pulse rate! It is therefore a great color for spaces with high traffic and lots of activity.

Red is great for creating a party atmosphere or adding a sense of drama to the space. It is also the preferred color in many restaurants and shops. Red increases the appetite and adds sophistication to a space. Note, the color red is used for seat cushions, curtains and carpets in a theater. Red is also associated with passion and fire and can be used to stimulate and intensify emotion. If you need to spice up your love life, introduce a small amount of red in the bedroom and see what happens!

Warning!  Use the color red sparingly in your decor! Red is such a powerful color that too much of it will overwhelm. You can feel moody and aggressive if you  stay in a room that is intensely red for too long. To avoid this, use red as an accent color in a room rather than the dominate color in the space.

Red adds warmth to a dinghy corner and will make a room feel more cozy and intimate. It is therefore, a popular choice for dining rooms.

Add red to a room if you are feeling depressed, suffering from anemia, procrastination, or just need a stimulating uplifting boost of energy!

Excerpts from Easy Feng Shui by Clare Plaister, easy-feng-shui.com

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Color – One of my favorite decorating tools!  Changing colors in a room can change the energy and the mood of the space in an instant.  Before selecting a room’s color pallet, ask yourself a few questions to narrow down the options. I think we have all been standing in the paint aisle looking at thousands of paint chips feeling overwhelmed and confused. Once you identify a few key points that you are trying to achieve in the space; the color selection process is much easier to master.
Key Points to Consider:  

• What will the space used for?
• Who will use the space
• How much natural light does the room have?
• What  mood am I trying to create?  

Once you know the expectations of a room, it is much easier to determine a color pallet. Also keep in mind that , vibrant and stimulating colors will continue to stimulate throughout the day and the night. In contrast, calming, restful colors will remain that way as well.  I find it very interesting that every color has its own vibration and our bodies have the ability to “see” color even in the dark. Studies with blind participants have shown that we do not need to actually see a color to feel the effects it has on us<  Some colors also have the ability to be warm or cool, depending on how they are used, the lighting in the room, or colors they are mixed with.

Here are a few  examples of how changing the color can dramatically change the feeling of a room:

If you or your child are having trouble sleeping at night, you may want to look into a more soothing paint or bedding color choice such as a calming blue or a restful green.  The opposite is also true; the perfect color in a bedroom may be too relaxing for a productive day at the office.  A great color for concentration is yellow and a splash of red in a room will call you to action.

Still having trouble choosing or blending colors in your home? Give me a call and we can work together to create a color pallet to suit your taste and the rooms function and purpose.

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Green is associated with peace and calm and lies at the center of the color spectrum. It is calming, reassuring and promotes feelings of safety (chosen as the color of the international safety code).

Its balancing, restful qualities, make green an obvious choice for bedrooms, living rooms and places of retreat (not home offices of studies). Its also a great color to use if your are experiencing a wayward teenager or people who seem out of balance on an emotional level.

Color therapists generally use green to reduce stress, ease headaches. migraines and gastric ulcers or balance mood swings.

Although a restful color , green also represents growth (be it financial or personal). If you choose a bright green it can bring abundance to you and urge you to take  positive action.

Clare Plaister, easy-feng-shui.com

Photo Attribute: www.housetohome.co.uk

Orange is a fun, exciting and vibrant color! It’s a combination of hot red and sunshine yellow; having energy, and warmth, like the sun, but less less intensity or aggression than red.

Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared, such as compassion, passion, and warmth. Orange will help a person recover from disappointments, a wounded heart, or a blow to one’s pride.

Jennifer Bourn states, “Studies show that the color orange can create physical effects such as increased hunger, heightened sense of activity, increased socialization, boost in aspiration, stimulated mental activity, increased oxygen supply to the brain, increased contentment, and enhanced assurance. Orange also helps aid decision making, and enhances happiness, confidence, and understanding.”

While orange does stimulate the appetite, it is a common color found in citrus fruit and is often associated with Vitamin C and a healthy diet. Orange is a popular color in restaurants to encourage the feeling of hunger and contentment. Too much orange causes self-centered and self-serving qualities, including pride, arrogance, and lack of care for others. Too little orange causes loss of motivation, lower self-esteem, and loneliness.

Different shades, tints, and hues of orange have different meanings. For example, red-orange relates to passion, pleasure, desire, aggression, domination, and action. A golden orange often stands for prestige, wisdom, illumination, wealth, and quality. A light orange or peach color tend to be more friendly and soothing.

Adding the color orange to your home decor can have the same energizing result. Common areas such as dining spaces, game rooms, kitchens, powder rooms, and laundry rooms are well suited to the energy of the color orange. Whereas bedrooms, offices, libraries and study areas are too peaceful for the energy of fire. A soft peach would be a better choice for a quiet space.
When adding orange, remember a little goes a long way. If you would like to add energy or drama to a space, try painting a dining room or kitchen wall a shade of Burnt Orange or Terra Cotta. Orange color tones will liven up the conversation and increase the appetites of your table guests. As for living areas, adding a few throw pillows, an area rug or an orange drapery will warm up the space and add some spunk. If your looking for a quick way to warm a cold room, a few orange accessories will do the trick. Try looking to nature for an inexpensive way to bring the outdoors in. Leaves, pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers are great indoor additions this time of year!
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