Two weeks ago, Fawn Chang from Color Guild International gave a presentation at Hirshfield’s Design Studio called “How to Use Color in Space”. We’ve gathered some of her best points for you here.

Whether we like it or not, our space affects our physiology and mood. In fact,  color and space affect us so much that we can use these elements in our design to drive specific behavior in that space. Let’s take a look at how this works.

When designing a room, the first question you should ask yourself is, “What is the purpose of this room?”. If you’re designing your living room, do you want it to be a lively and vivacious space, or do you want it to inspire close, intimate conversations? Once you’ve decided on your room’s purpose, that’s when you can start thinking about color.

Colors will influence how a space makes you feel, which means you want to choose your color palettes carefully.  Whites, as well as tints, will activate and energize you. This energy will not last forever, though – after awhile, it will exhaust you. Blacks, and deep shades of color, will draw the energy from the room and our bodies, making the room much quieter.

To create excitement in a room, choose vibrant colors and strong contrast.

If you’re designing your bedroom, your best bet is to choose a warm, neutral flesh tone – anywhere from a pale yellow to a rich cocoa tone will do the trick.

Pink will relax you and reduce disruptive and aggressive behavior, which makes it a great option for a nursery or a playroom.

There is a place for many different colors in your home – the key is using them in the right rooms.

For more information on how color affects us visit Fawn’s website.

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