The power of colours

Interior design in health and care settings needs a lot of consideration. Creating a calming, relaxing environment is key, but this shouldn’t hold back any fun or bright elements that could spark imagination or make a scheme more appealing. We’ve seen this first-hand with a number of businesses we’ve furnished over the years and seen how the colour schemes of different rooms can influence the thoughts and feelings of the residents. Here we take a look at some of the colours that have been proven to have an effect on your mood…

Baker Miller Pink

Perhaps one of the biggest mysteries to psychologists is Baker Miller Pink and the affect it has on people. Multiple studies have been performed to try and uncover the influence it has, with many prisons, holding cells and wards being painted this colour resulting in different results. But in some cases, the reduction of aggression when exposed to this colour for a few minutes could not be ignored and many football locker rooms, prisons and psychiatric hospitals continue to use the colour which seems to reduce anxiety, blood pressure and muscle tension.

Feeling blue?

Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity, often described as tranquil and secure. A lot of businesses also use this colour to decorate office spaces as research shows people are more productive in blue rooms. So why is it we refer to feeling blue when we’re down? An example of this can be seen during Picasso’s blue period where his paintings became much darker using many blue shades. This stems from a phrase used on old deep-water ships when a captain or any officers passed away during voyage the flags would be changed to blue ones and a blue band of paint would be added along the hull. Although blue can be associated with feeling down, it is more commonly linked to calm, peaceful thoughts.

Sunset orange

The colour orange is often used to draw attention to something, it’s bright and eye catching an evokes excitement and enthusiasm. Rooms decorated with orange elements are said to make people more attentive, with a lot of studies showing that it can lift moods and make people feel happier. Hints of red in orange can help increase a person’s appetite which is why it often be found in cafeterias or dining areas to encourage you to spend more, but this is also helpful for wards where people may be struggling with appetite issues. Also linked closely to orange is yellow which is a warm colour which can evoke happiness, but it has also been known to cause stress and frustration with studies revealing more people are likely to lose their temper in a yellow room. But when mixed with red to create orange, it can have the opposite effect and cause positive feelings.

We work with a lot of different settings that require this attention to detail such as mental health wards where it’s important to ensure patients are made to feel as comfortable and positive as possible. The psychology behind different colours is still something we’re learning about today and it is a factor we consider when choosing fabrics and colourways for our pieces.

What colours do you find calming? We would love to carry on the conversation on our social media @knightsbridgefurniture on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.