Color Me

Understanding color theory is vital to achieving a desired emotion from an audience. The color wheel allows for many combinations, and through an understanding of the relationship between the colors, a color palette can be chosen carefully to evoke a certain feeling. I notice this particularly in interior designs, because the colors in a room greatly affect how comfortable I feel immediately as I enter.

Photo courtesy of Action Interior.

First, knowing which colors belong in the warm and cool families makes a big difference. For example, this interior shown above makes use of orange, yellow orange, as well as different tints and shades of brown, which is essentially a shade of orange. The interior makes use of warm colors to create a sense of relaxation and comfort. I can imagine the little cups on the side table to be filled with hot coffee, and for there to be a fireplace on the other side of the room. The choice of colors definitely reflect the leaves of autumn.

Photo courtesy of Top Design Blog.

In this example, the interior consists of many tints and shades of blue, a cool color. From looking at this photo, I feel a sense of tranquility. It reminds me of water, bringing my mind to think of the ocean and going to the beach. This isn't to say that colors always signify a specific season, but that like the seasons, they do have a distinctively different feel.

Color theory also includes understanding color "harmonies", colors that go well together. Designing with these in mind will create visual appeal, instead of looking unmatched. The photo below is of Pure Yogurt Shop, which utilizes the color harmony of split complementaries. On the color wheel, a split complementary is one color, and the two neighboring colors of it's complement, which is the one directly across the wheel. It creates a dynamic look, without having as strong of a visual impact as complementary colors would.

Photo courtesy of East Lake Directory.

The colors used in the dining room below, are complementary. Using these colors creates a bold look, with high contrast similar to using black and white. The mood of this room is certainly different from the other examples before, as it has a much more vibrant feel as the colors enhance the intensity of each other. A calmer mood resonates from the first two examples, as the color scheme is almost monochromatic and the eyes are not as excited.

Photo courtesy of Home Design Photo.

Color theory is not only important for visual appeal, to create harmonious color schemes, but it is also useful as a cue for an audience. In associating colors with emotion, we can also see them as active characters, reacting off one another, and the result of that interaction becomes what the audience sees. It can serve as a cue as to what type of environment it is, and from there what behavior can be expected, as well as what may be appropriate dress. For society, color theory can accomplishes a lot, and a better understanding of the relationship between colors around the wheel can lead to designs that more accurately portray the desired mood.