Colors: Their Connotations and Perceived Meanings

Throughout the ages, colors have been used to evoke certain emotions, and an examination of the history of color offers fascinating insights into the human condition, as well as showing how different cultures have developed different attitudes about color. Here are a few examples of what various colors have come to represent over the years:

Red

Red has traditionally been associated with courage and love in Western culture, but in China, red is the color of happiness and good fortune. In fact, white has traditionally been the color most preferred for wedding dresses in America, but the Chinese prefer to dress their brides in red.

Orange

Orange is considered a warm color, perhaps because it has evoked the feeling of fire, all the way back to mankind's earliest beginnings. Painting walls a subtle orange, leaning toward a warm brown, stimulates the appetite and can reduce tension. However, as the orange color becomes brighter, it begins to take on a high energy feel and can lead to anxiety.

Brown

Brown is another warm and comforting color, stimulating the appetite and actually making food taste better. That makes coffee brown, in all intensities, with or without the cream, an ideal candidate for dining rooms.

Yellow

Since it's always been associated with the sun, yellow has traditionally been considered a cheerful color. Yellow is also the first color most people see in early spring, when the daffodils begin to bloom. However, there seems to be an East/West cultural difference when it comes to yellow. The Chinese revere yellow enough to have considered it the imperial color since the 10th century, yet several Western studies have shown that yellow is many people's least favorite color.

Green

Green is another color that has both an up and down side. It's associated with the new growth of spring, prosperity, and clean, fresh air, yet it can also carry a negative connotation, in terms of mold, nausea, and jealousy. Throughout the ages, green has most often been considered to represent fertility, and during the 15th century, green was the most popular choice of for the wedding gowns of European brides.

Blue

Because it's associated with the color of the sea and the sky, blue has come to symbolize serenity and infinity. That's especially true of the more greenish shades of blue, such as aqua and teal. On the other hand, cooler shades of blue can have a tendency to cause feelings of sadness.

Purple

Over the millennia, purple has been associated with royalty in Western civilizations, due to the difficulty and expense involved in producing purple dye, which was made from a particular species of mollusk shell. Even today, when purple can be produced just as inexpensively as any other color, the use of purple is still considered to represent elegance and sophistication.

There are stories and connotations for every color, and different cultures assign different meanings to colors. For instance, American brides generally prefer white wedding dresses, while many Asian cultures dress their brides in black, reserving white for funerals. But regardless of what culture on is from, one thing is certain: colors will always have effects on human beings and should be carefully considered when decorating a home.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

---

Building a Backyard Play Structure

A child's dream backyard includes a play structure complete with... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Garage Conversions - What Value Do They Add?

Most conversion works to an existing structure is often more... Read More

The $27,000 Toilet Seat - Funny DIY Story

This story was told to me by a plumber I... Read More

What is Design Psychology and How Will it Help Me?

In this article, we'll be taking a look at the... Read More

Materials For Building Window Shutters

Shopping for window shutters can become confusing because of the... Read More

If You?re Looking for Bedding, Think ?Pink?

If you have come to a point in your life... Read More

Finishing Your Basement Can be Very Rewarding

Transforming your home's basement into a finished space can prove... Read More

Installing Vinyl Replacement Windows In A Wood Frame Opening

When we left off last week, we had removed the... Read More

Add Sizzle to Your Surroundings

Is your home décor lacking that extra something that spells... Read More

Choosing the Right House Plan

Now that you have made that bold decision to build... Read More

The Dangers of Pesticides and the EPAs Harrowing Plan to Test Them on Kids

Pesticides are a ubiquitous toxin in our environment. We spray... Read More

Trading in Corporate Office for Home Office

Six years ago, I had not yet turned on a... Read More

Complete Home Rehab In 10 Days

This report is about taking a house and restoring it... Read More

How to Install a Ceiling Fan - A Simple Guide

A Complete manual on how to install a Ceiling Fan... Read More

How To Clean Your Air Conditioner Like A Pro

Jack Frost is nipping at our nose and Santa Clause... Read More

Change The Style Of Your Interior With A Minimum Of Costs

The style of your interior depends for a great part... Read More

Traditional Interior Design

Traditional interior design encompasses a great variety of elements in... Read More

Five Ways to Create a Healthy Home

Have you ever thought of your home as being healthy... Read More

Building or Decorating Your Home Requires House Plans

There are some things to consider when creating plans for... Read More

Creating Your Joyful Home: Dawning of Your Emotions

"I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me,... Read More

Use Ladders Safely

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that each year more... Read More

A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place

Tax season is over...The spring holidays have passed... Hopefully by... Read More

A Well Chosen Bathroom Vanity Will Make Your Bathroom Look Great!

A bathroom vanity is the centerpiece of your bathroom. Regardless... Read More

Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home

In addition to causing destruction, water damage also has an... Read More

Physiological Response to Window Coverings

Nothing soothes the brain like Mother Nature, whose intrinsic scenery... Read More

5 Steps for Creating a Garage You Can Love ? and Use

A major US corporation recently launched a new line of... Read More

Are You In or Out of Balance?

CLUTTER: When clutter starts to accumulate in an environment, imbalance... Read More

Pool Decks ? Add Ambiance to Your Above Ground Pool

Above ground pools are beloved by many and have gained... Read More

Color Help: Color Theory and Design Psychology

Color theory is an entire science unto itself, and to... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Agricultural Plots of Land for Sale - The Latest Mug Punter Scam?

The first part of most years brings a flurry of... Read More

Everything - Plus The Kitchen Sink

Looking to do some remodeling in your kitchen sink area... Read More

Door Hardware - the Focal Point of the Home

The door is the focal point of the home which... Read More

With A Stylish Bathroom Vanity You Can Take Pride In Your Bathroom?s Appearance!

An easy way to instantly improve your bathroom's image is... Read More