Polychrome Homes: The Science Behind the Shade

If you havent found it yet, keep looking. Dont settle. As with all matters of the heart, youll know it when you find it. -Steve Jobs

What are some of the things you first look for in a home?

Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced homeowner, deciding on which property to call home is more than just having a smooth-talking realtor and a seemingly attractive and affordable mortgage.

A home isnt something you choose out of a catalog or acquire just by window shopping. Your home has to make you feel something. Its not all about aesthetics and specs, how many storeys it has, or what the floors are made of.

Its your house. You are allowed to do what you want with its walls, furniture and exteriors. The color wheel is more significant than you think. Pick your hues first, furniture can come last.

Interior Reaction

Faber Birrens book, Colour Psychology and Colour Therapy: A Factual Study of the Influence of Colour on Human Life has generalized the relationship between our emotions to colors. Although perception of color is not the same for all humans, universally, we all share fundamental color responses.

Warm hues like red, orange, yellow and sometimes pink, are stimulating, adrenaline-inducing and metabolism boosters. It also means that people who prefer these shades are more aware of their social environment.

Be careful how you use shades of red though, too much of it on Valentines Day may end in rage rather than romance. Although orange is said to be genial, it also reveals pride and ambition.

Fresh colors like green, blue, and violet have tranquilizing abilities; they release stress and increases productivity. They are also the easiest and most restful for the eyes. On a much darker note, according to Birren, those who are drawn to the color blue find adapting to new environments and situations challenging.

Watch Your Tone

Room color, particularly in your home, can dramatically affect moods, feelings and emotions says Dr. Julia Shugar of the Creedmor Psychiatric Center, New York.

Warm and earthy tones like brown and beige often work well in both the living room and hallway, because they stimulate conversation.

Ever wonder why you rarely see restaurant interiors bleed blue? Unless youre on a perpetual diet, avoid painting your kitchen or dining room walls blue since its been proven to decrease appetite and endorse weight loss. Its definitely a no-no for food chains and eateries.

Psychology Today states that pink can channel memories of dolls, which is why some may be drawn to it for a little girls room. If you don't admire this rosy color, use it in a room where you won't be using as much.

Aside from the fact that bathrooms are hard to maintain and clean, white and beige are no longer the in colors to use. As the room most people used to wash up, rejuvenate and relax, use blues and greens as a popular alternative.

For rooms made for exercising and physical activities like a personal gym or the garage, red or orange hues work best. These shades are said to encourage movement, but they also make you feel warmer. Yellows and blues with a shade of green will not only make you more active, itll release more endorphins.

Finally, the room we spend most of our time in: master bedrooms. It is suggested that main bedrooms use green, the color for relaxation. In pagan times, green also represents fertility.

White is most commonly associated with hospital walls, making us feel lonely and bleak, while gray associates with fear and depression.

Outdoor Matters

Color coding doesnt only apply to indoor spaces.

According to roofing experts , your choice of roof color can also affect the temperature of your home making it hotter than it should be in the summer, or colder than normal during winter. Youd be lying if you said the temperature or weather didnt distress you (physically or emotionally) in any way.

White roofs are said to absorb 20 percent less heat than dark colored roofs.

If you simply have no talent or patience to maintain a light colored roof, the least you can do is choose a less dark color. This will attract less sunlight, resulting in lower air conditioning and cooling bills.

All up to Hue

So maybe your room has been feeling chillier than ever this winter season because of its blue walls. Or youve been getting hungry more often because of your yellow ceiling (think McDonalds). Its a sign that some interior renovating is a must on your to-do list one of these days.

Sure, its nice to walk into a flawlessly arranged house knowing youll be able to handle all the expenses that come with owning a home. A few tweaks here and there and your abode will be conducive, pleasant and positive all over. Trust your senses, then youll find your inner peace.

Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful. Hazrat Inayat Khan