The Sensory Impact of Wall Color

Basics

• While different wall colors have specific effects on the viewer, general classes of colors tend toward the same overall impressions. Freshome defines these basic impressions as active, passive and neutral. Darker-colored walls often convey a warm, rich, elegant feel, while lighter colors can add space and brightness to a living area. Because of their ability to influence psychological and emotional states directly, color choices tend to make the same basic sensory impacts on people regardless of changes in interior decorating styles or home fashion trends.

Warm Colors

• Warm colors for walls may include reds, yellows and oranges. Red tends to serve as an active color that stimulates a person's vital signs and adrenal glands, conveying a sense of excitement and energy. Yellow adds cheer and stimulates the nervous system. Unfortunately, both colors can also create irritability and anger. Dream Home Decorating points out that earth tones such as brown, often thought of as "warm," do not belong to either the warm side or the cool side of the spectrum because they consist of a mix of many different colors. Even so, most browns convey a warm, safe, welcoming feeling.

Cool Colors

• Cool colors that can grace a room's walls include blues, greens and purples. Blue has a direct effect on the human nervous system, reducing blood pressure and other vital signs to create a sense of profound calm. Softer blues provoke feelings of relaxation, while darker shades can lead to gloom. Green also promotes a restful, relaxed feeling, but the yellow in it adds a comforting touch of warmth that blue lacks. A lighter purple also soothes the nerves, while a darker purple evokes elegance, drama and luxury.

Considerations

• While many homeowners focus on selecting the right color for their walls, they may want to take their ceilings into consideration as well. Just as different wall colors influence the apparent size of a room, a light-colored ceiling will imply a greater room height, while a darker ceiling color will create the visual illusion of a cozier space with a lower ceiling. The relationship between the wall colors and carpeting colors can also affect the overall sensory impact the room makes on the viewer. Homeowners with young children should consider painting a child's room in bright colors, particularly red, because bright colors stimulate brain activity and curiosity in children, according to One Day Decor.