The Effect of Colors on Emotions

Colors have long been known to have an effect on emotions. While the perception of color is subjective, colors in the red spectrum are stimulating and colors in the blue/green spectrum are soothing.

Warm Colors

• These are the colors reds, oranges and yellows. The emotional effect can be stimulating and energetic to the extreme of evoking anger.

Cool Colors

• These are the blues, purples and greens. These colors can evoke an emotional feeling of calm, or possibly to the extreme of sadness.

Red

• Red is a stimulating color, demanding attention. Red is the color of warnings, alerting the viewer to stay vigilant for danger. Red is intense, inducing feelings of passion or excitement.

Blue

• Blue is a calming color, producing feelings of tranquility and confidence. Blue is associated with wisdom and sincerity. In the extreme, blue can also evoke feelings of melancholy and sadness.

Environment

• The use of color in a room can have an impact on the emotional response of the person in the environment. When choosing colors for a room, it is beneficial to consider the emotional impact of the colors used. Warm colors are bold and invigorating, inviting excitement, and cool colors are calm and serene, encouraging harmony and peacefulness.