Color Psychology  Tips for Painting & Design

A customer-first approach to running your business is crucial. No matter the industry or the business. But did you know this mentality extends to the colors you choose for your commercial space?

Here are a few tips and pointers on how to make your workspace work for you.

Yes, color theory psychology is a thing and important to consider when selecting your business’s interior or exterior color palette, as the psychological effects of color can reflect on your employee motivation, customer’s mood even, and not to mention your brand recognition.

We’ve covered some of this already in our commercial painting color guide blog, but now we will be providing some clear pointers, in hopes that this might help you pick and suggest the right color.

Ready to educate yourself on color theory psychology and how it can affect your customer’s behavior? Let’s start with a short history lesson.

What is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is the study of how colors affect people’s moods, behavior, and impressions. The application of color psychology isn’t new; in fact, the study of color and human’s response to different hues can be traced as far back as the Egyptians who studied color and used the findings for holistic and medical purposes.

And they were on to something.

Studies have shown that people make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products – and about 62‐90 percent of the assessment is based on the the appearance alone.¹ Knowing this, it makes sense that that the psychology of colors in business has long been at play – be it logo colors or carefully selected interior and exterior color palettes.

However, before a brand can apply color theory psychology to its assets, understanding what each color “means” is essential. So, let’s get to know the color psychology chart.

Color Psychology Chart

The color psychology chart communicates the emotions commonly associated with specific colors. Think of it as setting the mood with color. Understanding how colors affect emotions is essential to choose colors that benefit your business goals strategically. For example, if your commercial space sells fitness equipment, incorporating red into the palette makes sense because it represents excitement and energy.

When considering the paint color for the interior or exterior of your commercial space, think about how you want observers, customers, or employees to feel while looking at or inside the space. Although you may personally favor specific colors, your preferences aren’t always the smartest choice. Applying the psychological effects of color to your commercial paint palette selection is smart for business, and this color psychology chart can help you make sense of it all.

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Otherwise, let’s continue and go through how different colors can affect your business and in what different ways.

Psychology of Colors in Business

Color psychology in interior design is critical to the performance of your commercial space. So before you throw paint onto the interior or exterior of your building, let’s review the generally accepted psychology of colors in business, so you can make an informed choice that supports your business goals. Below, we’ll share the emotions or characteristics commonly associated with each color, as well as which industries gravitate toward the particular hue.

Blue Color Psychology

When examining blue color psychology, there are two different hues to consider: light and dark or sky blue vs. navy blue. Sky blue often inspires feelings of freedom, trustworthiness, joy, or wisdom. It’s often used in spaces to draw attention, stimulate productivity, or inspire trust. Industries we’ve seen employ sky blue color psychology’s benefits: technology, entertainment, children’s products, and communication.

The blue color psychology behind dark or navy hue represents trust, honesty, loyalty, and responsibility. A darker blue is believed to reduce stress and create a sense of calm or order. Industries that commonly use navy blue: security, finance, healthcare, or technology industries.

Green Color Psychology

Like blue, green color psychology differs depending on the hue. Light green traditionally represents growth, fertility, kindness, and dependability. A softer green color is believed to restore energy, promote growth, nurture, or rejuvenate. Industries associated with the environment, leisure, education, or alternative energy often utilize this color.

Dark green is widely associated with safety, harmony, reliability, stability, and balance, and darker green color psychology projects relaxation, revitalization, and encouragement. Industries that gravitate toward darker green hues are real estate, banking, non-profit, agricultural, or environmental.

Red Color Psychology

Red is inarguably an attention-grabbing color with deeply embedded associations. So it’s no surprise that red color psychology is all about excitement, energy, attention, passion, and courage.

The color red can stimulate, create urgency, encourage, draw attention, or invite caution. Industries that gravitate toward red are entertainment, food, children’s products, fire protection, and sports.

Orange Color Psychology

In color psychology, orange evokes optimism, independence, adventure, creativity, and fun. This vibrant hue stimulates energy, evokes joy, draws attention, and fascinates. Art, entertainment, food, sports, and transportation are industrious that commonly apply the orange color psychology.

Purple Color Psychology

Purple color psychology is associated with imagination, mystery, spirituality, compassion, and sensitivity and is commonly used to inspire creativity, evoke wisdom or luxury, and represent intuition. We often see purple associated with humanitarian or psychic endeavors.

Purple Color Meaning

Purple is a color not often found in nature, which makes it exotic and unique. Purple has been associated with royalty and religion throughout history, representing power, nobility, luxury, wisdom, and spirituality. Also associated with bravery, the “Purple Heart” is awarded to military members injured in the line of duty. Basically, purple traditionally indicates high value and lofty pursuits.

Yellow Color Psychology

In color psychology, yellow represents happiness, positivity, spontaneity, opportunity, and enthusiasm. For example, yellow chairs have often been used for testing purposes with adolescents, as the color is believed to stimulate, encourage relaxation, awake awareness, and energize. Food, sports, transportation, travel, and leisure industries commonly embrace yellow.

Pink Color Psychology

Pink color psychology embraces feelings of compassion, love, playfulness, admiration, and immaturity. The color pink is often used to encourage creativity, motivate action, fascinate, and communicate energy and is most commonly used by the beauty, fashion, and children’s product industries.

White Color Psychology

White color psychology represents simplicity, purity, professionalism, health, and cleanliness. White is a versatile color for businesses because it allows accent colors to make a statement against a “clean” background. We usually see white in environments where cleanliness is expected, such as hospitals or wellness practices.

Brown Color Psychology

Color psychology associates reliability and honesty with the color brown, and it evokes a natural, comfortable aura. Brown is often used to create warmth or communicate stability and common sense. Industries that commonly embrace brown are agriculture, transportation, legal, and construction.

Utilizing the psychological effects of color to set a mood, make a statement, or influence intention within or outside your commercial space is both strategic and beneficial when executed properly. Whether you’re attempting to increase workplace harmony by applying office color psychology or simply ready to refresh your space, understanding and applying the basics and principles behind color theory psychology is a smart move.

At Precision Painting & Decorating, we take all of these things into consideration. We’ve handled renovation and painting of hundreds if not thousands of projects. For every idea you might have, we probably have a reference to fall back to and advise you through every step of the  process. Your rebuilding sometimes can feel like reinventing, and we’re here to offer professional advice.

We approach every project with objectivity and professionalism, and we will help you select the right colors to further your business goals.

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¹ Source: Emerald