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8/2/2019 Coloring the Classroom -- School Planning & Management

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Facilities (Learning Spaces)


Coloring the Classroom
December 1st, 2013

As schools are being built or remodeled, there


are literally thousands of issues to be addressed.
Unfortunately, color, especially the color of
classroom walls, is often overlooked.

“For budget reasons, a lot of schools don’t seek


out good information on color,” says Bonnie
Krims, IACC, architectural color consultant with
Bonnie Krims Color Studio in Concord, Mass. “In
a lot of cases, color choices are left up to
administrators, teachers or the maintenance
departments. As a result, a lot of walls just end PHOTO COURTESY OF TMP ARCHITECTURE, INC.
up white, which can lead to understimulation.”
Another problem, according to Krims, is that, in the past, there was a belief that the more colorful
the school was, the better it would be for the kids. However, recent research says that isn’t
necessarily the case. In many cases, too much color, or colors that are too bright, can lead to
overstimulation. “The goal is to find a balance,” she says.

According to the International Association of Color Consultants - North America (IACC-NA), a


school’s physical environment has a powerful psycho-physiological impact on its students.
“Appropriate color design is important in protecting eyesight, in creating surroundings that are
conducive to studying, and in promoting physical and mental health.” The IACC also notes that
many cases of irritability, premature fatigue, lack of interest and behavioral problems can be
attributed directly to incorrect environmental conditions involving poorly planned color and lighting.

While color selection is important, in that certain colors have certain effects, there is still some
flexibility, according to Jill Pilaroscia, IACC, principal with Colour Studio, Inc., in San Francisco.
“When you apply color, there is no magic formula or no single best way to do it,” she says. “Part of
what will influence selection can be the geographic location of the school, the quality and
character of life in the school, and the cultural background of the students.” However, she adds,

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there are some basics to consider, based on color psychology, visual ergonomics and biological
response to colors.

Colors in elementary, middle and


junior high schools
According to Pilaroscia, younger children tend to
be more active, so you can use a brighter color
scheme and warm colors, such as warm yellows,
pale yellows and so on. “One problem is that a lot
of teachers hang so many things on the walls that
classrooms can become complete visual chaos,”
she says. It is important to try to have an orderly
and organized room, to reduce the amount of
nervousness and anxiety in the students.

Amy Wax, IACC, owner of Your Color Source


Studios, Inc. in Montclair, N.J., agreed. “In most
classrooms, there are a lot of other things
competing with wall colors, such as posters,
artwork, etc.,” she says. “These can lead to PHOTO COURTESY OF FANNING HOWEY AND EMC2
GROUP ARCHITECTS PLANNERS
overstimulation, which is one reason you don’t
want the wall color itself to be too stimulating.”

With younger children, according to Wax, the goal is to achieve balance with colors, which means
some, but not too much, stimulation. She recommends warm colors that invite students in and
make them feel the classroom is a warm environment, so they enjoy being there. “Generally,
younger children prefer primary colors — yellow, red and blue,” she says. “However, if a color is
too strong or bright, it becomes too stimulating, which causes some children to become
overstimulated, energetic or anxious.”

For these reasons, again, Wax recommends warmer primary colors. For example, instead of
bright yellow, you can consider a creamy yellow, which is warm and draws on a primary color, but
is not overstimulating. “However, if you use too simple of a color, such as a beige, it can be
understimulating,” she says.

Another benefit of color is the ability to create focus. “You want to draw students’ attention to the
front of the room, so maybe the wall where the teacher is located could be a brighter color, such
as a yellow or a red,” she says.

Colors can be chosen based on even more selective criteria — the age ranges of the students.
According to Krims, students ages five through eight in particular need to feel a sense of security
in the school — that the school cares about them and that there is a positive social climate.
Appropriate colors here are red, peach/orange, warm yellow, salmon, coral and violet. “These are
warm, bright colors that reduce tension, nervousness and anxiety,” she says. “Walls can be
painted a pale orange or citrus, for example, and red and violet make good accent colors.” If the
ceiling is going to be painted, it can be painted yellow to represent sunlight. In any and all cases,
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according to Krims, black, white, gray or brown


are not good choices for these classrooms.

As kids get a bit older, nine and 10, reds and


oranges still work, according to Krims, but there
are also some preferences for blue and green.
Here, walls could be pale orange or citrus, and
accents could be blues and greens, or maybe a
red.

As students get still older, 11 or 12, there should


be a transition from warmer colors to cooler
colors. “Greens seem to become more popular,”
says Krims. “Red tends to ‘go out the window,’
and there is less interest in orange. For these
reasons, walls could be green, but with orange
accents.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HMFH ARCHITECTS, INC.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HMFH ARCHITECTS, INC.

Colors in high schools


By the time students become teenagers, green is still popular, according to Krims, and there is a
growing preference for blue. However, there is still some interest in orange accents. Blues and
greens seem to enhance the ability to concentrate. She suggests that walls can be painted light
green or blue/green.

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“In high school, you want softer colors,” says Pilaroscia. “You want students to be able to
concentrate more and be more introverted in their studies.” For this reason, she recommends
beige, buff, pale greens, or pale blue-green, which help with concentration.

In addition, it is not necessary to paint all four walls in a classroom the same color. “You can do a
focal wall or accent at the front of the classroom to relax students’ eyes, such as a blue-green or
nature green,” says Pilaroscia. “Side walls can be softer and more neutral, such as buff.”

According to Wax, older students don’t respond well to primary colors, because they feel that the
colors are too “young” for them. “They are more in tune with colors that are tied into the fashion
world, such as teal or orange,” she says. “These more popular colors help make the students feel
they are in environments that are more up to date.”

Wax agrees with Pilaroscia that is not necessary to paint all four walls the same color. “For
example, if a room has four orange walls, it is likely to be overstimulating,” says Wax. She
recommends instead maybe an orange on one wall and teal on the others. “You want a
stimulating environment, but not one that is so overstimulating that it becomes distracting,” she
says.

Additional considerations and options


Are certain colors better for certain subjects?
Here, the research is less consistent. “Some
research suggests that science classrooms are
enhanced by a blue pallete,” says Pilaroscia.
“However, it depends on the location of the
school. For example, if the school is in a cold
environment, you may not want the focal color to
be a cool blue.” There is also some research
suggesting that yellow is good for math PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHENKELSHULTZ
ARCHITECTURE
classrooms. “However, not everyone agrees on
Gray Area. Experts say there is no magic formula
these research results,” she says. or single best way to determine which colors will
be most beneficial in the various learning
According to Wax, color can also be used as a environments. But there are some basics to
navigational tool to create a sense of identity in consider, based on color psychology, visual
ergonomics and biological response to colors. It
certain parts of the school. “For example, science is important that colors are chosen based on the
classrooms and hallways can be painted one age ranges of the students.
color, music and art classrooms and hallways can
be painted another color, and so on,” she says. “This can create a sense of community for the
students.”

And don’t forget some of the other rooms. For example, Pilaroscia suggests that the nurse’s office
and principal’s office be painted in more refined colors to reduce anxiety. “You don’t want a bright
yellow or red in a nurse’s or principal’s office,” she says. According to Krims, pale or light green
tends to be very effective in libraries, because it is a passive color that encourages quietness and
concentration.

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While there are, or should be, certain constraints in selecting colors for the various rooms in a
school, the corridors are another matter completely. “It is OK to have more bright and animated
colors in corridors, since the purpose there is to encourage people to move from one place to
another,” says Pilaroscia.

“Colors can create a sense of identify for


students,” says Debra Wilde, IACC, founder of
Debra Wilde Design in Portland, Ore. Certainly,
you don’t want to ask student opinions for colors
in classrooms, where research has shown that
certain colors are better for interaction and
learning. “However, you can conduct a survey
PHOTO COURTESY OF HMFH ARCHITECTS, INC.
and ask students for suggestions on colors in
Color My World. Part of what should influence
other parts of the school, such as corridors, color selections, whether interior or exterior
cafeterias, and recreation areas,” she says. should be the geographic location of the school,
the quality and character of life in the school and
A final thought: According to Wilde, the the cultural backgrounds of the students.
Designers also need to take into consideration
consensus of the studies that have been done is the architecture and feel of the surrounding
that, overall, softer tones of primary and neighborhood.

secondary colors, such as yellow, blue, red,


green and orange, tend to be preferred in schools. “In general, though, students don’t react as
well to tertiary colors or neutral tones,” she says.

Copyright 1105 Media Inc.

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