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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.
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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“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.
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.
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