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Chapter 02
Role of Colors in Interior Design
Color is an international visual language understood by all so when you’re trying to
communicate or transmit something through interior design, there’s no better way to do it than
through color. In order to do that, you need to understand how colors behave, how they change their
character and how they influence our mood.
All colors change their character when lightness and saturation are modified so it’s not enough
to pick a color for a certain interior design element because you also need to pick a shade. Light
colors are airy and, as a general rule, they make rooms feel larger and brighter. Dark colors are
sophisticated and warm and they make rooms feel intimate.
Colors basically behave in three ways. They can be active, passive or neutral. Neutrals
include black, gray, white and brown and these colors are often used to establish balance in a décor
that includes both active and passive shades.
An environment can become under stimulated or overstimulated, depending on the colors
used. An under stimulated environment features weak intensities of color and weak or monotonous
color contrasts while an overstimulated setting features highly saturated colors, strong contrasts
and/or too many complex visual patterns.
The colors you use in your interior design and décor have an impact on the atmosphere you
create and you need to correctly assess what this ambiance should be before you choose the colors.
A bedroom, for example, needs to be calming and relaxing. A living room has to be exciting and
energizing and so on.
When selecting a color palette for a room, there are several factors to take into consideration.
First of all, practicality is important. If you have pets or small children stay away from white and other
colors that are difficult to care for.
The colors you pick should either coordinate or contrast. So decide whether you want the
décor to be harmonious and relaxing or interesting and dynamic. Be careful when choosing the tones
and shades.
You need to figure out what colors work where. For example, because orange is an energetic
color and yellow is an uplifting and welcoming color, they are both great options for the entrance
area. Blue is calming, relaxing and serene and it’s often used in bedrooms and bathrooms. However,
if the color is too pale it can become annoying.

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Purple is rich, dramatic and sophisticated and it could suit areas such as the living room or
even the dining room if you’re trying to create a more formal ambiance.
Green is calm and restful so it’s a great option for the bedroom although it could also look
wonderful in the kitchen because of its freshness.
Red is a stimulating color and should be used in small doses, just like black. Only use it as
an accent color in areas where you want to create contrasts or focal points.
Earthy colors such as terracotta are warming and relaxing, although often considered
outdated to decide whether or not they match the style you’ve chosen before you add it to your color
palette.

Color Theory Terms, the Color Wheel, and Color Harmony

Color theory is the conceptual bedrock of any chromatic design activity. From artists and web
designers to architects and photographers, understanding color is essential to any visual
composition. However, the implementation of
color in design can often seem esoteric and
mysterious to the layman. Some visually pleasant
color schemes just “look right” to the casual
observer. However, color choice is rarely
arbitrary. By learning the basics of color theory,
anyone can gain a grasp of why certain hues and
palettes work. Perhaps more importantly, any
designer can learn which color combinations to
avoid.

Essential Terms of Color Theory

Any logical exploration of color theory should begin with definitions of the basic terms used
within this field of knowledge. Perhaps a good place to start is The Munsell Color System, which
was a major development in the history of color theory and colorimetry. It specifies colors based on
three main factors: hue, value, and chroma. When describing or identifying colors, these three
terms form the foundation of understanding in the world of color theory.

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Hue
The term “hue” refers to pigment in the realm of color
theory. This technically defined as “the degree to which a
stimulus can be described as similar to or different from
stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow.”
Hue can essentially be thought of as the basic color, tint, or
shade as defined by the color wheel.
Value
Value is synonymous with “lightness” when used in
regard to color theory. This is basically a representation of
variation in the perception of a color’s overall brightness. If the hue of a color is “blue”, then the value
determines if the color description could be “light blue” (high value) or “dark blue” (low value).
Chroma
Chroma, commonly referred to as “saturation”, refers to the perceived intensity of a specific
color along the color wheel. A higher chroma will result in greater “colorfulness” or richness of the
color as perceived by the end user. Lower chroma thus results in a more subtle, dull color.
The Color Wheel
Isaac Newton created the first “color circle” all the way back in 1666, and color theory has
never been the same. While there is some debate about the correct ordering of hues along the color
wheel, most popular variations can be considered logical and correct. You will find the basic modern
color wheel most commonly used today. This breaks up color hues into primary colors, secondary
colors, and tertiary colors.
Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue
In classical color theory, primary colors are the three hues that cannot be formed by any
combination of other colors. Thus, the defining element of primary colors is that they cannot be
created by combining any other pigments on the color wheel.
Secondary Colors: Green, Orange, and Violet
Used in design and color theory just as often as primary colors, secondary colors can be
created by mixing two primary colors together.
Tertiary Colors
There are six main tertiary colors on the modern color wheel. As defined by modern color
theory, these are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green & yellow-green.

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Each tertiary color has a hyphenated name because they are created by mixing one primary and
one secondary color together.
Color Harmony
Harmony refers to different color combinations that can be
utilized in an aesthetically pleasing manner. These combinations
create pleasing contrasts and consonances that are said to be
harmonious. These combinations can be of complementary colors,
split-complementary colors, color triads, or analogous colors. In
color theory, “complementary” is a specific term referring to
combined hues used in a design scheme.
Complementary Colors
A design with complementary colors employs two pigments that are directly opposite each
other on the color wheel. By using two colors with the greatest visual contrast, each hue is made
more vivid as a result. This simple form of color harmony is the most commonly understood in color
theory and widely used in visual composition.
A subset of complementary color harmony is the “split-complementary” design. In contrast to
complementary colors, this color scheme is defined by one of the two contrasting hues being split
into analogous colors for greater color variation.
Triadic Colors
Color triads use three colors that are equidistant to one another on the color wheel. These
designs are more complex than complementary colors but are based on the same principle. By
employing 3 hues that are farthest away from each other on the color wheel, a striking visual contrast
is created. Examples of color triads include primary colors and secondary colors.
Analogous Colors
Analogous, or related color harmonies, are defined by the implementation of one main “root”
color and two or more colors that are close in proximity on the color wheel. This is a very basic and
reliable way to create a visually appealing composition. Furthermore, analogous color designs can
be combined with complementary colors and a myriad of other harmonies for diverse chromatic
effects.

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Distribution of Colors
The color scheme should have approximately 3 main colors (this may be neutrals), 2
secondary and 2-5 accent or dashes of colors. Color schemes can create magic in a room and can
be distributed in different ways.
Formal rooms will usually have more neutrals. Grays are the new blacks this year and are
considered neutrals. Many formal rooms have neutrals, grays, beige, taupe or whites as a main color
on the walls, ceilings, and floors. The secondary colors can be used in amounts that you determine.
All the furniture can also be neutral and some color on accent pillows or the furniture can have some
color and accent color pillows as well. Also, smooth fabrics create more formality.
The more color used, the more casual the room can feel. Casual rooms, like great rooms and
family rooms, many times have bold walls. Many times if there are hardwood floors or tile, an area
rug may be the basis for your scheme. If the room is being used by the public you may want to
introduce your full color scheme with a neutral or one color as they dominate, add your secondary
colors and accent too. The more color and textures used, the more casual the room can feel.
Lighting always plays a huge factor in your scheme because color does not exist without light.
We will look at how much light, when the room has natural light exposure, and what kind of artificial
light is being used. Knowing this, the more natural light you have in the room, the more the color will
be true, as the sun goes down it fades. Please be aware of the brightest color is and how you will
light it at night to achieve the hue again. You may even want accent spot lights on certain areas to
regain the brightness and add drama at night. Low voltage lighting is beautiful accent lighting,
incandescent bulbs in lamps cast a yellow or warm tone and halogen and fluorescent lights cast blue
light. Be sure to consider the light source as you distribute your hues.
Size of the room is important. I love small powder rooms with bold tones. Large rooms can
take lots of color easier and small rooms can take lighter hues well. But these rules are broken all
the time depending on the person. If you have a bold personality and color scheme you can put dark
bold hues, large furniture and large scale fabrics in small spaces. Remember that dark walls can
throw a room off visual balance and must be balanced. This actually can be quite fun. On a whole
though lighter for smaller rooms and darker colors are great for larger rooms.

Symbolism and style

The symbolism in helps us recognize the interactions between artistic endeavors and the
technical skills used to develop and build a structure.

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There are many historic examples of symbolism in design, but often the symbolism is not a
conscious statement so much as a more subtle reflection of style. Religious buildings, especially
churches, have until recently been consistently traditional expressions of style or symbolism. There
has been a symbolic or stylistic tradition in the design of public or governmental buildings. Both
interiors and exteriors of city halls, court buildings, and major government structures were usually in
the “classical” style, symbolizing authority, power, and stability, based on our long historic
association of these concepts with Greco-Roman antiquity and Renaissance thought.
Another form of symbolism in interior design has been the creation of interiors around specific
themes or concepts.
The styles that developed in interiors and in interior furnishings were always symbolic of the
social structure of the society that created them. It is easy, for instance, to look at the graceful,
feminine lines of a Louis XV chair, delicately curved and luxuriously upholstered, and to see it as a
symbolic expression of the superficialities of court life. One can also look at some of the crudely
fashioned early American furniture and see in one’s mind the life of the settler who fashioned it. Life
was harsh, time was precious, and articles of furniture were confined to essentials. The need for
economical use of space was symbolized by dual-purpose, functional pieces such as dough boxes
that served as tables and tables that turned into chairs and had storage compartments for the family
Bible as well.
As functional and efficiency-oriented as business and office design is today, it is full of
unwritten rules relating to symbolism. The design of an office reflects the status of the occupant. Top
executives are located in the largest corner offices with the best views of the city and invariably are
on the top floors of the corporate headquarters. The size of desks is a symbolic indication of the
executive’s importance in the hierarchy of the firm. The very top officers may, however, do away with
desks altogether and have offices resembling living rooms—to symbolize the fact that they are
beyond routine paperwork and above the need for standard office furnishings. The fashions (or
styles) of design vary and develop even within a brief period of 10 or 20 years. Thus, another symbol
carpeting has become somewhat outdated. Until recently, top executives expected wall-to-wall
carpeting in their offices. Today such offices may have wood or other natural floors, perhaps with
beautiful area rugs. The very idea of a private office is, of course, the most important symbol in a
status-conscious business community. Designers have found, however, that the need for
communication between executive and staff, including visual contact, often makes private offices
less than efficient.

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Symbolism in residential interior design occurs on many levels but again tends to be
influenced by changing styles. When television first became available, the home screen became a
symbol of prosperity and at the same time became the focal point of residential interiors. By the
1970s a television set had become a standard possession and was no longer a compositional
emphasis; in fact, it was often concealed or casually incorporated into the total design.
A homeowner is likely to be very conscious of the image his house or apartment conveys.
Traditional furniture, for instance, is still associated with elegance in the minds of many laymen, a
situation that can lead to the acquisition of poor reproductions or meaningless imitations of
nonexistent styles. To most people a real fire in a fireplace is a delightful physical and visual
experience that often has nostalgic associations. Since they are no longer needed to heat houses,
fireplaces in the 20th century increasingly have become a luxury and thereby a symbol of substance
to many people. These circumstances have often resulted in imitation fireplaces of the worst possible
design, with simulated fires.

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Colors

Understanding Color
The great 19th-century writer and critic John Ruskin said, “Color is the most sacred element
in all visual things.” Designers agree that color is the most vital and expressive of the elements of
design.
Of all the forms of non-verbal communication, color is the most instantaneous method of
revealing messages and meanings. Color stimulates and works synergistically with all of the senses,
symbolizes abstract concepts and thoughts, express fantasy or wish fulfillment, recalls another time
or place and produces an aesthetic or emotional response.
Feelings and Reactions to Color
Emotional reactions associated with color are spontaneous. The response, often due to the
perception of color rather than to the color itself, may be positive or negative. The following section
discusses typical feelings and reactions that may be created by colors; however, remember that
clients may react differently to the same color.

Effects of Colors
Color creates powerful psychological and physiological (or physical) effects. Psychological
effects are sensed in mind; physiological effects actually cause a change in the body. It is important

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to note that people may react differently to the same color, based on their previous experiences or
learned behavior. Research studies have shown that:
 Color affects an individual’s moods or feelings regarding a space. Light and cool colors seem
to expand space: dark and warm colors seem to enclose space.
 Color affects the eye’s perception of weight and size. Dark and bright colors seem heavier than
light and cool colors. However, it is interesting that the opposite effect is true in fashion design.
Dark colors tend to slim the figure, whereas light colors are usually thought to make one look
heavier.
 Color affects a person’s perception of temperature. Studies have indicated that body
temperature actually fluctuates in response to various colors. For example, red, orange, and
yellow can raise one’s temperature; cool colors have the opposite reaction.
 Color can cause feelings of boredom and calmness, or stimulation and liveliness. Colors may
cause the nervous system to become agitated, and the body reacts in negative ways to this
stimulus.
 Colors can affect one’s reaction to sounds, taste, odors, and time perception.
 Colors can improve the rate of recovery of sick patients
COLOR RED – Exuberant and Versatile
Warm Group – Primary Color
Psychological and Physiological Associations: Courage, passion, love, excitement, danger,
martyrdom, anger, fife, strength.
Application of red color is conspicuous wherever it appears, and because it is lively and
stimulating, it should be used with care. Red mixes well, and most rooms are enhanced by a touch
of one of its tones. A variety of popular colors are derived from red when it is lightened, darkened,
brightened, or dulled. For example, when red is darkened and muted, it becomes maroon, and when
it is lightened, it becomes pink. Pink, a delicate and flattering color, is often enhanced by a stronger
contrasting color and blends exceptionally well with grays, browns, greens, blues, and purples.
Red has the most power, heat, and activity of all colors. It has the energy and aggression of
a chagrining bull. Red comes forward to greet you. In interior decorating use red as punctuation, an
occasional exclamation point, but never as dominant color in a room. For example, in interior
decorating use red for pillows, napkins, or fabric trim. If you love red use it in your wardrobe rather
than in your rooms – red coats, suits, dresses, scarves, rain slickers, shoos, and mittens. If you like

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red, you will find ways to use it, whether for the engraving on your stationery or the interior of your
car.
Keep in mind the appropriateness of color for your purpose. If you have a room with no view,
red curtains draw your eye back into the room. Too much red in a room can have the obtrusive effect
of a police siren. But touches of red can add a cheer and energy that only red can achieve. Every
room should have some touches of red – perhaps a red candles, paintings, red leather books, a bowl
of red apples, a red picture frame or red tulips, Chinese screen with red accents. The accent of red
is hot, alive, and stimulating.
COLOR PINK – Feminine and Flattering
As a background, whisper-pale warm pink can add a flattering glow yet remain a space-
enhancing neutral.
Deep shades of coral or rose can embody a tropical atmosphere or turn formal against vivid
gilt and dark wood details. Clear, blued hot pinks and fuchsia might invigorate a more modern setting,
relieved with plenty of white. Pink color extrudes a relaxed charm that easily blends with other colors
and harmonizes various patterns and textures.
Like red, pink color is enhanced by juxtapositions with complimentary greens, as
demonstrated by vibrant leafy rose chintzes. Paired with blue, a pink may seem sweeter, as the
overall effect is cooled down.
YELLOW – Luminous and Lighthearted
Warm Group – Primary Color
Psychological and Physiological Associations: Cowardice, deceit, sunlight, optimism, warmth,
enlightenment, and communication
High-noon yellows are the most revealing and demanding and merit careful attention. Gray-
yellows of early dawn are foils for more fragile colors-pinks, blues, and pale greens. Warm afternoon
yellow is a foil for rich, warm woods. The burnished yellows of brass give a cast of copper gilt and
bring to a room. Gold provides an elegant and luxurious touch, especially for accent or accessories.
All yellows are reflective, take on tones of other colors, and add flattering highlights.
Yellow is sunshine. It is a happy, cheerful color. Unlike red, it is appropriate in large quantities
in the interior decorating. Yellow is a welcoming hue, ideal for an entrance hall because it brings
sunshine into the house where there are few windows. In a north room, yellow gives the illusion of
direct sunlight. Yellow has a compassionate, energizing effect, warming the heart, opening the
senses.

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Many people associate yellow with gold. Use gold only for gold-leaf picture frames, brass
objects, and jewelry. Lemon peel yellow with white trim and a more subtle yellow ceiling, however,
can be a heavenly beginning for the decoration of a beautiful room. But not everybody shares a love
for yellow.
It’s essential continuously to be in touch with how each color relates to your personality as
well as your body chemistry. Don’t let anyone talk you into living with a color that doesn’t make you
feel comfortable.
COLOR ORANGE – Earthy and Energetic
Warm Group – Secondary Color
Psychological and Physiological Associations: Cheerfulness, stimulation, sunset, excitement.
When lightened and muted, the peach tone may appear cool or refreshing.
Between red and yellow runs a useful range of warm orange tones, from blazing bright hues
to sweet melon and peach tints to darker autumnal shades and rugged terra cottas. Like red, orange
color has stimulating properties but is not as demanding.
Peach tones enhance human skin tones. Peach also serves as a cross between a warm and cool
color, partly due to the association with the fruit.
COLOR GREEN – Natural and Revitalizing
Cool Group – Secondary Color
Psychological and Physiological Associations: Nature, serenity, hope, envy, safety, peace,
passivity, security
Fresh and friendly, green is nature’s color and is a good mixer, especially yellow-green and
spruce or forest green. White brings out green’s best qualities. When grayed, warmed, or cooled,
green makes an excellent background. When lightened, it is retiring and restful. Green is particularly
pleasing in food areas. Deep dark green is a favorite color for floor coverings.
Consider green a spiritual primary. It is essential to have something green in every space,
even if only a potted ivy plant. Rooms yearn for green because it is a color of spring, freshness, new
birth, renewal, and youth.
VIOLET – Regal and Individual
Warm Group – Primary Color
Psychological and Physiological Associations: Royalty, nobility, snobbery, power, drama,
opulence, mystery, worship, dignity.

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Naturally, a dark value, violet is a blend of blue and red. When pink is added, it becomes
warm, and a touch of blue makes it cool. It combines well with both pink and a blue. A light value of
violet produces lavender.
Other violet hues are plum, eggplant, and lilac. Often violet is used in small amounts as
accents. It can be very dramatic or even disturbing when used on a large surface.

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