Quintessential Color Questions Answered by Kim Clark

HARWICH, Mass. - Sept. 17, 2014 - PRLog -- You know that house. That one. The bright pink house in town. Or maybe it’s lilac. Or tangerine. No, not the gingerbread-curlicued Victorian brimming with charm and history or the quaint country cottage … the other one. The squat, unremarkable ranch – or maybe it’s a split-level, or even a Colonial. Whatever the architectural style, the color is garish, glaring, and downright off-putting. Everyone in town has noticed that house, and for all the wrong reasons.

Perhaps this description seems over-the-top, but color evokes feeling, from euphoria to nausea. And if you’re selling your home anytime soon, there are definitely both exterior and interior color mistakes to avoid. So if you think that your house isn’t “colored to sell,” get out your paintbrush and get down to work.

Neutral colors sell homes. Whether used inside or out, understated tones are more likely to attract buyers who want to imagine what their own belongings will look like in your yard and interior living space. And just as you’ll want to remove clutter, personal items, bric-a-brac, or anything else that makes your rooms look busy, you’ll also want to avoid colors that are distracting and take away from a buyer’s overall impression of your home. Imagine your home as a blank canvas, ready to be colored in by a new owner.

On the other hand, if you aren’t planning to sell your home any time soon or if you’re buying a new home and making it your own, it’s time to think about your own color palette. When making color choices for the interior or exterior of your home, it’s easiest to go with personal taste. But here are a few color facts to keep in mind when you’re choosing a focal color, whether it be interior or exterior paint, furnishings, flooring and cabinetry, and even accent pieces like pottery or throw pillows.

What do colors mean?

Colors can affect emotions. In fact, they are a method of non-verbal communication. Many common phrases describing moods are color-based, such as “seeing red,” “feeling blue,” or “green with envy.”

·         Red is the color of passionate emotions. It is associated with love, but also with strength, danger, and even war.

·         Less aggressive than red, orange often represents happiness, creativity, and success.

·         Yellow is also associated with happiness and cheer, but also with intellect and energy.

·         The color most associated with nature, green represents growth and harmony.

·         Blue symbolizes stability, wisdom, truth, and knowledge.

·         Purple is the color of magic, mystery, and luxury.

Facts to consider when choosing a room color:

·         Blue is the most common “favorite color.” Due to its calming nature, it’s a great color for bedrooms and other areas where you typically like to unwind.

·         Yellows and oranges stimulate the appetite (so choose wisely when selecting a kitchen color!). Babies also tend to cry more in yellow rooms, so while yellow is a happy color, it can also be jarring when overused.

·         Men and women see the color red differently, with women seeing more variations in tone and hue due to a gene specific to the X chromosome.

·         Since it is known as a “social color,” orange is a good bet for areas of your home where you like to entertain.

·         Green is the color that people are most likely to tolerate the longest without being overwhelmed. It is also associated with nature and healing. It’s a great color for all types of different areas in your house – and if used cleverly in areas with lots of windows, it can give the impression of bringing the outdoors inside.

Remember that clever color combinations, whether neutral or bold, can brighten a room. Rather than painting an entire room one color, consider using an accent color on just one wall. Or pair two or three different colors that complement each other. Different textures and patterns can also break up large spaces.

There are no “rights and wrongs” when it comes to color – that is, unless you’re selling a home, in which case it can be harder to sell a magenta house than a beige one. If you have any doubts about which colors can help you sell, talk to your real estate agent to learn whether you need to pull out that paintbrush before listing your home.