When it comes to interior design, white is king. White paint has been a symbol of purity, innocence, and spirituality since the classical Greco-Roman era. From ancient Rome to today, there's no color that signifies the absence of sin more than white.
According to painting experts, the earliest known pigments used in the paint were earth pigments such as red, yellow, brown, and black.
The paint that many people use today is made of pigments that are mixed with a binding agent. Different pigments produce different colors, and painters have always been interested in creating new colors.
In recent years, global color authority Pantone made a significant impact on how designers and consumers approach color. Its selections for the Color of the Year have become trendsetters in the fashion, home decor, cosmetics, and interior design markets. In 2022, Pantone’s choice for its Color of the Year is Very Peri.
"Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives." (Pantone.com)
If you've ever played the video game Assassin's Creed Origins, you may have noticed that much of the architecture and scenery in the game had a cream-colored look to it, which is based on real-life depictions of ancient Egyptian buildings.
Greek and Roman architecture also relied heavily on white paint, marble, and other materials that looked white to add a sense of regality to their work. This can be seen in many examples of ancient Greek architecture such as the Parthenon. Many ancient styles such as neoclassicism maintained this tradition of using white materials as a means to make buildings look grander than they actually were.
The paint that is used on the interior and exterior surfaces of your home can come in a variety of finishes. These finishes include matte, flat, satin or eggshell, semigloss, and gloss. As an example, the sheen describes how shiny the paint finish is. The glossier it is, the more durable and easier to clean it can be. This also means that gloss paint has a higher level of a shine than other types of paints and makes for a great option for doors and trim inside your home as well as exterior window frames and doors.
Matte: 0 to 7 percent gloss
Flat (or matte): 10 to 25 percent gloss
Eggshell: 10 to 25 percent gloss
Satin: 25 to 40 percent gloss
Semigloss: 40 to 70 percent gloss
Glossy: 70 to 100 percent gloss
In Europe, during the Middle Ages, white was associated with cleanliness, purity, and sacredness. For this reason, it was a popular color for churches and monasteries in Medieval times. The same was true in Colonial America where churches were painted white both inside and out.
Outside of religious applications, white paint was still used to signify wealth and importance.
Painting has been used as a decorating tool since the ancient Egyptians. In fact, there were five known colors of paint in ancient Egypt: red, green, blue, yellow, and white. While many of these colors have come and gone in popularity as time has passed (like an avocado shag carpet or floral wallpaper), white paint has remained a popular choice of home decorators throughout the centuries.
How can you use color psychology to make your home or office look twice as big? Color is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. It's the symbol of life and vitality. Color has the power to move people, and it greatly affects our lives on a subconscious level.
White is a popular color for any space because it is simple and clean. White makes a space feel airy and bright. White can also be used to give a room a minimalist look. When you want your room to appear larger than it is, white is an excellent choice.
As anyone who has read a book on color psychology can attest, colors affect the way we feel. Red is an energizing color that can make us feel more passionate and aggressive; blue is calming; yellow is happy. The colors of a room’s walls also tend to influence our feelings toward the size of its interior.
Cool colors—green, blue, and violet—tend to recede from our eyes, making them ideal for rooms where we want to create the illusion of space. By using these colors as your dominant ones in a room, you will make it look larger than it actually is.
To take this idea one step further, use cool whites or off-whites in order to create an expansive background for your furnishings. This lets your furnishings stand out while still giving a sense of openness.
Yellow is an energetic color, so it stimulates the senses and increases concentration. It also enhances memory, so you may want to use it in rooms where you're working on a project or studying. Yellow is great for children's rooms because it's associated with joy, happiness, and learning.
Yellow also makes small spaces appear larger since it reflects more light than other colors. So if your entryway, kitchen, or breakfast nook is feeling a little cramped, try lightening up the area with yellow walls.
Cool hues work by creating the illusion of depth. You may have noticed that the color blue is often associated with water, which we perceive as having greater depth than land or objects. Similarly, blue and purple can give the impression of greater depth in a room.
Light also plays an important role in establishing this illusion. A cool hue will appear to recede if it is light; for example, pale violet would seem farther away than dark purple. However, a dark hue will appear to advance if there is more light shining on it; for example, dark green will appear closer against white walls with plenty of light shining on it.
Pink can help relax your mind. It’s also known to soothe headaches, migraine, and nervousness. Some people also say that it reduces stress levels and creates physical relaxation of muscles. Pink also slows down the heart rate and has a calming effect on people. Pink looks amazing in bedrooms, especially when used with whites. Avoid strong shades as they can be overwhelming. Pink is associated with love, nurturing, and femininity so it’s an obvious choice for a child’s room or baby nursery to help encourage sleep.
Cool colors like blue, green, and purple help us feel relaxed and calm. They usually remind us of the sky or ocean. Blue also tricks the mind into thinking the room is cooler than it actually is, making it a great option for bedrooms!
Purple is the color of royalty and wealth. It is associated with magic, mystery, and creativity. Purple also represents spirituality, being the midpoint between warm red and cool blue. When applied in interior design or fashion, purple can improve creativity and imagination. However, too much purple can lead to feelings of loneliness or depression.
For these reasons, we recommend adding a beautiful shade of violet to your bathroom or office space (a room you spend time alone). Try painting one wall violet for a psychedelic effect that will energize the room without overwhelming it (or you).
Although colors have subjective meanings, it’s possible to use them in a scientific manner. Color theory is the study of how colors can be used to change people’s perceptions.
While some colors are considered “warm” and others are “cool,” there isn’t a definitive list of which colors fall into each category. However, there are general guidelines that pertain to how most people perceive warm and cool colors. Typically, warm colors like red, yellow, and orange evoke passion or excitement, while cool colors like blue or green tend to be calming or relaxing.
This can be used to your advantage when decorating a small space. The goal is to make a room look larger by creating an illusion of more space than there actually is. To do this, you need the eye to quickly scan the walls and understand the dimensions of the room without being distracted by details (the color on the wall).
Typically light-colored walls will achieve this effect because they create contrast with darker objects in the room (such as furniture). Having too much dark in a small room will highlight its coziness instead of making it appear larger, so you should try not to limit yourself to only dark items if you want your home or office to look bigger than it actually is!
