Kitchen renovating is often a journey from a Pinterest board to a paint chip. Homeowners often choose paint colors that coordinate with their cabinets or that are trendy. However, color is far more than a surface treatment. Color is also a cue that influences our biology. The color that homeowners choose for their walls can mean the difference between visitors enjoying their wine and relaxing, versus their having a subconscious urge to devour their meal quickly and depart.
Knowing the psychology of colors empowers you to manage the feeling of the space. It shifts the focus from “What looks good?” to “How do I feel?” Below are how the colors of the spectrum affect the menu.
Fast Food Effect: Red and Yellow
There is a reason why most fast food logos feature red and yellow. These are very energetic colors. Biologically, red increases the rate of one’s heart beating; it accelerates metabolism. It triggers one’s hunger.
In an at-home kitchen, infusions of terracotta, burnt brick, or ochre would not only create a lively atmosphere but would also induce conversations. However, designing an entire room with bright red could turn out disastrous. It could create stress in people, making them feel that the room is hotter than it actually is. It is better used as a seasoning rather than being the dish.
The Blue Suppression
Blue is the least natural color in the world of food. Other than blueberries and some unique potatoes, blue is not found in our natural diet. Further, in nature, blue often means “spoiled” or “poison.”
Due to this evolutionary coding, blue proves to be a natural appetite suppressant. Therefore, if you are someone who has been wishing to go on a diet, a blue kitchen would prove to be a wonderful boon to you. It will calm your nervous system and also prove to be a good slower of your eating habits. However, if you are someone who wishes to host raucous dinners, blue would prove to be an inappropriate color choice.
read more: Seating & Atmosphere: How to Curate the Perfect Guest
Green and the Health Halo
Green is centrally positioned in the color spectrum. It occupies the zone where the energetic warmth of colors and the serenity of colors meet. From a psychological perspective, green is associated with nature, freshness, and health.
When it comes to kitchens painted in sage or moss colors, it unconsciously pushes people to eat healthily. It’s like being in the garden because it has that restorative ambiance that turns cooking into less of a chore and more of an earthy act. It is the safest color when it comes to creating a well-rounded kitchen.
The White Canvas
All-white kitchens have been the recent trend. But the all-white kitchen is not just clean. The all-white kitchen is focused. White reflects light. White is a tabula rasa. Without color in the environment, the color of the food becomes the focus. The red of the tomato sauce or the green of the salad juice stand out.
The risk of white is sterility. Because without texture, wood, stone, and brass, an entirely white kitchen is akin to a laboratory. It is a sign of cleanliness, never a sign of coziness.
Choosing Your Energy
The paint on the walls is the beat track for your life. If you want an energetic space where your kids have breakfast and head out, warm colors make it happen. If it’s your relaxation zone where, for example, you chop veggies after your workday, cool greens and neutrals will help. You’re not choosing colors you’re choosing moods.
read more: Scentcaping Your Kitchen: Using Natural Aromas to Set the Mood
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