Color

A friend of mine is getting ready to paint her new home office and is having a very difficult time deciding what color it should be. Her whole decision making process/indecision got me thinking about color - why we select it and how.

My personal process is so random. The selection of a color is usually is derived from a passing thought or a glimpse of a part of an image that strikes me just so.

The interior of our new house does not have a color scheme yet - That is, unless, light gray is a color scheme. I was so busy and so stressed when we were painting that I gave up and just painted everything the same color. Where I did select a color, I really regretted it. Once we get the outside of the house done this summer, the interior of our house needs a new paint scheme - Something that gives our house some kind of character. I am not trying to implu that I am going to paint everything a color, but what I am intending is that there will to be lots of color somewhere in each of the spaces.

In a little aside, I found this little narrative on colors and color therapy. It is entertaining and fun...enjoy!

Copied from Biopulse.org

RED stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, respirations and blood pressure, excites sexual glands. It energizes the first chakra (coccyx). It warms us and awakens us physically and energizes our blood. It is a good color to wear when we have colds and poor circulation. Too much red can over stimulate and make some illnesses worse. High blood pressure is an indicator of too much red energy in the body. It is a color for war, prosperity, fire, and rising sun. Spiritually it is the root color of fire and connects us to our physical self. ORANGE is the color of joy and wisdom. It affects the second chakra (sacral). It gives an energy, stimulates appetite and it is a good color for illnesses of the colon and digestion. Spiritually it is the color of joy. It connects us to our emotional self. YELLOW is the solar plexus chakra. It energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite and helps in digestive problems. Spiritually it is the color of wisdom and connects us to our mental self. GREEN affects the heart chakra. It has a calming effect and balances the nervous system. Green color is soothing, relaxing mentally as well as physically, helps those suffering from depression, anxiety, nervousness. It is a good color for cardiac conditions, high blood pressure and ulcers. Since green stimulates growth, it should be avoided in cancers and other tumors. Spiritually it is the color of love and connects us to perfect love. BLUE is the color for the throat chakra. It is a good color in respiratory illness or throat infections. Blue is calming and cooling to our system and hence, a good color to counteract hypertension. Spiritually it is the color of health and connects us to holistic thought. INDIGO is the color for healing of the brow chakra. It is a good color for sinusitis, immunity problems, and all face problems. Too much of this color can cause depression. Spiritually it is the color of intuition and connects us to our unconscious self. VIOLET is the color of the crown chakra. It is cleansing, strengthening, and awakening, suppresses appetite, provides a peaceful environment. It affects the skeletal system of the body. It is a good color for improving immunity, cancerous conditions, and arthritis. It also purifies the system and is an excellent color for headaches and migrains. Spiritually it is the color of faith and connects us to our spiritual self.