Color Psychology | Mirakkul Glassware Blog

Yellow – The Color of Brightness and Cheer

March 27, 2012 in The Glass Lifestyle

Yellow flower

Different people are affected by color to various degrees, but the general impact of color on our attitude and mood is significant. Most people are aware of what a color represents, even though they themselves may not be emotionally impacted by it.

(Imagine someone wearing a red dress to a Western-style funeral – it’s wrong not just because it’s customary to wear black at funerals, but also because Western cultures associate red with passion, energy, and anger. It’s too much emotion in an already emotion-filled place.)

So how would you use color to control your attitude and mood for the better?

Well, it’s spring, and no other color could be more suitable for spring than yellow. It’s the color of warmth, cheer, and happiness.

Here are more details on how you can use the color yellow.

yellow bricks yellow sunflower

Photo Courtesy of Silverbearcafe, adornmentsoftthesoul.

1. Use yellow to add cheer to your everyday life

Yellow stands for optimism. If the day is cold and rainy outside, having bright yellow objects around you can cheer you up.

If you recently moved from a sunny place to a cold, rainy place, have more yellow decorations around you before you feel depressed because of the sudden lack of sun. Similarly, dressing in yellow can give you energy and confidence.

2. Don’t overuse yellow – it’s fatiguing to the eyes

Yellow reflects light a lot – using yellow too much is like looking into the sun directly. Mix it up with other colors to avoid eyestrain – especially if you work a lot with computers, avoid using yellow wallpapers so you can work more efficiently.

Photo Courtesy of junglewalk, globalspec.com.

3. Get attention with yellow

Yellow is used for traffic lights because it catches attention. If you want to get attention, definitely wear yellow shoes or carry a yellow bag.

However, some people find yellow irritating because it is overly eye-catching, so balance it with a darker color.

4. Do babies really cry more in yellow rooms?

Believe it or not, it is said that yellow can be so intense that babies cry more in yellow rooms. It probably depends on a lot of other factors besides just the color of the room and whether the babies are color-sensitive.

But regardless of that, decorate baby rooms with pale-yellow tones closer to beige rather than bright yellow. It will create a warm sun-filled atmosphere without putting too much strain on the eyes of the baby.

Even adults are said to become more excited and angry in yellow rooms, somewhat similar to common reactions in rooms painted in hot red. So it’s wise to use bright yellow only sparingly in kitchens (with all the knives, stainless steel equipments, and fire) to avoid accidents.

Photos from Mirakkul Glassware Amber Collection.

5. Place yellow decoration items as accents

Placing a vase or bowl as centerpiece in an otherwise bleak room can greatly lift up the atmosphere. You can also use smaller yellow objects, such as cups or pencil holders, as accents.

6. Use yellow for increased productivity and creativity

Yellow speeds up metabolism and awakens your confidence. It stimulates your logical creativity, without making you feel too dreamy-creative. It keeps you organized and helps your memory, and encourages communication.

So it’s the ideal color to use if you are feeling stuck during a project.

yellow shades

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.

7. Know the variations of yellow

Yellow can be pale, golden, bright, neon, dark. Depending on the different type of yellow you see, you will get different effects. For example, golden yellow is associated with wealth and luxury, while bright yellow is more childlike and cheerful. By using the right shade of yellow at the right time, you can create totally different moods.

More of the color psychology series:

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The place where every glass is handmade.

Tags: color psychology, yellow
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Green – How to Use Its Color Psychology for Increased Productivity

March 8, 2012 in The Glass Lifestyle

green

Photo Courtesy of redroof.com.

Among the various colors that were covered in the color psychology series, green is probably the most ‘positive’ color so far.

When we think of green, terms like nature, freshness, and life pop up in our minds.

Although there are phrases like “green with envy,” I don’t immediately think of envy when someone says ‘green’, although I might think of green when someone says ‘envy’. (Notice the difference? )

Compared to other colors that have strong socially registered negative meanings attached to them (think of red for anger, blue for depression, black for death) green is on the happy and jolly side.

So here are some tips on using the positive aspects of the color green to improve your everyday life:

Photo Courtesy of annettegendler.com, wikipedia.

1. Use Green to Increase Productivity

Studies show that having green plants around you lowers stress levels. It happens not because of photosynthesis and cleaner air – although that is indeed good for you -, but because of the mere presence of that green color.

This is because green is the color of nature – we think of trees, grass, and other organisms when we think of green, and just by seeing green we feel relaxed and at ease.

And as mentioned above, green is overwhelmingly associated with positive meanings such as: nature, health, life, good luck, and money. No wonder it increases productivity!

Green good for eyes

Photo Courtesy of blog.naver.com.

2. Green Improves Reading Ability Because It Is Easy on the Eyes.

A company called Morning Glory uses the particular color above for the inside cover of its paper products, such as notebooks and diaries. It’s supposed to help users relax their eyes when they take a break from studying, writing, or just thinking too hard.

Indeed, studies found that paper of light green color increases reading speed and comprehension. Green is in the middle of the color spectrum, so that it is balanced and good for your eyes. In fact, any slightly tinted paper is better than completely white paper. White is a full-spectrum color, so that you easily get sore eyes when you look at text written on white paper for a long time.

So for every 1 hour of staring on your computer screen or reading in the textbook, put in 5 minutes of relax-time and look out the windows. See the trees and the sky. Or look at the color above!

Green 3

Photo Courtesy of Layoutsparks.

3. Green Is Healthy and Eco-Friendly.

Green tea. Cucumber. Green apple. Lettuce. Avocado. Kiwi. Asparagus. Green Peppers. Do I need to name more? Although sometimes food in green packaging is not-so-healthy, green food found in nature almost always is.

That’s why a lot of healthy-related websites and eco-friendly supermarkets use green shades to appeal to our intuitive perception of this color.

Try to have at least one green food every time you have a meal. (M&M’s and green muffins for St. Patrick’s Day don’t count.) It will make you healthier and make you feel better!

4. Create a Green Room to Relax.

In a theater or a studio, there are green rooms where performers can relax before they go on stage. Historically, these green rooms were literally painted in green, while these days they are not always painted in that color.

Nevertheless, the soothing effects of green are hard to dispute.

Cat-Tail Green Curved Vase Mirakkul Glassware

Photos from Mirakkul Glassware.

5. Green Shades in Spring and Summer Make You Feel More Refreshed.

Late Spring to Summer can be stuffy. Add some green decorations to your house with vases, bowls, cups, and more. Even better, get actual plants and put them in a flower pot or vase so you can feel the lively energy indoors. It will help you relax and unwind.

You can also vary the darkness/lightness of green to reflect the season and feel up-beat:

light green (lime, chartreuse, greenyellow) for spring, just like freshly sprouting buds
darker green (forestgreen, darkgreen, phthalo green) for summer, just like tall trees with ample shades

green image

Photo Courtesy of free-extras.

More green stuff:

Recycling Glass Bottles and Containers

Green Glass Buildings

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The place where every glass is handmade.

Tags: color psychology, green
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White, Pure White – Color Psychology and How to Use It in Everyday Life

March 1, 2012 in The Glass Lifestyle

Photo Courtesy of Heavenawaits, Youthedesigner.

White evokes images of angels flying in heaven, purity, and cleanliness.

But sometimes it looks bleak and sterile. When used in excess, it is morbid like an empty mental hospital. In some countries it even symbolizes death.

So how can you balance the use of white to get the most desirable effects?

1. Know the Color Psychology of White

White symbolize purity, innocence, brightness as well as coldness, blandness, and sterility. So use white when you want to convey those feelings.

Good examples are white wedding dresses that symbolize the purity and beauty of the bride, and white walls and white medical gowns in the hospital.

2. Never Use Too Much of It

Too much of any color can be disastrous, and this applies to the color white as well.

A completely white room without any other color can make people pretty psychotic. When mental asylums are shown in movies like Sweeney Todd, I always think “no wonder, those places are so bleak without any color.” Any ‘normal’ person would go crazy when kept there for more than 2 hours.

white1 white3

Photo Courtesy of Greatdreams, Pulsarmedia.

3. Use Off-White

Off-white, unlike completely-purely-white white, is easy on the eyes. Perhaps it’s because white rarely occurs in nature, except in the form of snow. Even those polar bears are far from having white fur coats! (Although that kitty does look pretty completely white.)

Choose a white shade that is closer to beige or lemon to make rooms feel more welcome and warm.

4. White Isn’t Always Clean

Do you know that places that we think are clean (such as our desks) may in fact be full of germs compared to toilet seats? This happens because we tend to forget to clean areas when they are not necessarily associated with germs.

Similarly, a white object can give the false allusion of cleanliness; we think that because dirt will show easily on white, it must be cleaner when you can’t see it with bare eyes. But just because it’s white doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have germs.

Photos from Mirakkul Glassware.

5. Give Accents with Stronger Colors.

Add some color to your room! Wooden furniture, picture frames, vases, and other objects are perfect for this purpose. I like white mixed with red and other colors.

6. Dress in White …

… in hot summer months

White reflects all spectrums of light and thus does not absorb warmth. So if you want to feel and look cooler during hot summer months, wear white instead of black.

… if it’s okay to look less authoritative

Unlike the color black, which conveys authority and trust, brighter colors tend to make you look younger and less authoritative. Think twice before you wear a white suit or a white dress to an important business meeting.

… if you feel confident about your body

Not that you shouldn’t wear white just because you are not a professional super model. Brighter colors make anyone look happier compared to darker colors.

However, remember that darker colors make you look slim, whereas a color like white can make you look chubbier than you actually are. That’s why I never buy white jeans!

white6 white5

Photo Courtesy of tooft, psdgraphics.

7. White is Futuristic

As briefly mentioned above, white is a color that rarely occurs in nature. Even so-called ‘white’ flowers are usually yellowish white, bluish white, or pinkish white.

Perfect white, with no hint of another shade, is a pretty new innovation made possible through advances in technology and hygiene. White toilet papers, white copy papers, and white iPhones didn’t exist a hundred years ago.

So if you want to make your house look modern, go for white.

Check out more of our color series:

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The place where every glass is handmade.

Tags: color psychology, white
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The Color Purple – Royal and Regal Color Psychology

February 23, 2012 in The Glass Lifestyle

purple2

Photo Courtesy of animalsw.com.

The color purple. It is at once enchanting and mysterious. Symbolizing royalty and wealth, it is both warm and cool because it is a mix between red and blue.

With such a rich range of meanings, you can use it in a variety of ways for a desired effect.

Here’s how you can do it.

purple1

Photo Courtesy of Shades of Purple.

1. All purples are not the same. Know what you want.

Purple is a mixture of red and blue, so that depending on how much of each color you have, the feel will be entirely different. In fact, there are many alternative names for the general term ‘purple,’ such as aubergine, eggplant, amethyst, and lilac.

In the color cubes above, you can see that the purple in the lower left-corner definitely looks more mature and richer compared to the one in the upper-right corner. Deep purple conveys more authority and richness, whereas light purple/pink-purple looks girlish or romantic.

By carefully choosing the specific shade of purple you want, you can imply anything: royalty, wealth, wisdom, immaturity, mystery, imagination, creativity, girlishness, artificiality, exoticness.

2. Purple is not the same as violet

Did you know that there is no ‘wavelength of purple light’? Purple is an extra-spectral color that only exists as a combination of other colors, red and blue.

On the other hand, violet is a spectral color, which has its own wavelength.

3. Use purple to symbolize royalty, nobility, and richness

Purple dye used to be expensive in the old days, so that only the selected few could use the color. That’s how purple started to be associated with imperialism and nobility.

Especially when used for glass perfume bottles, which were also used exclusively by the nobility, purple looks absolutely gorgeous.

4. Don’t overuse purple to avoid looking artificial

Maybe it’s because purple is an extra-spectral color – it does not naturally exist without the combination of other colors. Purple looks strangely artificial when there is too much of it, especially when it takes a lighter shade – it looks over the board.

Using it in small amounts will make it look natural and beautiful, like lilac flowers in the fields.

purple3

Photo Courtesy of anjelstar.

5. Use purple in small amounts to spark creativity

Color psychology studies suggest that being around the color purple triggers imagination and creativity. It’s also a good color for fighting off insomnia without getting too depressed.

Add some purple accents to your room with flowers, vases, or cushions, so that you can be energized all day long.

Check out more of our color series:

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There place where every glass is handmade.

Tags: color psychology, purple
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