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Why you need a healthy colour balance in your life
Colour is all around us. It makes
food look appetising, it imbues
our environment with atmosphere
and it reflects our moods and
personalities in the clothes we
wear. Yet, apart from artists and
interior designers, most people
seldom consciously think about
the impact that colour has on their
health, state of mind and emotions.
That’s why Plascon, South Africa’s
leading paint and coatings brand,
annually hosts the Plascon National
Colour Week. This week-long
festival is an opportunity to stop
and think about what the colours
in our world mean to us and the
powerful effect that colour has
on our lives. “Colours may trend
one season and be out of fashion
the next, but choosing the right
colour for every occasion and
environment will enhance your life.
To be truly happy and healthy, we
need a balance of all the colours in
the colour spectrum.” says Anne
Roselt, Colour Marketing Manager
at Kansai Plascon Paint.
By understanding how colour
affects us, we can improve our
quality of life and bring an
atmosphere of harmony into
our home, she adds. Here’s a
breakdown of how colours affect
people:
· Red warms up a room, stimulates
people’s passions, and even raises
our pulse rates. It symbolises
vitality and love and is associated
with power, excitement, strength
and passion. Shades of red are
perfect for public areas such as
kitchens, dining-rooms, passages
and recreation areas.
· Pink is comforting and soothing
as has an air of optimism and
happiness. It creates a sense of
romance and calm and is suitable
for bedrooms and bathrooms and
relaxation areas.
· Orange stimulates creativity,
joy and happiness. It’s a sociable
colour and a great anti-depressant.
Since orange stimulates the
appetite and has a beautiful glow
by candlelight, it is a popular colour
for restaurants, dining rooms and
kitchens.
· Yellow is associated with the
sun’s life-giving energies. Soft,
golden yellows are warm and
welcoming, while bright yellows
are cheerful and radiant.
· Green provides balance
and harmony and has come to
symbolise health, growth and
vitality. It has healing properties,
which is why we instinctively
take a walk in the garden or park
when we feel stressed. Soft greens
are soothing and calming, both
physically and mentally green helps
link us to nature.
· Blue helps us feel protected from
the hustle and bustle of a busy
day. The more subdued shades
of blue are relaxing, cooling, and
encourage intuition. Indigo blue is
believed to help open the mind and
heighten intuition. Electric blues,
meanwhile, are energising and
youthful.
· Purple combines the excitement
of red with the tranquillity of
blue, making it the most complex
colour of the rainbow. It is linked
to spirituality, creativity, selfrespect and dignity. Purple is also
associated with prosperity, wealth
and increased productivity.
· White is the colour of peace and
purity. Its uncluttered simplicity
will help cleanse your mind of
worry and open it up to fresh ideas
and creativity. White is bright
and airy, but on its own can make
a room look cold and uninviting.
Softer whites are less alienating, so
use different shades and textures
of white to create warmth and
interest.
“We need a variety of colours in
our homes, just as we need variety
in the food we eat and the things
that we do. One tip is to consciously
think about the energy you’d like
each room in your home to have,
rather than choosing colours that
represent your current state of
mind. Also, instead of painting a
room in one colour – which can be
dull – why not introduce colour
harmonies to maintain a balance