Color Therapy And Design

Chromatherapy and designFinding the right colors for your design is often thought of as a matter of aesthetic taste. Basically people generally choose what appeals to their eyes and don’t think much past that. But there is a recent trend arising in the world of alternative medicine, that believes colors and the subtle hues in-between can also be therapeutic and affect your mood or energy. This trend is named Chromatherapy, and it involves matching the right color and light to impact your mood and bring a harmonious balance.

Most people are familiar with the term aromatherapy, which is alternative medicine through scents. Chromatherapy follows a similar concept; utilizing the spectrum as a means of making positive changes to the body. Though mentioned as a recent trend, color therapy goes back many years. In Ayurvedic medicine, the belief that there are 7 main spiritual points called Chakras along the spine that affect your body overall. These chakras are associated with a color, and as some believe, exposure to the right amounts of that color will help heal ailments in alignment with that chakra.

Color is obviously a huge part of the interior design process. For some, warm inviting colors are preferred while others want to make a more bold statement. Personal preference can be aligned with what your body needs rather than what is just simply pleasing to your eyes. For example red colors are thought to improve blood flow, while yellows can help with the digestive process. Mental health is more associated with blues. Colors that are combinations of 2 colors are thought to be powerful and are used to promote different healing processes. Purple especially is a powerful color, and is used to inspire creativity. How deep does this belief go, as coincidentially (or not so coincidentally) in many cultures purple is the color associated with royalty.

When thinking of your new home design or redesigning sections of your house, see which colors not only inspire you, but can potentially make improvements to your mental and physical help as well. Perhaps start with a room you frequent the most, such as a bathroom or bedroom, and see how this impacts your mood. If you are having minor ailments, decorate a room with a color that can potentially help promote the healing process; wall paints, decorative items and flowers which not only bring a beautiful hue but also a pleasant aroma.