Use Color Therapy in Decorating

In an unscientific poll on Psychology.about.com in which 260,203 people voted on their favorite color, blue, green, black and purple were the top choices, with red following closely and everything else far behind.

We have emotional responses to color, whether as subjective and deeply personal or in the case of some colors, as universal. Basically there are two types of colors. Warm colors, which include red, orange and yellow, that create more aggressive responses and cool colors, which include blue, indigo, green and violet, that bring about relaxing reactions. It may be telling of modern society that the majority of voters in this poll chose cool colors.

In ancient times several cultures, such as the Egyptians and Chinese, used colors to heal. Color therapy, also known as chromotherapy or light therapy is still used today. Artists and interior decorators have long known how color can dramatically affect moods, feelings and emotions. Colors are so powerful they can also cause physiological reactions, like raising blood pressure. A decorator knows that cool colors will work well in a bedroom to promote relaxation, while adding warm colors to a game room would facilitate action, and not be very useful the other way around.

At a recent Douglasville B2B meeting at , Dr. Gary Easter gave a presentation on chiropractic practice in which he touched upon therapeutic techniques using color. In addition to the designations of warm and cool colors mentioned above, Easter said that the left and right hemispheres of our brains process colors differently. The left brain is action oriented and the right brain deals with withdrawal behaviors. He also says colors on the low end of the color spectrum (red, orange, yellow) can hype up activity while the higher end colors of green, blue, indigo and violet will relax us and have a regenerating effect on space.

There are general ways to use color in your environment, and more complex directives that can promote healing, for which a professional is advised. Color therapy is a complicated matter and a science. When dealing with health issues colors can have immediate but temporary effects, so that a personal, controlled and monitored, step-by-step program of color adjustments over time may provide more permanent results for healing.

According to the website Interior-design-it-yourself,

• Start by just choosing the one color that you are instantly drawn towards-this is called your soul color in color therapy.

  For your interior design scheme, choose from a full paint swatch color card, containing as many colors as possible.

Close your eyes and relax for several moments, before choosing the color you are instantly drawn towards.

• Then choose a color which makes you feel lively and awake - this will be good for any rooms you want to feel lively and stimulated in-maybe a study? or a kitchen?

Easter is partnering with Find Your Niche Décor to provide a personal color therapy decorating program through private consultations in his Villa Rica office, or over the Internet. In addition to this special feature, Find Your Niche Décor offers general decorating services that include wall art and fabric ensembles to match for custom decorating with a modern touch. Find Your Niche Décor offers design and decorating tips and will be open for business this October.

Editor's note: Designer and owner of Find Your Niche Décor, Alice Shapiro was recently named poet laureate for the .