Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Psychology of Color For Interior Design - Mood Enhancement

Bold colors, such as red, are often limited to little-used space or by people with a bold personality. Red is often associated with stimulation and has been known to increase blood pressure as well as increase appetite. By utilizing the psychology of color for interior design, restaurants may incorporate shades of red to stimulate their customers' eating habits. On the opposite end of the spectrum, terra cotta, a duller shade of red can evoke muted feelings of desire.

Some of the better choices of color for bedrooms, according to findings in the study of the psychology of color for interior design, are blue, or earth tones such as lighter shades of browns or greens. These work to promote feelings of tranquility. Browns take in a wide spectrum and can bring about a feeling of security while greens, especially sage, offer neutrality and can works quite well in a spare bedroom.

Colors Can Reflect Owner's Temperament

When using the psychology of color for interior design, it's important to understand the color's historical use. For instance, dark green was traditionally linked to banking, and deep purple is historically linked to kings, queens and royalty. A pastel purple, traditionally known as lavender, will appeal to younger females as well as have a calming effect. There are many aromas associated with aromatherapy involving the herb lavender for relaxation.

Gray is typically thought of as a neutral color and works well as background for many color combinations. The psychology of gray for interior design indicates that it can enhance productivity and is used in many offices. Black, on the other hand hints at submissiveness and will only work well in residential environments if it is used as an accent.

Yellow is most often used in kitchens and in children's rooms. This particular color can invoke arguments and the psychology of color for interior design has shown it to rile people to anger. Yellow can make some people feel happy and others feel angry. Studies have shown that people who like shades of yellow, like them immensely while those who do not like them, dislike them completely. There's no in between.

You can also find more info on gothic interior design. Interiordesignbliss.com is a comprehensive resource which provide information about interior designs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Hopkins

Interior Design Ideas - How to Spice Up Your Living Space

I know…I know…you’ve just finished watching that home design show on HGTV. Now you want to redesign your house as well. The good news is that even if you don’t have a lot of money or a consultant, there are some very simple things you can do to make your home feel brand new. In this guide to inexpensive interior design ideas, we’ll explore some quick and affordable tips to giving your living space a face lift.

Don’t Throw Out the Old Furniture…Paint It!

Paint is inexpensive, and the color choices are endless. Of course you might not want to paint that old cabinet a neon orange! But there’s also no rule that says you have to stick to neutral colors, like black, antique white, and tan. If you’re feeling bold, you can try a sage green or deep red. Or perhaps you’re looking for something more tranquil, like various blues, greens, and yellows. And while you’re at it, save some paint for the walls, too.

Glass Is Fragile, But It Can Be Quite Stunning

This may not be the best idea if you have small, rambunctious children. But if you don’t have to worry about things getting broken easily in your house, adding some glass is a great idea. Head down to the discount store for an inexpensive, yet trendy glass lamp. You can even find places where you can take an old vase and have it converted over to a lamp. If you want something with more pizzazz, you can purchase some artistic imported glass fixtures. Other ways of using glass to add décor to your home include French doors, window treatments in the bedrooms, and changing out some of those kitchen cabinet fronts with decorative glass insets.

In Short…Keep it Simple and Spacious

You don’t’ have to go all out to design a home. Keeping things simple and spacious can make a big difference. When choosing a window treatment, you don’t have go get a bulky curtain that you can’t even see through. Try an elegant, see-through curtain such lightweight Roman shades. Also consider the fact that less can sometimes mean more. If you remove some of the knick-knacks and anything that could be considered cluttered, it will open up your rooms and make it seem larger. Plenty of good interior design ideas simply rely on rearranging the things you already have.

Matt D Murren owns and operates http://www.instant-interior-design-ideas.com - Interior Design Ideas

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Murren

Decorate Your Home With Interactive Decor Accessories

Most people use the words 'accessories' and 'show pieces' interchangeably. They may not be altogether wrong in their assumptions as show pieces are in fact accessories; however accessories are not necessarily always showpieces. The major difference between the two is that showpieces are to be looked at and not touched; whereas accessories are accessible.

If you have school-going age children, put all traditional home décor ideas on hold for a while and try re-orienting your decorating mind. Instead of putting out your porcelain figurines and forever admonishing, "Stand far and look! Do not touch!" why not have on display interactive accessories that are accessible to children. Whether on the wall or on the table, these interactive accessories encourage inquisitive minds to "Come on over and have a look. Go ahead and touch me too".

Interactive accessories don't just sit in a corner looking fabulous. They promote interaction between family members and can also teach children a lot, in a fun and interesting way.

Still puzzled? Think world maps, jigsaw puzzles, coffee table books, photographs and children's artwork and you'll immediately realize their potential as interactive home décor accessories.

Replace your conventional home décor with these ideas for interactive home accessories and see what a difference it makes:

Jigsaw Puzzles
Replace your designer centerpiece from the centre table in the living room with a large 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and watch the whole family get more and more involved as bits and pieces come together right in front of their very eyes. Did you think most children considered jigsaw puzzles old-fashioned? On the contrary, any child would happily give up their X-Box or Play Station time for a chance to spend time doing something with their family. Put out a 1000-piece double sided jigsaw puzzle for twice the fun!

Even your guests are sure to enjoy trying to piece the puzzle together every time they come over to visit. Nobody will even notice the absence of the gorgeous centerpiece that you've taken away to accommodate the puzzle.

World Maps
Unless every inch of your wall space is already used up to hang picture frames and what not, you don't really need to remove anything. Just find a spot on the wall that is highly visible and hang a world map at a little lower level. Just pointing to any one country or city on the world map opens up endless windows of discussions. Tell your kids some interesting facts about the place they've pointed to- the geography of the place, an interesting historical anecdote or perhaps their culture.

In another area, hang up a frame map of your home town. Challenge your kids to identify places they have visited and if you spent your childhood in the same town, regale them with interesting stories of "your days" and what used to be at that very spot just a few years ago.

Photographs
Convert one part of your wall into an interactive album. You could change the display according to the occasion. For your child's birthday party, display photographs of all past parties. Your kids and their friends as well as all the parents, you too, are sure to have a blast remembering the fun times they all had. It also serves as a great way to see how the kids have grown over the years.

At other times, put up a random assortment of photographs of the immediate family with various friends and extended family. Photographic walls evoke a lot of bittersweet memories and make for a very emotional interactive décor accessory.

Rugs can also be interactive, if you choose the right kind. And for the kid's room it is easy to find interactive kids area rugs. Something like a traffic rug with roads and cars would be ideal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francis_Chang
 

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