Mind the Design! Part 9
COLOR STUDY:PURPLE
Part 9 in the Mind the Design! Series
In this part of our Blog Series, we’re discussing the physical and psychological impacts of specific hues (which are defined as the brightest 6 - 12 pure, unmixed pigment families on the Color Wheel). These impacts are intertwined, for obvious reasons. (The better you feel physically, the better your mood, and vice-versa). We now focus on the color purple.
Purple is the hue most often associated with old ladies and little girls and represents the lovechild of color opposites: cool blue and hot red. Often the color of royalty, this wide-ranged hue represents luxury, intensity, drama, mystery, and - depending on the dominate influence of blue or red in the hybrid formula - it can serve to either calm or excite. Purple’s position on the spectrum closest to Ultraviolet, however, can make the color more difficult to perceive visually. In fact, black lights are perceived as purple because they use material to filter out most wavelengths except those closest to UV.
The artist Prince - purple was his signature color.
Men’s Room
Darker shades of purple combined with rich wood tones and metallics make a space more “masculine”.
At this point in our studies of color, it should come as no shock that the cool family of shades and tints like purple are more widely popular than the warmer range of colors. According to the article “Effects of indoor color on mood and cognitive performance” by Kemal Yildirim, Aysu Akalın, and Mehmet Lutfi Hidayetoğlu (September 2007 - Building and Environment) (describing a study involving colors in restaurants) “it is generally expected that violet/blue interiors will produce higher levels of positive affective tone and increased purchase intentions than red/orange interiors.” This result further supports the theory by Valdez and Mehrabian that “short wavelength colors—associated with ‘cool’ colors—like violet or blue are preferred, leading to a linear association between affective tone and wavelength.”
While purple is often considered a feminine color, it may surprise many to discover that the same study cited above found that “Compared to females, male users evaluated the [purple] space more positively.” The color has been used throughout history for medals (Purple Hearts, for instance), high level clergy and royalty, not to mention Prince himself – all of which have been largely attributed to the male sphere.
Different shades of purple also create different emotions. According to the article at https://www.namhpac.org/7-sad-colors-at-home-that-affect-your-mental-state/, “Purple has a wide variety of effects on us psychologically. On the one hand, purple is associated with feelings of spirituality, fulfilment, calmness, and can increases nurturing tendencies and sensitivity, and even encourages creativity and imagination. On the other hand, dark purple can produce feelings of sadness, gloom, and frustration. “It’s said that too much purple can produce feelings of irritability, impatience, and arrogance. Too little of the color purple produces feelings of powerlessness, negativity, and apathy.”
How one applies purple to their home décor must therefore be handled carefully since using different shades of the color can produce such wide-ranging emotions. Lighter shades in key spaces, such as bedrooms, quiet rooms and retreats can offer a calming influence and help focus the inhabitants’ intentions for meditation, reading or just ‘waking up on the right side of the bed’. More intense versions can be utilized in accents and art, and small occasional spaces for a lively pop, and when paired with a warm color, deeper or more saturated shades will be balanced.
Since purple is primarily a soothing hue, its dynamism (the mode of reducing/eliminating tension) is high, and the emotional tone (mood or feeling) it promotes will depend largely on where and how it’s deployed. The complexity of the hue – its tint, tone, and shade – can be moderated toward more light or saturated versions of the color in order to maximize calmness and deepened when seeking a more dramatic effect.
Lilac and other light tints of purple can convey calm and serenity.
Spatial quality – where and how purple is used – can be accomplished in many ways as well:
Use darker shades (by adding black) such as plum or royal purple to create a dramatic effect against neutrals and warm complementary colors
Pair the darkest shades with neutrals for a more “masculine” application
Display artwork that incorporates purple to add flair to a larger space
Incorporate pops of purple in furnishings, linens, and pillows to liven living areas
Use darker and cooler treatments in smaller spaces like powder rooms to help expand the area or add a touch of elegance
Use violet and lilac in rooms intended for restoration, retreat and relaxation such reading nooks and bedrooms
When the range of purple is utilized successfully, the psyche’s evaluation, which is triggered by the perception of the color, will raise, or lower the intensity of the mood desired.
What can purple do for you? Think about how and where you can incorporate this dynamic hue into your space and enhance your well-being.
Check back in March for the next color in our Color Study series.