Debunked! Color Myths

Who would ever guess, that something as small as an innocent paint chip, would have the ability stir up our deepest emotions. Color can! It has the power to push our emotional buttons faster, than any other design element. 

Everyone has their opinions about color, and no one's shy about sharing them. As a color expert, product designer and Certified Interior Designer, God knows, I’ve heard them all.

Whether trying to convince you that a yellow nursery will make your baby cry more or a red kitchen will wreak havoc on your waist line, or a blue bedroom will help you to sleep better. Is there any truth behind these myths? Well…Yes and no. Allow me to explain.

Sense the right colors can increase sales, improve brand recognition and maximize employees’ productivity, and the wrong colors can cost business money, I use every trick in the bag. Such as, design trends, Color Psychology, Color Philosophy and Color Therapy— all to enhance my clients’ competitive edge.

Color myths are a guaranteed topic of conversation, once someone finds out, that I’m a color expert. For years, I questioned many of myths, which inspired my, to probe a little deeper, to sift out color’s facts from fictions.

Here you'll find out which color myths hold true and which ones are debunked.

Red’s Urban Legend

“They” say that people who drive red cars get more speeding tickets. That’s not true. While being in red environments, it does raise your blood pressure and quicken your heartbeat. Yes, red is a strong color but its immediate effects are only temporary and do not apply to everyone.

It’s also not true that people who drive red cars pay higher insurance rates than those who drive other colors. Color does not go in to the equation when calculating auto insurance rates. What is used to calculate rates includes the vehicle's year, make, model, body type and engine size, as well as information about the driver.

So go ahead and buy that red car!

Pink’s Urban Legend

Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Who says so? There is no consensus of opinion on its origin of this legend. 

Here’s how this legend was possibly started. For centuries, all European children were dressed in blue because it was the color associated with the Virgin Mary. The use of pink and blue emerged at the turn of the century, and the rule being pink for boys and blue for girls.

Since pink was a stronger color it was best suited for boys; blue was more delicate and dainty and best for girls. In 1921, the Women's Institute for Domestic Science in Pennsylvania endorsed pink for boys, blue for girls.

One could argue that contemporary color symbolism confirms these associations. Blue is considered a calm, passive color, hence feminine. Red (pink derived from red) is considered powerful, hence masculine.

Yellows’s Urban Legend

“They” say that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Is that true? Sorry to burst your big sunshine balloon, but the answer is No! It was started by the same person who started the orange legend (see orange below). This individual also said that “people who love yellow are neurotic” and that “husbands and wives fight more in yellow kitchens.” None of these are true.

Orange’s Urban Legend

“They” say that orange makes products look more affordable. That’s not true! But we know where it started. A well published color expert, who will remain nameless, voiced his/her personal opinion, on several color urban legends, rather than actual fact or scientific studies. These legends spattered through the media like a bucket of paint falling from a 20 story building.

Green’s Urban Legend

“They” say that if you sleep on a pea-green colored pillow, it will prevent baldness. Sorry! That’s not true. If that were the case, there would be no bald men, along with a shortage of green pillow cases.

Blue’s Urban Legend

“They” say that I can lose weight, if I eat off of blue plates. Is that true? Absolutely yes!

Out of all the colors in the rainbow, blue is has very few connections to taste or smell,

therefor acts as an appetite suppressant. Weight management experts suggest

replacing your refrigerator’s clear lightbulb with a blue bulb, making munchies look less

appealing. Or paint your dining room blue.

  

Purple’s Urban Legend

“They” say that purple has been used in to treat mental patients suffering nervous disorders, because purple has shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears.

No! That’s not true. There are no valid studies conducted to confirm this.

Brown’s Urban Legend

Dark brown wall, (or any dark color on the walls, for that matter) makes a room feel smaller.

Not necessarily! If the room gets plenty of light, either natural or from light bulbs and the trim is in high contrast with the wall color, the room can still seem crisp and light. Dark brown walls with very white trim and ceiling can feel nice and bright in the right room.

Black’s Urban Legend

“They” say that painting a ceiling black, can make a ceiling appear to seem lower.

Not necessarily! A black ceiling can give the illusion that it’s higher rather than lower, similar to how a black ceiling disappears in a theater.

White’s Urban Legend

“They” say that white interiors are boring. They're anything but boring!

But then again, that all depends on what else is in the white space. White walls do need visual stimulation. They work well as back drop for large, pieces of colorful artwork. Sense there’s so much attention on the art work, the background practically disappears.

Gray’s Urban Legend

Is it true that “panic” can turn someone’s hair or gray?

This is not true; it’s just a superstition. Hair is called dead cells and the dead tissue cannot produce anything.

If this were true, every parent, of a teenager would have gray or white hair. Trust me, I questioned this answer myself, because when my children hit their teen years, my gray roots came in faster than I could conceal them. 

By Denise Turner, ASID,CID,CMG

Color Turners

www.colorturners.com