Ask Cristina: What’s Your Color Personality?
Article first Printed in Latina Style Magazine
Dear Cristina,
I read somewhere that the
colors I like tell a lot about my personality and that certain
colors can affect my moods. Is it true that you can you tell
what a person is like when you see the colors they paint their
home? Can color change the way I feel?
J. Vigil
It’s certainly true that color, like music can encourage
a particular mood or express an attitude. Don’t get
carried away with the symbolic meanings of color just
yet. Often a lackluster color scheme is the result of a
lack of confidence or knowledge of the design world, not a
commentary on one’s character.
If people choose colors with as much confidence as they choose
their music, you’d definitely get more of a sense of who
they are when you view the results. Far more people are
confident about their taste in music that are sure of their
color sense. Because of that, many people are afraid to
experiment with color and often will choose colors for their
home that seem safe – These are usually colors that they
think other people will approve.
It’s time for a change. It’s time to ask yourself
– What is my color personality?
Doty Horn, the Director of Color at Benjamin Moore Company
says, “The trend is going to the individualizing of the
color palette so that the person choosing it has a sense of
ownership. This is who I am. This is my personality.”
Just as we all don’t dance to the same tunes, colors
don’t have the exact same effect on everyone. You may
find that a color you love in one place doesn’t work at
all in another location, whether that’s another room or
another home. It’s the same thing that happens when a
favorite album cut just doesn’t suit your mood at the
moment, or you lose interest in it completely. As you change
along with the world around you, so does your perception of
color.
Josette Buisson, the Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Paints says“…conclusions (about color) are drawn from more subjective considerations, like the impact of technology on our life, our self-definition, and our relationships to one another.” She has developed a program for Pittsburgh Paints that links color choices to personality tendencies.
Though there is certainly scientific evidence that people in
the same culture tend to share their response to certain
colors, there are many exceptions. I love vibrant reds and use
them in a variety of rooms in my home. Someone else may
experience red as over-stimulating and upsetting. Don’t
take color advice verbatim.
Take a chance and experiment. Color is one of the most inexpensive design elements you can bring into your home. It is also the most powerful way you can express your personal home style.
So take time to discover which colors really grab you – not just the colors you think you “should” like. Peruse the websites of paint companies. Head to the store and collect paint chips of any color you’re interested in. When you have at least a few dozen samples, you’ll start to see a trend. Often you’ll surprise yourself when you see which colors you like.
Follow you heart and be brave with color. Whatever the result,
when you surround yourself with your creative choices you will
always feel energized and interested in your world.
These two pictures are from the same Hacienda-style home. For
this formal yet friendly living room my clients chose colors in
a subdued monochromatic palette of browns and golds. These
colors express a calm and relaxed yet lush attitude.
A fiesta of color brightens the guest bath. The guest suite is
down the hall from the more formal living room. Don’t be
afraid to change moods throughout the house. Staying within the
Hacienda concept, my clients were able to include more than one
color palette.
Sources:
Benjamin Moore Company www.benjaminmoore.com
Pittsburgh Paint www.voiceofcolor.com
Article first published in Latina Style
magazine
About
Cristina Acosta is a nationally renowned artist, author,
design and color consultant. She wrote Paint Happy!
(isbn#1-58180-118-1) and is currently writing a new book based
on her home décor color
consulting. Contact Cristina for
a consultation.
Subscribe to her Newsletter for once a month news, or get more on her Blog.
