87 | Use Behavioral Color Psychology in Your Home with Mehnaz Khan

Be More Productive, Sleep Better and Cope with Everyday Anxiety - The Power of Colors

I was stuck in the rut of “it goes with everything”.

Well, if I buy a neutral color couch it will match with my apartment walls. It will be easy to find a new rug and I’ll have more options to choose the perfect drapes. There are a ton of accessories in the market that will mix and match with my couch and it will make it all look clutter-free. And not to forget that I would totally be on-trend.

What I ended up with was a mix of beige and cream and ivory and grey - the so-called neutrals - basically a boring space.

Can I tell you what that first apartment reminded me of?

Psychiatric asylums!

Yes, you read that right. It reminded me of the white padded cells inside the psychiatric asylums where acute mental patients are kept. Those spaces are all white. The ceiling, the four walls, and the padded floor. Now the padding is added to protect the patients so that when they try to harm themselves they don't get hurt. But what about the color? Are you wondering why it is all white? For a very strategic reason. Because all that white would drain out the mental energy of the patients and would make them so weak that they wouldn’t attempt to harm themselves. It basically made them shut off.

That’s a pretty good representation of what that neutral apartment did to me and my family.

I had deprived us of color.

Little did I know about the emotional and psychological impact of color back then and that colors deeply contributed to my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Ever since I have confronted that colors are not merely about aesthetics. Instead, they manifest a survival mechanism for our everyday life, life has been completely different.

Today, I no more bring any color into my home for the looks, or because it is a trend. The best way to make a color decision, whether it is for paint on your walls or a small accessory, is to think about the meaning and the psychological influence of the color. Ask yourself if this color is in alignment with the purpose of your space. Every color fulfills a different purpose.

Now if you’re thinking that color is a big commitment and what if I get bored of my green couch, then I’ll have to change my entire decor? Well if you make a purposeful decision, which is not based on looks or trend, but rather based on a deep analysis of your wants and needs, you will never get bored of it. Let’s say someone bought that green couch because it was the latest trend. They definitely will get bored of it and want to change it in a year if not a few months. But if they make the investment in the green couch for the psychological properties of that color, they will never get bored of it.

I’m often told by people that they have a hard time creating color palettes. They choose the first color and then can’t figure out what goes well with it. And therefore most people end up with a neutral space with one pop of color. My advice is simple and proven. Look out in nature to find the best color combinations. Mother Nature has already done the hard work for you.

Color has this innate power to change human emotion and nature. By being intentional and purposeful with your color choices you can not only change the energy of your home but improve your mental/emotional wellbeing, health and happiness.

Mehnaz Khan is a color and design, psychology specialist. She uses color and design as a tool to help women create a restful and stress-free home, so they can enhance their productivity, sleep better and cope with everyday anxiety.