 Bold Paint Colors Lift Moods During Times of Uncertainty
Sunday, April 5, 2009
THE BOSTON
GLOBE
A bright yellow might counteract the blahs.
One of the first things Michael Hoyle did last fall when he
started his job as chief financial officer of Lasell College
was paint his office.
It might sound frivolous to be picking paint colors, especially when the
economy is faltering, but there was a reason Hoyle had two walls in his office
painted in a color that he describes as "a bright cheery blue, like a deep
blue sky."
"The idea was not only to keep myself upbeat in these challenging
economic times," he said from his Newton,
Mass., office. "But I also
host a lot of meetings here. People come into my office and notice the color.
It helps change the tone of the meetings. I really think it puts people in a slightly
better mood."
While consumers are spending less on everything from vacations to haircuts,
they aren't skimping on paint. Many, like Hoyle, see paint as an antidepressant
in a can. Manufacturers, meanwhile, are spotlighting a range of vibrant colors.
Benjamin Moore declares "the color of optimism" to be a blazing
citron yellow called St. Elmo's Fire.
Pittsburgh Paints is trying to fight the blues with a vibrant palette
inspired by bright Mexican haciendas.
The color-marketing group Pantone declared a warm, sunny shade called Mimosa
Yellow as its 2009 color of the year.
"What we're seeing is that people are going to the brighter side of the
color palette," said Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing at paint
manufacturer Sherwin-Williams. "We're seeing yellows, reds and oranges --
colors that are energetic and more optimistic -- finding their way into more
homes."
The idea of paint colors changing one's mood and affecting brain function
has been proved scientifically.
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