Last week we blogged about adding color and life to your outdoor space. Have you ever considered the moods that those colors evoke and what they might possibly say about you? The psychology of color is a fascinating concept. Here’s what James Hardie online has to say about the meaning of color and how it relates to your home and landscape:

  • Blue is the color of the sky, water and mountains. In the northeast part of the country, gray-blue shades are associated with weathered wood that’s reminiscent of Nantucket. Blue exteriors are calming, relaxing and fit in with any landscape.
  • Red on a home’s exterior is most commonly associated with nature’s flowers and fruits. Nature uses red in most cases as an accent, especially when seen in bright, clean shades. Deeper, grayer-toned reds are common in Midwestern farm areas and northern areas of the country and therefore have a very warm, friendly rural feeling. Reds are also associated with fall leaves and bark and work well in landscapes that experience all four seasons.
  • Yellow is strongly associated with sunshine. It also has strong links to flowers, especially in the spring. Traditional associations, such as energy and intellect, do not translate well when yellow is used on the exterior of a home. Yellow homes appear to be clean, fresh and happy houses.
  • Green in many parts of the country is strongly associated with nature, new growth, trees and shrubs. Greens that are more yellow-based will be associated with new growth and springtime. Deeper greens are linked to maturity, such as older plants or trees. Keep in mind when working in arid areas of the southwest that there are limited associations to this color in nature, so use it sparingly as an accent color, if at all.
  • White is generally associated with adjectives such as pure, clean, new and bright. These are all positive associations, but be careful of using too much white on your exterior because it can be very boring. If you really want a white house, make sure you use some other colors to add interest, personality and drama.

Call Outdoor Environments at 913-897-2706 to get your new deck, patio or seasonal room ready for spring!

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful‘s Outdoor Room Design Ideas Gallery