Choice of colour had not been a problem for one’s own house before
fifties of the last century for majority of the house Builders. Lime, Yellow
Ochre, Mulatanimitti (Red Earth) had been the natural choice. White was
predominant. The colours that were used in decoration at the entrance, pooja
enclosure and main living room (padasle or hall) were dictated by culture,
tradition and availability of the natural colouring materials in the area. Only
the very rich people thought of varying the colours in their mansions. The last
two decades of the last century saw a rapid growth in the middle class
population, which is now around 20% of the households. In many of these
households both husband and wife are highly educated and are exposed to ad-blitz
through media. Many of the households have double income. There is a greater
amount of disposable income. The house is no longer considered as a roof over
the head but, it is a symbol of status and an environment for stylish living.
Commercial Banks entry into retail financing in housing, easy installment plans
in trade. Credit Card Culture has also helped in conspicuous spending.
Interiors are now gaining more attention. Earlier, the expenditure on interiors
used to be less than 10 to 12% of construction cost. Now, they have grown to 40
to 50%. Interiors have become more colourful and lavish. The paint industry has
come up with number of types of paints in variety of shades. Fallout of the
hype and competition on individuals has attracted increased attention.
Colour has an influence on our visual perception, also on our
moods. Nowadays, a large number of shades are available in the market. It is
becoming difficult for an ordinary house Builder to choose from such a wide
choice. When making colour selection, it is necessary to consider all the
surfaces of the room as a whole, that is one should consider colour of the
floor or carpet, walls, curtains and furniture. Both of them act together on
the sensory perception of the individual. The illusion of size and shape of a
room can be manipulated by choosing a proper combination of colours for the
walls and ceiling. Colours can be used to express person’s individuality. It
also can be used to influence to certain extent the mood of a person. Earlier,
we used to retire early because of the manual exertion (walking, drawing water
from the well) during the course of the work. The advent of electricity and the
advancement in lighting science now extends the day light hours beyond
nightfall. The period of visual stimulation has expanded from 8 to 10 hours to
16 hours in cities. Therefore, a lot of research is being conducted on the
effects of colour on human being. According to new research findings, colours
have profound effect on our physiological and psychological selves. A study has
established that even a blind person can sense colours and react accordingly.
Dermo-optic vision or bio-introscopy as this vision is known, it helps people
to recognise colours and shapes.
Some colours are considered warm and others cool. Those colours,
which have red or yellow as base, are considered warm. Others which have blue
or green are considered cool. Cool colours appear receding, adding depth to a
room. Warm colours seem to advance and make space feel more closed in. Dark colours
placed low in the room will make the room defined. Dark colours on the ceiling
give a feeling of reduced height to the room while light coloured ceiling will
create an illusion of added heighted. Light colours reflect and give a feeling
of room being more spacious while dark colours give the opposite feeling. If
the intention is to unify the room use colours of same hue for walls, furniture
and furnishings. If the intention is to focus interest, use different colours
with contrast. So you can choose the colours so as to create: (a) Happy, Bright
and Cheerful, (b) Natural, Open and Airy, (c) Sleek, Sophisticated and Stark,
or (d) Simple, Clean and Restful.
It is wise not to go in for expensive colour scheme. In the Indian
context, it is desirable to get painting done once in 3 to 4 years. You will
recall in olden days, it was a custom to do white and Colour washes of a house
either before Yugadi or before Deepavali every year. Besides giving a fresh
look, it used to remove spiders web, lizards and small household vermin. Cement
based paint for the exterior and distempers for the interior should be a wise
selection.
Vaastu also has many things to say about colours and their effects
on human being. White is the colour of Sun God and goes well everywhere. Blue
is colour of Saturn, mentally soothing and physically cooling. Green is the
colour of mercury. It is for general well-being. It lowers hypertension and
palpitation. Golden yellow is the colour of Jupiter and is associated with
warmth. Red is the colour of Mars. It raises passion, speeds up heartbeat,
recommended for the warrior class. Black or should be avoided, as it is
associated with Yama. It will induce worry and pessimism.
Blue has effect of soothing nerves, lowering blood pressure and
palpitation. Blue helps in treating ulcers, disorders related to back pain,
treating tumours and cancer. The colour has been used by many Psychologists in
treating psychological problems such as, addictions, digestive disorders,
impotency and depression. According to an observation when the colour of the
London Bridge was changed from black to blue, the number of suicide rates came
down by 50%. The colour is also recommended to those students pursuing serious
studies, which require a degree of concentration. In parts of South India it is
believed to be mosquito repellant.
Green, it has been found, has a soothing effect on the mind. It
induces relaxation and is used to treat cases of depression, anxiety,
nervousness.
Yellow, it appears to have great energising quality and can be
used to treat depression. It improves appetite, memory. The colour when dark,
is supposed to be stimulating. One interesting study has found strong links
between street vandalism and sodium vapour lights which are yellow when
conditions are favourable as in the case of protest demonstrations. Yellow is
also not recommended for rooms where negotiations take place.
Violet has been found to induce peace and balance. It has been
used to treat people suffering from migraine.
Black, in lighter shades has been found to boost self-confidence.
But, dark colours may induce boredom, depression and sadness. Dark shade is
associated with negativity.
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