Change Your Mood by Changing the Color of Your Kitchen Cabinets

"The Tennessean" recently ran an article titled "A home's true colors can affect your mood." Therein, it was reported that when one couple decided "to design their living space around bold color," they painted their "kitchen cabinets bright purple with lime green accents." The result? The couple now "wakes up every morning and appreciates being" in their home.

Mood, however, isn't the only thing color affects. According to the Paint Quality Institute, "Without a doubt there is a psychology of color. Color impacts our mood, our appetite, our energy level. Years of color response research have shown that certain colors elicit specific-and often strong-responses." And since we spend so much time in the kitchen, it stands to reason that the color of our kitchen cabinets can have a strong impact on us as human beings.

Kitchen Cabinets

Before deciding to change the color of your kitchen cabinets, you might want to take these color theories into consideration.

o Because "they evoke images associated with heat, like fire or sunshine, colors like red, orange and yellow "make us feel warm in a psychological sense." More specifically,
- Red kitchen cabinets produce "feelings of intimacy, energy, passion and sexuality. They "also stimulate the appetite."
- Orange kitchen cabinets are "more friendly than fiery and more welcoming than seductive." As a result, they "warm a room but in a less dramatic and passionate way" than red kitchen cabinets do.
- Yellow kitchen cabinets "grab attention and catch the eye." In the right shade, they also lift the mood. Be careful of too bright of a yellow, however, warns the Paint Quality Institute. "Bright yellow can be too strong and may actually cause anxiety"
o "Because of their references to pastoral landscapes and ocean vistas," cool colors like blue, green and violet "elicit feelings of peace, tranquility and relaxation." More specifically,
- Blue kitchen cabinets are soothing and suppress our appetites. Therefore, they are a good option for homeowners who are watching their weight.
- Green kitchen cabinets make us feel at home. Nature's dominant color, green has a calming effect. The Paint Quality Institute suggests, "Mid-range greens are a great accent for kitchens and dining rooms" making that hue ideal for kitchen cabinets.
- Violet kitchen cabinets elicit a favorable response in children, but "rosier shades of violet" are "somewhat more appealing" to adults.

So what does all of this say about "The Tennessean" couple who painted their kitchen cabinets bright purple with lime green accents? The violet base color indicates that they're still kids at heart while the lime green accents hint at their sunny, nature-inspired disposition.

What do your kitchen cabinets say about you? If they're not eliciting the mood and response in you that you'd like, get out a can of paint and a paintbrush and start slathering on a new color. The brighter new you-not to mention your kitchen cabinets-will thank you for the effort. After all, "The way you react to color and how you express your preferences may have a lot to do with your sense of self," points out "The Tennessean."

Change Your Mood by Changing the Color of Your Kitchen Cabinets

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