When the heat sets in, white is often the first choice to give an impression of freshness to your interior. However, another color is even more effective in creating a visually fresher and soothing atmosphere.
If white is spontaneously associated with freshness, in particular because it reflects light well, it is not necessarily the color which gives the strongest impression of freshness once inside a room. Our brain interprets colors through associations built by our experience and our environment.
For several decades, specialists in color psychology have been interested in this perception. At the same temperature, the same room can seem more or less pleasant depending on the colors that dominate the walls, textiles or furniture. So-called “warm” colors, such as red, orange or certain yellows, naturally evoke the sun, heat or fire. Conversely, “cold” colors are reminiscent of water, the sky, vegetation or shadow. This difference does not change the actual temperature of the room, but it can influence how we experience it.
Among these colors, blue is the one most often associated with a feeling of freshness. Soft shades like gray blue, sky blue or slightly green blue are regularly used in bedrooms, bathrooms or rooms exposed to a lot of sunlight. They spontaneously evoke a fresher and more soothing environment. This is also one of the reasons why many hotels located in hot regions favor these tones in their decoration: they help to create a visually lighter atmosphere, even when the thermometer displays high temperatures.
To benefit from this effect, it is not necessary to repaint the entire house. A few well-chosen elements can be enough to change the atmosphere of a room: light blue curtains, a carpet in aquatic tones, cushions in shades of blue or sea green, or even decorative objects in transparent glass. In a bedroom, replacing bed linen with duvet covers and pillowcases in sky blue, gray blue or sea green tones can also reinforce this impression of freshness. Combined with natural materials such as washed linen or cotton, these colors help to create a lighter and more soothing atmosphere, particularly pleasant during summer nights.
However, we must not confuse sensation and reality. A room painted blue will not be any cooler than a white room if they are exposed to the same conditions. On the other hand, playing with colors can help make an interior more pleasant to live in on a daily basis.
