The symbolic meanings of colors
By paola
How to Choose the Right Colors to Decorate Your Home
Colors influence us physically and mentally: they have the power to affect our mood, productivity, and the way we interact with others. Learning to recognize the symbolic meanings of colors and combining this awareness with our personal taste is the perfect match for decorating a home focused on well-being and functionality.
With the holiday season approaching, in this article you will also find gift ideas directly from our catalog, selected specifically for each color discussed.
White
White represents the untouched, conveying feelings of peace, silence, suspension. White is the most commonly used color for painting the walls of a home and is also preferred by architects in their designs. It evokes purity and cleanliness and, like a painter’s canvas, serves well as a “neutral” starting color for decorating any space.
1. 1960s Chair
2. Autumn Allegory Statue in White Marble
3. Neoclassical Fireplace
Black
Black in Western culture represents mourning and rigidity, so it is not advisable to use it extensively in the rooms of a home. However, black is also the color of refined and timeless elegance. When used sparingly in details and small objects chosen for decoration, it can add a touch of luxury and sophistication without becoming rigidly overpowering.
1. 1980s Table
2. 1970s Vintage Two-Seat Sofa
3. 1980s Cabinet
Red
Red is a physical color and provokes reactions such as an increased heart rate. It represents strength, life, and love and, more than any other color, draws attention. It finds its perfect place in areas of the home dedicated to physical exercise, in spaces meant for socializing, and, as the color of instinct and excitement par excellence, in the bedroom.
1. Bergere Armchair 1950s-60s
2. 1950s Bookcase
3. Sartori Rug – Italy
Yellow
Yellow is capable of stimulating us emotionally, it tends to make us feel secure, positive, and optimistic. After all, it’s the color of the sun! Yellow is ideally placed in the darker areas of the house, such as corridors, which usually don’t benefit from natural light. Its ability to illuminate, even emotionally, spaces, makes it suitable for fabrics, home decor, and tableware for breakfast. A treat to start the day with a smile.
1. 1950s-60s Armchairs
2. ‘Life’ Library by Roberto Monsani for Acerbis
3. 1960s Lamp
Blue
Blue triggers mental reactions, stimulating clarity of thought, serenity, and reflection. It alleviates stress and tension, which is why it’s the best color for decorating your bedroom. From the walls to the bed linens, from paintings to lighting, enveloping ourselves in blue will help us retreat into a bubble of restorative calm.
1. Blue Glass Vase
2. 1950s Argentine Armchairs
3. 1960s Mirror
Green
The color of nature, green symbolizes balance and harmony, giving us a sense of security on a primal level (after all, where there is green, there is water and life). Immersing ourselves in green immediately makes us feel more rested, comforted, toned, and rejuvenated. The areas of the house most suitable for this color are the bedroom, work space, and living room.
1. Vittorio Zecchin Blown Glass Vase
2. 1950s Coffee Table
3. 1950s Office Chair
Brown
Continuing with nature references, brown is the color of wood, the trunks of trees. It’s a color that reassures us, making us feel grounded in reality and connected to the earth. It’s recommended for rooms that need to convey a sense of stability and security, such as a study or the living room. It transmits a traditional charm, a sense of understated refinement, and tranquility, making it the perfect choice for furniture and decor in mountain homes and chalets, where we retreat to escape the frantic city life.
1. Reggiana Sideboard
2. Carlton House Desk
3. Set of Neoclassical Cherry Chairs
Purple
Purple is rarely found in nature compared to other colors: it can be seen in some flowers or during the transitional moments of the sky at sunset. It is the color associated with spiritual awareness and reflection, contemplation, and introspection. For all these reasons, purple is the best color for setting up your yoga and meditation space, as it facilitates contact with the more spiritual parts of ourselves.
1. ‘Piet’ Mobile by Echo by Di Mano in Mano
2. 1950s Stool
3. 1950s Armchairs
Training ourselves to understand what colors convey is certainly a good practice to decorate our spaces with awareness and buy furniture and decor that become silent and loyal companions in the service of our daily life.
And since it’s December, and the time for gifts is here, knowing colors also helps us navigate through the overwhelming number of proposals that rain down on us daily and guide our choice towards an item that is practical and functional, as well as, of course, aesthetically pleasing.
