Color-changing | Outside The Lines

“Color is the spice of life,” says interior designer Mario Buatta. “It’s a mood-changer. You change the color from room to room to create a new mood.”

This statement epitomizes the impact color has on our emotional wellbeing and points to the importance of surrounding ourselves with home décor that encourages positivity.

Many people view their homes as sanctuaries. What do you consider your home? Does your interior design reflect the mood you want to set when in this unique environment?

If you want your home to be a sanctuary, it begins with incorporating colors that can influence your mood and the moods of others.

In a recent AOL.com article, top designers offer advice on color schemes that enhance mood. Here is what some experts are saying:

BUNNY WILLIAMS – DEFY TRENDS

“It’s important to choose colors that are easy to live with, which means ignoring trends. What’s timeless is to invent your own color schemes.”

MILES REDD – BE BOLD

“I love disparate rich colors paired next to each other—like taxicab and indigo. The tension that they make on the color wheel is dazzling. Each color makes the other more vibrant than when they stand alone.”

KELLY WEARSTLER – GENDER EQUALITY

“Pink-and-black is confident and chic. I always love to play up the sexy tension between masculine and feminine elements in design.”

STEVEN GAMBLER – ALL EYES ON THE KITCHEN

“Kitchens now act as a part of a house’s public space… It’s important that the kitchen feel as warm and friendly as a sitting room.”

TIMOTHY CORRIGAN – GREEN HARMONY

“I find it important to create homes that serve as our places of sanctuary from the outside world, so I often use green in a prominent role. It’s a color that represents harmony and balance, and you can’t help but feel a little bit calmer after spending time in a room surrounded by green.

Do you view your home as a sanctuary? If so, what colors do you use to highlight the essence of this matchless location?

After reviewing the philosophies of famous designers, it clear to see that beautiful homes come in all sorts of color schemes. As a personal oasis, your home ought to reflect your character and surround you with colors that encourage you and lift your mood.

Color is a powerful tool that can influence mood. When it is applied to the right location, it can have a positive influence on you.

Read more Segmation blog posts about color theory:

What Color Should You Paint Your Home?

Decorate Your Home Office to Inspire Creativity

Make Your House a Home with Color Blocking

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Color-changing products have been mesmerizing consumers for years. When did you receive your first mood-ring or hologram trading card? While holograms reflect light to reveal different colors and images, mood-rings change hues based on a person’s body heat. Now, a new color-changing product is in the works but it does not rely on light or body heat in order to change. Instead, it changes based on touch.

Scientists at the University of California have found that when gold nanoparticles are strung together, the collective color is blue. Then, when these strands break apart, they continue to change colors into purple and red. The final color is determined on how much stress is put on the gold. If it is lightly touched, it will change to purple; when it is completely broken apart it turns red.

As of right now, there is much excitement about using these gold nanoparticles in paint, tape or bandages so that color-changing properties can be used to indicate how much stress has been applied to a particular area. The inventors envision this being used in products like vehicle crash-test dummies, performance sports equipment (such as baseball bats) and beds. When used in these capacities, the color-changing product may indicate where the greatest amount of impact is concentrated.

While a number of comments on The Atlantic Magazine article suggest the color-changing properties of gold is not a new phenomenon, the technology to make it marketable might be. Because the concentration of gold is low, this could become an affordable, household product. However, scientists are also looking at the less expensive alternative silver as a possible composite. Like gold, when silver is broken down it changes colors but because it lets more light in, the nanoparticles will change from blue to green to yellow.

This new discovery may be available to the public soon. Right now, a patent is pending for the University of California scientists. Before long, gold nanoparticles may be in our tape, paint and bandages – and for good reason too. It will be help us indicate where impact has been made by changing its color with a simple touch.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and science:

Art Illuminates Science

Extracting Art from Science

Art and Science – A Genius Combination

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