All your life you have been told things about color – how much is true and how much is false?
Design by Fehrman & Fehrman
•Is red really exciting? No. Controlled experiments have shown that red does not cause anymore excitement or arousal than any other color.
•Is red a "warm" color? No. We have been taught to believe red is warm because of its psychological associations with fire and heat .
•Red is a significant color in every culture on earth. True •Did you know it was once thought the fat of a dead red-haired person (presumed to be of fiery temper) would make a good poison? Strange, but true.
•Yellow is considered a cheery, sunny color by Western cultures.
•Yellow is associated with death in some Asian cultures.
•Yellow is the first color to be noticed which is why it is now becoming a popular choice for fire trucks in some areas.
•The first flowers to bloom in spring are often yellow: the daffodil, crocus, primrose and forsythia.
•During the 10th century the Chinese adopted yellow as the Imperial color. It was reserved for only the emperor and those he selected by imperial order.
•In 16th century Spain yellow became known as a color of heresy and treason. The punishment for wearing yellow was burning alive.
•In nature yellow means "warning." Poisonous creatures are often colored yellow.
•The combination of yellow and black warns of special caution (consider bees and wasps) - it was selected for the nuclear radiation warning symbol because of the natural associations with caution and danger.
Antique Chinese textile pillows designed by Cherie Fehrman
Interior design by Fehrman & Fehrman
•Black is not a color. Black is a neutral.
•Black represents the unknown, maximum darkness, the negation of color.
•Does black make you look slimmer? No–not unless you're standing against a black wall. If you are wearing black and the background is a light color you will look larger. An object is judged in relationship to its similarity or contrast with its background.
•Black carries negative language connotations such as blackmail, black list, blackball, black market, black sheep.
•Black is often the garb of the revolutionary, from beatniks to punks.
•A black room like the one on the right may be considered sophisticated, strange or downright evil depending on our personal biases and perceptions.
