Why’s Everyone Afraid of Color?
Howdy, I’m Tatum with a “Hot Take” on the seemingly overwhelming fear of color…
What’s the deal? Are you surrounded by people who love a good neutral and wouldn’t dream of throwing in a bright a** pink accent pillow on their couch because it’s “too much”? Well my friend, you are not alone. Over my short time in the industry (and this bleeds into fashion as well), I have encountered many people afraid of color.
Early in life, I grew extremely attached to pink, and like those who make white interiors their personality, I attached my identity to pink a little as well. I wouldn’t change it for the world! I grew up with color positivity. There was no fear of color in my house growing up. I could come home from school one day and my mom would have our front door painted a different color, or our living room, or my room even. This is purely an opinion here, but I believe growing up with color all around my life, I was never afraid of it. It never scared me for a second to drive a bright yellow car. My mom understood color very well, she understood how to use it to her advantage, and seeing that first hand paved way for me!
So here’s the skinny…I don’t think people are afraid of color, I think people are afraid of making the wrong choice! One of the things I love about color the most is that the possibilities are endless between combinations and how you can manipulate what you see by experimenting with tints, tones, shades, etc. For some people, the endless possibilities can make choosing a color and impossible choice.
Couple endless possibilities with the idea that there is some sort of commitment to a decision because of some kind of permanence. The most obvious thing would be paint. That is a decision you don’t want to mess up because undoing it can be costly. (This is where I can come in to help make decisions and help you be less afraid!) With larger pieces of furniture i.e. couches, arm chairs, consoles etc. the cost to change those out can add up too.
Luckily I know of some ways you can easily start to add color into your life before jumping to more permanent choices…
Color for beginners:
Start Small! I reccommend starting with pillows, curtains, poufs. Things that don’t have to cost so much and can be easily swapped in and out.
Keep a Neutral Backdrop - I know I said that “love a good neutral” bothers me. However, it is a great way to be able to freely experiment with color to your heart’s content.
Learn Some Color Theory - Once you know how to make color work for you instead of you working for it, you’ll start to feel better about being able to make some paint selections! There are plenty of excellent resources out there to teach you some basic color theory.
Research Color Palettes - Get inspired! Look into different color palettes and color schemes find out what you gravitate towards and what you don’t. See if you can articulate why some palettes draw you towards them, and why others push you away. The more you can understand your likes and dislikes the easier playing around with color will be.
Experiment! - Tap into creativity and experiment! Make some low risk choices, get some paint swatches, fan decks, paints, textiles, markers…whatever, and experiement! Start putting together some combos you like with your newly acquired color theory knowledge! Make mistakes (though the only mistake you can make is the choice you don’t like). Do whatever you can to start feeling comfortable with color.
Color can be a lot, I know. Making the “wrong” (see statement above) decision can feel scary, but I promise if you’re willing to put in some effort, color will become your best friend. You may even find yourself entertaining the bright a** pink pillow :)
