In this podcast episode, join our Interior Designers Shelby and Amanda as they unravel the fascinating relationship between color and the atmosphere of a space. Beyond aesthetics, color carries the ability to influence emotions, behaviors, and experiences within architectural environments. Shelby and Amanda share their insights on selecting colors strategically to achieve desired effects, exploring how different hues can evoke a range of feelings. Through real-world examples and discussions on psychology, culture, and lighting, this episode offers a captivating exploration of how color shapes the language of design and human interaction in spaces. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how the perception of color transforms architectural realms into powerful vessels of mood, connection, and creativity.
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Episode Transcript
Skyler: Welcome to another episode of laying the foundation.
Welcome everybody to another episode of laying the foundation. Uh, today I'm really excited because we get to deep dive into the perception of color when it comes to, um, design. And today I'm going to be talking to, uh, Shelby, who's from the same office as I am over here in Sioux city. And then Amanda, who's over at our, uh, grand Island office in Nebraska.
So both of you welcome to the show.
Thanks.
Yeah, absolutely. So one of the things that kind of sparks this conversation is a misconception of what it means to be an interior designer. So I was going to have like you guys, if you wanted to kind of intro what that means before we delve too deep into like what, you know, all the, the perception of color and color theory, I'm sure, and stuff like that.
Um, So yeah, if you guys want to like kind of discuss what you guys do as interior designers, that would be fantastic. Just as like kind of an opening for this.
Shelby: Amanda, I'll let you take the stage on that one to start.
Amanda: Okay. Well, um, as an interior designer, I do a whole host of things. It's the biggest being as we help layout spaces with the architects, um, to clarify, I specifically work on a lot of education, healthcare, some corporate and some odds and ends, but we do space planning.
We do, um, conceptual thinking about how a space might feel. I mean, you got to consider every interior aspect, how a person's going to feel in that space and react to it. And then. A lot of people don't understand that materials are only a portion of what we do, which is Interesting because they always ask me to come over and help them pick out a color for their house, which is what we're going to talk about.
Shelby: My mother did that to me this week.
Amanda: Oh, goodness.
We do that. We are pretty darn good with colors. If you're not, you might not be a good interior designer, but that's okay. It's all subjective, right? I'm using that word right? But that's, that's the biggest thing. It's a lot like art. It's unique. It's different.
There are different, different. Perspectives to how, um, how an interiors might look.
Shelby: Yeah, and I'll kind of piggyback a little bit on what Amanda just said. Um, you know, we as designers get to kind of set the stage for every single type of user's experience throughout the space. So whether they're deaf or in a wheelchair.
Or blind, or little kids, or super tall, like, we can manipulate the space and we can really create an environment that's pleasant for every user. And so it's so much more than just picking out the finishes and decorating, which Always seems to come up. Um, there's TV shows that kind of set the tone for what people perceive interior designers to be, but it really is a lot more, um, you know, we have degrees, we have a background, we have an education and honestly, it's like my degree is in the, um, is in a science field.
So, um, It's a life sciences degree. So it, you know, it really is a science of how people React and Perceive a space and how they really experience things, I guess.
Skyler: Okay. Okay. Gotcha so I'm glad that you mentioned sort of that that science end of things because as we talked about we're gonna we're gonna discuss the perception of color and Color has a lot of like psychological you could say Sort of feelings that they can induce In different ways.
So obviously when it comes to designing a space and what colors are going to go into that space What's kind of like I mean, what kind of strategies do we look at when we're we're dealing with that sort of? process in the design
Shelby: okay, so Kind of it depends on the owner and the client for sure But it also depends on the type of space like if we're designing for schools color is a big deal when it comes to schools, whether it's like school spirit or Wayfinding and helping to kind of design the space So each student really feels like they have a home we can do it that way.
But then when we look at color like in healthcare and like, senior living or even places where someone may experience high anxiety and that kind of thing, we can really alter some of those feelings they may have just by applying softer tones and trying to just set more of a calm environment.
Skyler: Course, you know, if, if this was just like an overview on interior design, I might not ask this, but color theory, I assume is, is kind of a, its own like subtopic within interior design.
And it's a pretty big one. And I guess that is kind of what we're here to discuss. So, um, if you guys want to talk a little bit about color theory and how that kind of ties into all that psychology of like how colors can evoke emotions or evoke different feelings when within a space, um, You know, kind of just an overview on, on how all that works and maybe some of the examples of when it comes to colors, how they affect those spaces.
Amanda: When you're starting off at the perception of color, the biggest thing is, is just understanding the difference between cool and warm. So cool colors are like greens, blues, purples, warms are red, orange, and yellows. But the biggest thing is cool generally reflects the outdoor colors. So again, you're thinking sky, grass.
Right. Um, but they suggest wide open spaces, and so those colors tend to recede, um, which is great for the biophilic design. Um, and then warm colors tend to approach a person, and they kind of make a space feel smaller or more intimate, um, which, you know, when I was, I was saying something about when you're eating, generally you don't want a red plate simply for the fact that it decreases your appetite because it's coming at you.
Um, it's just. Sometimes too much, um, versus if you have a white plate that food sitting there and it's more tempting. It's sure. It's a little bit different. Um, it's again, that, that psych psychology of color. Um, I did have in my notes to talk about the different colors. I don't know if we want to talk about that.
What each kind of is perceived to be.
Skyler: Yeah. Yeah. Like the, the specific like color theory per color. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Amanda: So generally, I mean, if you think about it, they're probably what? , , general colors that we see, especially when you're talking about a box of crayons. Right. The rainbow colors. Yeah. Yep.
You know, I just bought a ton of those for daycare the other day. Nice. Um, but so generally, you know, if we're If we're generalizing a color by that simple box of crayons, you know, you think of blue is typically calming and restful. Um, they say that it's got a sense of trust and loyalty. Um, and with education, it's really great with helping kids focus.
That's why I know Shelby and I both, we use a lot of blues. That's that's why it's not only timeless, but it helps to kind of focus and make feel people feel a little bit more. Calm, right? Right. Um, red, I would consider to basically be the opposite. Um, it is warm and it generally provides a lot of comfort.
So I know, you know, you talk in the nineties, um, that was a big color, but, um, the bad thing about it is that it can also provide a lot of energy to a space. And so in education, it can be very energetic and emotional, which isn't. necessarily good for kids. So we didn't tend to try to tone that color down, right?
Skyler: Um, focus versus exactly running all over the place.
Amanda: Yeah. Yellow, uh, is generally energetic and happy, um, which is great and it's uplifting and optimistic, but again, it's still a warm color, which isn't always calming for a space, but we do tend to see that a lot more in like education and sometimes in healthcare.
Um, green is definitely used in both. It's serene, it's calming. It definitely has a. Feeling of security is how we, I mean, security, you think of money, but it's got that, that very grounding effect to, to a space. Um, orange is joyful and enthusiastic. Um, it's a lot like red, so you gotta be very careful with it.
Purple is a little bit more like blue in the sense that it's restful. However, when you get too much red to it, it gets a little more on the dramatic side of things. In which case you want to kind of be a little bit careful of it. Um, white makes a space feel larger, which is generally why I like to use a lot of white in a space because it's, I mean, it's the background to all colors essentially.
It's, um, It reflects and scatters all visible wavelengths of light. If you didn't know that, I found that kind of interesting.
Skyler: Um, It's kind of one of those where, you know, someone might feel a bit limited to the space that they have. And so that could be a good way to kind of help them feel that the space is maybe bigger than it actually is.
Amanda: Correct. Yeah. Awesome. And then black is the opposite, where it absorbs all wavelengths, instead of reflecting it. So, it's gonna definitely feel really stark, and probably a little intense.
Skyler: Yeah. That's why, like, when you're in a dark room, it almost induces sort of a claustrophobia, in a sense. Yep. Because you feel like it's closing in on you in a sense, so that makes sense, alright.
So there are like some, I don't want to say rules per se, but like kind of general Guidelines. Concepts that you can kind of take from Yep. A lot of spaces and, you know, these colors are known for this, so it might not be strategically makes sense to use this color here, but it would make a lot more sense to use this color here, um, from that sort of, that psychological, that, that color theory side of things.
Okay.
Amanda: Yep. For the most part, I would add that, you know, different tints, shades, tones, values, all of that can change the perception of color very quickly. Right. So there are certain purples that are a lot more common, like I said, but definitely certain purples that get a lot on the other spectrum. Right,
Skyler: right. Which is crazy to think about like at the end of the day there is no like singular answer for sure it seems like there's there's a number of different ways that you can go about it, um, but to say like this is only used in this circumstance would be really limiting to an entire color. And
Amanda: lighting. And lighting.
Lighting will make a massive impact on how it's perceived. Well,
Skyler: maybe, maybe that's another thing that we can go into is how does the, how does the lighting of a room affect the color? Because obviously, you know, color stems from light. So how does, how does that kind of crisscross over each other and how can that affect like what you guys come up with for an idea for a space?
I mean, you guys, I assume would probably have to be working, you know, kind of side by side with here's the color that we want, but also I need to talk to the. People that are going to handle the lighting to make sure that it all, you know, comes out the way that it's supposed to.
Amanda: That when people do ask, Hey, can you come to my house and pick out a paint color?
I will give them sound advice. And that is, if you have colors in mind, take it to your house, turn your lights on, put it vertically, never look at a paint color flat, because you're not going to paint your floor, you're going to paint your wall. And make sure to check it out in all different lights. So not just, you know, midday at o'clock, but, you know, at o'clock at night when you're going to bed.
Is it calming? Is it relaxing? Is it, or is it something that's not going to help you sleep? Um, you definitely have to give it time to adjust. Um, but it's a little bit different when we're working on commercial projects. Thankfully, usually most of us interior designers have a good... perception of color and we can kind of gather which ones we know work best in all sorts of lights.
Shelby: Yeah, um, this literally happened to me with my mother earlier this week, um, they're painting the exterior of their house, and so since I work with color all the time, guess who's volunteered to pick the palette? We looked at it in a restaurant. We were looking at the colors, and I said, take them outside, and I said, honestly, Get some of the sample paint and paint sections on different places that get different parts of sunlight and look at it and, you know, just study it for a couple days.
Well, I got a panicked phone call two days ago because she hated it. Oh no. Well, for one, it wasn't complete. For one. She gave the painter the wrong colors. So that was the major problem. But for two, one of them was looking very, very gray, and she didn't want gray, but she had painted it on an off white color, so it was you know, it was looking very gray.
So she didn't have like a blank canvas. A primer.
Amanda: Again, this goes back to the white. I'm a big fan of white because it is a primer. It's Something that bases all colors.
Mm
Shelby: hmm.
Yep. But like you said, you know, a color's gonna look way different inside than it's going to outside. So making sure you're looking at it where it's actually going to be applied is so important.
Amanda: Yep. And different lights, because you're not just gonna see it in direct sunlight. You're gonna see it at dusk and dawn. And you gotta enjoy that color. You gotta appreciate it and love it. And if you don't, Hopefully you're not wasting too much money. That's
Skyler: right, cause you're gonna have to go reinvest.
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So you mentioned, you mentioned a term in there, um, and I'm going to embarrass myself if I try to say it, but it was something along the lines of bio, biophilic.
Yes. Thank you. Um, what, I mean, what does that mean? Do tell.
Amanda: Biophilic design is very important, especially in healthcare design. It can be important in other design as well. So education, even corporate, um, but we do it a lot in healthcare simply for the fact that it has been. Shown through science that, um, patients are more likely to recover or to get healthy a lot quicker when they have some sort of access to nature, whether it's a simple window to the outside, or even just changing up some of the textures or colors within their space in that hospital or healthcare setting.
Wow. So giving them some sort of nature feeling that's going to be nurturing, essentially.
Skyler: Really? So it actually, like, the psychological side of it, of, you know, how it can actually benefit your health, really comes into play with those, like you said, those colors. I like what you mentioned about the cooler and the warmer colors, and how it kind of, uh, interprets the space, and you use the example of the healthcare facilities and how those cooler colors will help.
Kind of give that more expansive feeling, which is nice. So within kind of our, our main scope at the firm with our like K and our healthcare and, and higher ed, um, are there other kind of specific strategies that we use when it comes to the colors that we, we choose for different spaces? Any like specific spaces where you would say it's better to use these kinds of colors versus these kinds of colors or things along those lines?
Shelby: I'm going to answer that in a roundabout way. Um, so personally for me, lots of colors and lots of patterns and a lot going on is super overstimulating. So, take a K project, for example, in the classroom, if I'm overstimulated by it, I can't imagine what littles are feeling. You know, teachers like to post.
all kinds of different posters and decorations and all that around their classroom, which is great. Great learning aids, um, but I think kind of creating a blank canvas for them to apply those to is important. I try to be very cautious when using color in classrooms just because it can get very loud very fast, and I try to be intentional.
So maybe I'll pick a carpet that has like, Subtle threads of color or maybe the furniture brings the color in or something like that. Um, and then kind of leaning back to what Amanda said about biophilic design, I wouldn't technically call it biophilic design in a K environment, but I try to bring in natural materials like wood looks and stuff like that.
'cause I feel. It can really soften a space and just kind of create more of a calm environment. And to me, in a learning environment, that's super important, so kiddos can stay focused and everything else. But then, you know, um, looking at common spaces and places that we want to encourage play and creativity and collaboration, like.
Being super intentionable about the colors we use throughout there is so important. Um, I've got a project right now that's in construction And it's got two different neighborhoods So the younger kids are in one neighborhood or pod and the olders are in another one and kind of The finishes are very, very similar, but we messed with the color palette just a little bit.
So each pod has its identity. So the younger kids know I'm with the green and the olders know that they have purple. But then we went ahead and mixed like the school's blue colors for their branding in with it too. So it was kind of fun. The kids have identity through the color, but also like the way finding through the building and they can just really identify a lot easier.
Skyler: You mentioned kind of like mixing it in with their branding. Um, What kind of, I mean, what kind of strategies can we use as far as, you know, if this space has. And, you know, we're working on this space and we want to be able to kind of blend those spaces, but still kind of have that positive, you know, psychological, I keep using that term.
I don't know if that's really the right term to use, but association with the color that's going into the new space without creating kind of sort of a clash or, and maybe that's a situation where it just ends up having to get repainted over on the other side or something like that. I mean, is there.
Yeah. Um, some way that we have to like work within that. I know with like a lot of high schools, they'll have a mascot and they'll have logos and they'll have specific color like designs. How do we kind of work with what they already have or what they already kind of know they need and then still be able to create that?
Good color in the new space that we're working on
Shelby: high school specifically their colors are typically bold To really show that school pride I've got once actually had a couple schools lately that are red and black which are both very very bold aggressive colors So the way we kind of worked that in Was to go very neutral with almost everything bring in lots of wood tones and lots of like glass and light and then we just Brought in, like, little pops of color, like, maybe through a tack surface, or the edge banding on a table was that red, just to bring it in very subtly, so that, um, so that that school pride is still going through the space, but it's not as, like, aggressive and in your face.
Um, so, typically, the way I approach, like, the high school end is I do try to stick with their school colors throughout. I think that that's great to really show the school pride, um, Two of the projects I'm working on are K . So bringing that down to the youngers, I do mix in other colors with it too, to make it a little bit more playful.
Like they still have that identity with the rest of it, but I've pulled some other things in too, just to give it more of a playful feel. So
Skyler: then when it comes down to like working with those clients and like, do How do you show them or how do you express to them the importance of like, we really feel like this room needs to be, you know, within these colors.
And I'm sure you guys have had clients in the past where they're really pushy or really like, I really wanted this color. And you're like, okay, but maybe that's not the best for this space. Maybe it'd be more conducive to do it this way. And how do you like, kind of, um, help them to discover. That, that's, you know, the direction to go.
This
Shelby: last year I've had a, I had a project where it's an addition to an existing building. Um, and the teachers really are set in their ways where typically through design I kind of create. A blank canvas and each classroom is identical because from a facility standpoint that makes sense, but also it's very cohesive then And this project they truly wanted to customize each one of their rooms and you know, we talked through it and we talked through You know the finishes and making sure it was cohesive And at the end of the day, it was more important that to have it function the way that it's functioning now.
So I didn't win that one, but truly it's their space that they have to be comfortable in. So we can set guidelines and we can make educated suggestions, but it's truly the end user's preference.
Amanda: Yup. The, the biggest thing is we are designing for our clients, not for ourselves. We may have beliefs in how we do interiors, um, and how we use.
color. However, ultimately, you know, we want what's best for the clients. So if they want something specific, we'll, we'll generally do that. Um, we do try to make, you know, highly educated conversation about how that color does play into specifically kids behaviors. Um, I, we did an earlier learning. Center a couple years back and the honestly that was the coolest one where the principal came to us and said that we want cool, not cooler, um, just in general, more calming colors.
Um, that was kind of unique because for that district, we've always done very vibrant, bright colors. We've never been able to get away from that. Well, this was that one opportunity where they were pushing. No, this school needs to be more calming, not overstimulated. Um, a lot of the kids in that situation are coming from Coming from a different sort of background where they, they need that atmosphere.
That's, it's a little more toned down. Um, if you look at Montessori schools, I've said that really weird Montessori schools, um, you'll notice that their space is generally all white. Um, a lot of, a lot of teachers might cringe at that cause they're very used to those vibrant colors like Shelby's saying, but, um, in general, especially with younger kids, you want them to kind of have this blank canvas, essentially a blank canvas to start from, to design their own space, to, to build their own creativity essentially.
Skyler: And I'm sure, you um, We mentioned before with the the colors that can almost offer like a sense of healing and I'm sure for with you know in education spaces Giving that sort of freedom to kind of create really helps with the advancement process and the development process that these kids are going through So that's I mean, maybe I'm being presumptive but that seems pretty cool.
So When it comes down to, I mean, I'm sure there's, you know, things are changing in every aspect of just about every job or business or whatever out there, what kind of. Ways do you guys, um, or methods that you guys use to kind of keep up on, you know, new trends or, um, whatever the case, um, that it, that kind of goes into the, uh, the interior design process.
Well,
Shelby: as far as color goes big shout out to Sherwin Williams. Um, they always have their color forecast and they actually have some really great materials and case studies that you can reference. Um, but. All of their trends are always spot on. So, you know, we really kind of can learn from them on their color theory.
Other than that, you know, in the design world, there's different trades, trade shows like Neocon and all of that every year. And, um, our product reps are typically on point with bringing in their latest products. And they're typically right in there with the latest colors. So we kind of learn from them with
that.
Amanda: So I'm gonna, I'm gonna sound a little silly. For being an interior designer, but I really hate color trends. I think that they're ridiculous and overhyped. Um, you know, I, I, isn't it in devil's devil wears Prada where she talks to. Um, Meryl Streep. mentions the whole color thing that, you know, your blue dress came from years and years back of this was picked out by someone like me saying that this, this color is good.
And now three or four years later, you're wearing it. So, so color, color trends in general, you're going to fluctuate year by year. And I find it frustrating because especially with our projects like healthcare and education. Those color trends can't fluctuate. It has to be something that's timeless. I've got rural hospitals that they're never going to change their colors.
So once we select something, it has to be worthwhile. It can't be something that, yeah, the next years, it looks great. And then in years, wow, it looks extremely outdated. So that's a very big struggle that I deal with specifically in central Nebraska, that, you know, I'm dealing with a wide variety of clients that I color trend can't, can't dissuade or persuade.
My decisions,
Shelby: right? I think one thing we really have to be conscious of is looking at timeless colors and making sure things are going to age well, because we all know that look of the yellow oak from the s in the early s, um, and you know, kind of how that feels. And so trying to be intentional on not being just point on trend with everything.
Um, but then also like when you look at a timeline from our projects, You know, we can start in it's years before it's actually built. And so even at that point, those colors could be out. So just really trying to be intentional about it, um, and making sure it's just kind of a cohesive look that will age well.
Skyler: So you mentioned, you mentioned the, both of you had kind of mentioned the concept of timeless colors. As somebody from like just kind of the marketing department, I mean, I've definitely, you know, delved a little bit into kind of color theory and things along those lines, but if you could, what, what do you mean by timeless colors?
Like what is the, I don't know, how would you define that exactly? Well,
Shelby: neutrals are a good place to start. And I say that because you can easily. add a pop of color here and there in something that's not as permanent. So maybe in some artwork, you add in some color and that can easily be swapped out versus having to replace a whole corridor full of tile that doesn't match.
Um, so I, I take the approach of just kind of going neutral with things and then adding in those pops of colors through different accessories and that kind of thing. Um, But I guess, like, you know, I say neutrals, so you're white, and you're, uh, Brown tones and gray tones and grayish and all of that, but then also blues are pretty timeless too, and so are greens, certain hues of them.
Um, they age really, really well. So I think just kind of being consistent with that, you know, right now that mauve color from the nineties is back. Um, I don't see that staying around long, so I probably won't touch anything with that. But yeah, just making sure that we're smart and thinking
through the future.
Amanda: Yep. So I would agree with that. The blues, the greens, I always try to have a white. Um, I, I like having a base color to everything. And that is a white, a white will show you every other colors, true color. Um, so I struggle with clients that don't like having a white, they want an off white or a grayish type of color.
Right. Which is still timeless. It's simply like having that, that neutral color palette to. Kind of change and persuade the colors. Um, I would definitely agree. Red is not timeless. It can be, it just depends on how you use it. Orange, purple, yellow. It depends, but usually not. Gotcha.
Skyler: Um. You'd mentioned, uh, like accessories to the space that you're designing.
So, you know, whether that be the furniture in the room or, you know, even maybe artwork on the walls or whatever the case, um, what about how the choice of coloring kind of affects those? Is there, you know, rights and wrongs when it comes to, you know, well, we don't do chairs in green or something along those lines, I don't know.
Um. But is there kind of like a direction that you guys typically go when it comes to The actual like the pieces that go into the room. So
Amanda: generally I don't do a whole lot of furniture So kind of bouncing off of Shelby's accents I would generally do accents as a paint based on our clients that we have out here in grand Island.
Um, because paint is a lot easier to replace over time. So if a color needs to change, it can. Um, but like I was saying, I don't generally do a whole lot of furniture. I usually have somebody else helping me with that. Um, but what I see with furniture out here in grand Island, it's more neutral. Every now and then you'll have, you will have pops, but it's the true brand.
meaning, um, for our school districts, it'll be their school district color. Or if it's a corporate company, it'll be their true corporate color. Um, but besides that, it's nothing that's usually different that is coming from somewhere else in our palette that we've pulled for our interior
materials.
Shelby: Yeah, I'll second that.
Usually it's. paint colors, um, because it's easy to change. Um, I've actually done a ton of furniture projects lately. So I can speak a little bit to that. Um, typically on seating, I don't do anything light. Um, it just doesn't wear well, but, um, kind of like Amanda said, if we do color, it's with their school colors so that it makes sense.
And I guess I keep saying school because my projects lately with furniture have been for schools. Um, so yeah, we bring in their school color and their branding, um, but then also like. I talked about the project with the neighborhoods and that's a big one. We just did furniture on within the last couple weeks and We stuck with those same color palettes through the furniture for the neighborhoods But then we made sure the chairs for both of them were the same so from a facility standpoint They could be pushed and pulled wherever they're needed.
So from a color theory standpoint Not really, no, I'm not really sure if it plays into things really. Um, but I think it's a fun way to bring in those splashes of colors definitely in a classroom is to have the desk legs painted out a different color or have again that edge banding on the table be a different color.
Skyler: So, the cool thing that I kind of like about you guys mentioning that is that these, you know, the podcast episodes that we talk about are very kind of specific to, um, what we as a firm do within the world of architecture. We're, you know, designing spaces like that, but the positive side is with this information.
I mean, this is something that anyone could really listen to and really. You know, apply to their lives, to their homes or the, you know, a room that they're working on or something along those lines. Um, if there was like one piece of advice that you could give to anyone out there that is trying to get a grasp on how, like the color, the perception of color, um, and how it affects the space, what would you tell them?
Amanda: I think it depends on if you're talking to somebody in a commercial, like a commercial project, or if you're talking to someone residentially,
Shelby: need to, um, I think like with a commercial. application, you have to be conscious of every type of user and be very intentional. Whereas with homes, it's honestly your personal preference.
Um, you know, you have to be comfortable in your own environment. And that's where I struggle when people pose the question of, Hey, can you help me? Design my house, or can you help me pick this out? And I'm like, well, what do you like? You're the one living in it. I can help guide you, but you're the one living in it.
Whereas, like, yeah, again, a commercial space, like, all types of different users will be in there, so you have to make sure it's comfortable for everyone.
Amanda: Yep. The biggest thing is your house is something that you live in, not me and not Shelby. So you have to pick what you love. You've got to pick what you're going to enjoy it for at least, you know, you probably won't paint for another years, or if you're like me, probably never.
Right. So if you need to sleep on it, do your research, go online, look at all the colors that have intrigued you in pictures of interiors. Um, Um, and then kind of settle with what direction you want to go with it and then get different swatches and test them out. That's, that's what's important is you definitely have to give it time.
You can't just go to the paint store and pick something out tomorrow and assume you're going to love it because the chances of that are pretty slim, unfortunately.
Skyler: From my end. I had a handful of questions that were written down, but I also know that both of you have written quite a few notes and I do not want to miss anything by the limitations of my knowledge and my questions.
So are there any like specific topics that I'm totally missing, um, that you guys want to make sure get mentioned?
Shelby: Skylar had mentioned, you know, how healing can. be affected by color, and I have a project right now that's pretty interesting. It's a higher ed building, but it also has a medical clinic in it, so the public are able to come to the clinic, but then it's got all kinds of other spaces, too, for learning.
So there's, I'm gonna say this word wrong, kinesiology, is that how you say it? Okay. That, there's a cadaver lab, there's like a pediatrics PT lab, an adult lab, or, um, gym, and there's just a lot of different areas, but the one thing the owner truly wanted to be consistent throughout was kind of a feeling of healing throughout the entire space.
And it is, um, religious. School, um, so they really wanted to focus on physical healing, mental healing, but also spiritual healing, which is kind of cool. So just really. In this one, I really hope to bring in those biophilic elements and really focus on, um, you know, what nature can do for a space. Um, shout out to a photographer in Omaha named Kurt Johnson because that is what he does is photography for healing environments.
So I really hope to like play into that and bring a lot of his work into the space. But I just think it's... It's a unique project, because it's an education facility, but it's also health care. And so there's all kinds of different types of healing. So yeah, the colors with that are gonna be very important on the success of the building.
That's
Skyler: awesome. If there's anything else that I haven't touched on yet. So
Shelby: we're talking about color theory, and this is a little out there, but it, it's completely relevant, so there is Fairly well known football coach, um, who was very good friends with my grandfather. Um, and it's pretty close to our location.
I'm not going to shout out the school because it's not an architectural school and it's a rival to a bit to quite a few architectural schools. But, um, there visitor's locker room for the football stadium, every single thing in there is pink. A very light pale pink. The walls, the lockers, the toilets, the floor, the toilet partitions, everything is pink.
And that was done intentionally because pink is a calming color. That specific shade of pale, pale, pale pink creates a calming feel. They put it in the visitor's locker room to calm the opposing team down. Yeah, there was some psychology behind it, and this coach knew what he was doing. Well, most of the time, it makes the opposing team very angry and frustrated, and they bring all kinds of stuff in to redecorate while they're in the space, so that it doesn't feel pink.
But, yeah. Psychologically, there was a reason behind it and they painted it all pink to calm them down. Really? Yeah. Yup. It's pretty, it's, it's pretty well known. If you know, you know. Yeah. Um.
I'm totally listening right It's a Big Ten school, pink locker room.
To add to that, if you think about, um, jumpsuits for prison inmates, why are they
Skyler: orange? Right. Yeah. Cause that's a bright color. Yeah. Yeah. It's,
Amanda: it's warm. It's kind of intimidating of a color. It's very energetic. And in which case that doesn't seem the right.
color that you would want in that sort of atmosphere. Right.
Skyler: Shelby was just saying, would you want a surgeon performing on you in red scrubs? Yeah, that would be, that would be pretty terrifying. I'm not gonna lie. That sounds right out of like a horror movie or something. So interesting. Or black. That would seem, yeah, kind of intimidating and predicting how this surgery is going to go.
Awesome. Well, thank you both. I, like I said, I, I hope I got at least, you know, a decent amount of everything that you, the amazing knowledge that you guys had, um, prepared because, um, I've learned so much just sitting here with both of you and, and hearing this discussion about color and, um, A lot more to color theory than I ever learned, um, in what I did.
So really cool to be able to kind of get a little bit more of a grasp on that. So thank you both seriously for being on the show. I really appreciate it.
Amanda: Thank you so much for having us. Yeah,
Skyler: absolutely. Um, of course, thank you, uh, the listener for listening to this podcast episode. We loved having you here to join us about this discussion about color theory.
Of course, if you want to find out more about what we do as an architecture firm, maybe get some. Possibly. Um, you can definitely head on over to our website at CMBA architects. com. You can see all sorts of the projects we've worked on as a firm in the past. You can see products that both Amanda and Shelby have been involved in, uh, which is really cool as well.
And of course you can see a lot of those same projects and even some more on our social media pages, whether that be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. And of course, don't forget to subscribe or follow the podcast, no matter where you listen to it, whether that be Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, or Spotify, or anywhere else that the show can be streamed at, you can find us there.
So again, this has been another episode of laying the foundation. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you guys next time.
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September 7, 2023