Real Estate and Home Improvement

Many studies have been done over the psychology behind color. It has been proven time and time again that color does affect the way we feel. Colors can even affect the way that you perform. For example, weight lifters have been shown not to be able to lift their usual amount in pink rooms, but at the same time they can lift more in blue rooms. It isn’t that pink is like kryptonite, but the affect it has on the lifter’s mood causes him to underperform.

So, does color have an affect on appetite? Yes, many studies show that it does. So what colors should you use in your eating areas? That depends on you and which mood that you need to set to have healthy eating habits. If you are watching your weight then you are going to want to choose colors that suppress the appetite. If not, then you want colors that stimulate your appetite.

Colors that Suppress Appetite

Generally speaking, most cool colors are appetite suppressants. However, the undisputed champion of the appetite colors is blue. To the brain, blue says “That is bad for you. Don’t eat it.” Mold can have a bluish color and isn’t something we want around our food. Also colors like purple, brown, and black make us think about foods that are overripe or rotten. Think about it. Are you more likely to eat a yellow banana or a brown one? Our experiences with food colors are behind how color affects our appetites. Green stimulates the appetite for some people while suppressing it for others. Maybe some of us are thinking of ripe green vegetables while others are thinking about that greenish blue mold on a piece of bread.

Colors that Stimulate Appetite

While cool colors have a negative affect on appetite, warm colors have the opposite. Next time you are in a restaurant, take a look around you. You are going to see a lot of reds, yellows, and oranges. These colors are more likely to make you feel hungry. These colors tell our brain that the food is ripe, juicy, and/or full of flavor. This may because warm colors tend to increase the heart rate. They cause people to eat faster and to eat more.

Use Candles to Convey the Right Mood

Flameless candles are a great way to change up the mood in your eating areas. Are you watching your figure? Then perhaps something blue. Ocean blue or seashore blue is a great color that isn’t too blue. Or maybe, you are preparing a holiday feast? Then go with something warmer like burgundy or burnt orange. Or you can go with something neutral such as caramel or taupe. You can even get flameless candles set to come on at the same time each day and that will light up just as the meal is starting. Or for those hard to reach places, consider using remote control candles. Flameless candles come in just about any color imaginable, and can be the perfect accent for your kitchen or dining room.