Colours, shapes and textures are all important factors to consider when planning changes to our homes. The right ones can create the right tone, the right feel and the right sense of style in our living spaces.
However the benefits of colour, contrast and textures can go far beyond aesthetics, they can (and very often do) have an impact in many other ways.
The impact of colour
Colour is something many of us take for granted, yet it can have profound effects on mood, emotions and even the ability to communicate, many may not realise the impact it can have on physical and mental health.
At GB Electrical and Building Services Ltd, we certainly do and much of our work around home adaptations and wet room conversions is completely tailored to the needs of our individual customers. That doesn’t just include the right adaptations in the right places, but also their textures and colours and how they feel to use.
The therapeutic effects of colour can have a range of benefits, colours that contrast can help those with dementia and memory loss to distinguish different objects or areas of the home for example, so painting a door in a certain colour, and combining that with identically coloured grab rails in contrast to the walls can have a real beneficial impact in separating areas, identifying potential risks and signposting where things are.
Colour usage can add clarity to the home environment; it can also highlight risks and help those with sight or memory loss to move more safely around the home by highlighting stairs, doorways and skirting.
Helping you choose the right colours
Colour can also be used therapeutically in many rooms as well as the garden.
Some colours are synonymous with different emotions and feelings, green for example is known to be a tranquil and calming colour, orange stimulates sociability, enthusiasm and creativity while blue can promote tranquil feelings and is a popular colour for bedrooms. Reds can be useful for making an environment feel warmer.
Potentially everyone can benefit from the psychology of colour but for those with increased sensory perceptions and differentiated cognitive pathways, it can transform daily life. Typically this can include those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s but also individuals with ADHD, those on the autistic spectrum and those living with visual impairment.
If you are considering installing home adaptations, sensory play areas or a wet room and you’re giving thought to the things you might require. It is also the perfect time to think about colours and textures, for aspects such as flooring, walls and doors and for things such as ramps and grab rails.
We can tailor those colours perfectly to your needs as well as provide a complete wraparound service with design, planning and installation, as you can see here from one of our recent projects where we helped a family do just that.
If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to help. Get in touch for a friendly chat today.