Colour and meaning

2/4/2019

Throughout my travels around the world, I have always been drawn to and inspired by colour. From the vibrant colours of spices and food through Asia to the incredible vibrant coloured fabrics in Sri Lanka and Peru. And of course the depth of colour in Europe, from the colours, shades, and textures of the architecture to the depth of colour found in art.

Since I am currently designing additions to my cushion range I thought it would be a good time to re-cap on colour and meaning. Whilst these meanings do not influence the colours I choose for each design, I thought it may be interesting. Considering, these meanings tend to change from culture to culture. Below are some consistent descriptions that I have found.

Red:
Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)

Pink:
Symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance, and calm.

Beige and ivory:
Symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.

Yellow:
Signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.

Dark Blue:
Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.

Blue:
Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.

Turquoise:
Symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.

Purple:
Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honour, arrogance, mourning, temperance.

Lavender:
Symbolizes femininity, grace, and elegance.

Orange:
Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.

Green:
Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.

Brown:
Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.

Gray:
Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.

White:
Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.

Black:
Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical colour, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.

Eastern World:

Marriage:
White and pink are favourite just as in the western world.

Green:
Eternity, family, harmony, health, peace, posterity

Happiness:
Red

Helpful:
Gray

Wealth:
Blue, gold, and purple

White:
Children, helpful people, marriage,
mourning, peace, purity, travel

Gold:
Strength, wealth

Evil or sadness:
Just like in the western world- black.

Source: incredibleart.org

If you are still interested and want to read more, here are a few links of what I have found:

The symbolism of colours and colour meanings around the world:

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/color-symbolism-and-meanings-around-the-world

Meaning of colours in colour psychology:
https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html

Colour and meaning:
https://www.color-meanings.com/

Colour Wheel Pro - See Colour Theory in Action:
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html