LESSONS IN COLOUR
Colour can have a major impact on how people perceive and experience a space. This is especially important when it comes to projects within the education sector, such as school refurbishments, as Richard Palmer, Head of Trade at Valspar Trade explores further here…
Whether it’s a primary school, high school or university lecture theatre, the education sector has a series of unique needs and requirements when it comes to their interior design schemes, all facilitating the creation of a positive, welcoming and calm environment that inspires productivity. While there are multiple factors at play in achieving this, the wall colour is one of them, having a profound effect (whether positive or negative) on student attention, behaviour and achievement.
It’s important to note that no one size fits all, with different areas (such as corridors, classrooms and gymnasiums) all having their own paint and colour requirements.
Challenges
Classrooms are spaces that will serve students of a range of ages and needs, meaning that deciding upon a suitable classroom colour scheme can present some challenges. It’s essential that a careful balance is struck between creating a bright and welcoming environment versus a classroom that is overly stimulating and has a strongly adverse effect upon learners. Equally, it’s important to avoid classrooms that are too neutral and unstimulating.
Consider suggesting cool colours, including green, blue, grey and violet tones, which are known to promote calm and a feeling of well-being. Blue has been proven to reduce appetite and lower body temperature, as well as being the preferred colour for those with a visual impairment. While green shades can help to relax the nervous system and lessen feelings of stress, in addition to aiding communication and the development of speech skills.
Be Creative
Cool colours can also be a good choice for students where reducing stimulation is a high priority, such as those with ADHD or the hypersensitive version of autism.
This isn’t to say that you can’t be creative, with ‘feature walls’ remaining a popular trend, ideally the main wall which students look at for learning purposes. A slightly deeper hue in a similar colour to the overall scheme would be the best choice here.
You could also consider the use of calm yet cheerful colours, such as peach and citrus tones. For example, yellow is proven to stimulate mental processes and activate memory, making it ideal for learning environments.
At Valspar Trade, we understand how important colour is to you and your customers, which is why we promise to deliver the perfect match. As well as offering 2,000 pre-selected colours, our advanced colour matching technology can match a sample as small as your fingernail, with 2.2 million shades on our database.
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