Right now I’m sitting in a room that is painted in a tinted white. What would happen to me if the walls were red?
PROF. Dr. AXEL BUETHER: You would be in a permanent state of tension because red is very powerful and dominant. A red couch can be okay, but muted colors are better for the walls, tinted white or colored grays, for example.
Hitchhikers are almost twice as likely to get a lift if they wear red clothes, waitresses in red get more tips, you quote studies. Why does red have a positive effect here?
Because the women attract attention through their clothing, which may have a sexual connotation: They deliberately present themselves as attractive and desirable. That goes down well with many men.
Red is also the color of blood. Why do we blush in the face?
Our blood circulation increases when we have strong emotions, i.e. when we are ashamed or excited. However, the skin already takes on a slight coloration when we have a good conversation with someone, we adjust to them emotionally. If we have nothing to say to each other, our skin remains pale and the conversation breaks off relatively quickly.
How much of all this do we notice?
Little. This happens on an unconscious level. In general, colors have a strong effect on our subconscious – much more than we think. Colors influence us in all areas of life, whether these are metabolic processes, hormones or food. There is even evidence that colors can have a positive impact on health: In our last hospital study, we found that the use of colored surfaces and walls increases the well-being of patients and staff. The sickness rate among nurses fell by 35 percent in the following year.
Colors can also have a big impact in job interviews. Which colors are a no-go?
I don’t recommend black, it looks very stiff, lifeless, like a mask, you don’t show anything individual. Red should also be avoided, as it often comes across as suggestive or dominant. Otherwise, we shouldn’t dress up, but think about which positive qualities we have and want to emphasize in particular. If I am a cheerful, open, communicative person, I can choose a bright, colorful spring color, which in combination with a matching gray or brown tone immediately looks a little more simple, calm and modest.
You can read the entire interview with Franziska Wolffheim in Brigitte No. 4 from 3.02.2021
