The beige nursery phenomenon
When influencers show their sons’ and daughters’ rooms, the color leaves the video: Furniture, clothes, toys – all in pastel colors. Observation from a world in which parents’ taste is what counts most.
Contribution by Katharina Pfannkuch
“Major social issues are always reflected in the color styles of different eras,” says Axel Buether, director of the Institute for Color Psychology at the University of Wuppertal. The prevalence of muted colors is an expression of the desire for an ideal world that finds ecological and healthy ways to manage resources and in which sustainability and authenticity are valued.
The calming effect of warm and muted shades is intentional in the face of ever-new crises. And because a sense of calm can’t hurt—especially for young children—many parents are apparently only too happy to surround their children with this neutral, muted color palette.
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“If children don’t have experiences with colors, their sense of color atrophies,” Axel Buether agrees. Children perceive bright, varied colors as an invitation. A colorful ball pit, for example, immediately signals to them that they’re welcome and allowed to run around: “If a room is painted in bright, vibrant colors, it encourages children to move around and be more active.”
Different colors, says Buether, prepare people for future environmental events; they create a sense of anticipation in our bodies—both mentally and physically. “You can help children recognize connections between smell, taste, touch, functions, and colors. When they play with colored building blocks or Legos, they learn to associate colors with specific functions. When they mix new shades from a few primary colors while painting, that, too, is an authentic experience that introduces children to the richness of the world of color. “This cultivates a sensitivity that later leads to better observational skills.”
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Read the entire article – Link to Spiegel online
