The first thing that you have to understand about colors is that they are emotional. People react to them in illogical ways, based on biology, culture, and experience. However they do react and the meaning behind colors is like an unspoken language, an extra layer of meaning diffused throughout our lives.
The relative experiences of different people with different colors compounds the task of understanding what they mean. In China for example the color red is associated with purity and serenity, whereas in the United States it is more strongly associated with chaos and passion.
However there are general factors that are universal to all humans, and their relationships to colors such as red. For instance, all humans have red blood. All people also see red in the sunset, red in a fire, and red in the planet mars. These factors serve to unite the symbolic meaning of this color for all humans.
The rest of this article will deal expressly with the way that people in the United States react to the color red. While many of these effects will be universal, some may not, and all of them will be subject to the individual reactions of different people.
The most prominent effect of the color red is the physiological reaction that people can have to its presence. Studies have shown that when exposed to the color red, people's heart rates and respiration levels tend to rise. Their metabolism also increases, and many people become hungry, anxious, or temperamental.
All of these are broad reactions, and they will also vary depending on the context that the color is used in. If you have a room where all of the walls, the ceiling, and the floors are coated in red, you will see more extreme effects than in a space where red is dispersed lightly throughout. However something like a simple red wall clock will stand out stark against plain walls.
Romance is one place where red is a perfect centerpiece. This color makes people energetic, excited, and even inspired, and can add a spark to a fading relationship. However if you and your lover are prone to fighting, red can actually make this worse, causing you to over react due to environment influences.
In other spaces the color red can be used to add an edge, making the environment seem exciting, energetic, and passionate. This can be used to great effect in offices where you want people to be as creative as possible. Here too however, the use of too much red can cause aggressive behaviors that you want to try to control.
The fact that red can be used to make people hungrier has been used for centuries by restaurants and cafes that want to use the surrounding environment to entice their customers to feats of appetite. You can also use this in your home, by making red the centerpiece of dining rooms, and in some cases kitchens. Just be careful that you don't turn the chef into a chronic snacker.
The color red is powerful and symbolic. It causes psychological and even biological reactions in people, and can completely alter an environment with its presence. Like fire, it is a great tool when used right, but must be cautiously contained to keep it from causing harm.
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