studio colors..Your walls not your sounds

[headache9]

You guys have any thoughts on color psychology in the studio? Anyone have a red wall & find musicians get angry more often? Does green keep musicians mellow.. (smoking the green does..but thats a different story)..
They say Blue increases productivity.

any thoughts?

[rob@SigmaDelta]

grey with a blue tint. Makes lighting softer but keeps the room with nice shadows.

[phait]

I don't really have much of a room for even a home "studio" (I'm in the basement), but when I move out I'd like to paint the music room maroon... and hang some sheets along each wall in a loose, fashionable way - bunched up... I think our living and recreation space, even work space... it's important how it's designed - it should be a welcoming and comfortable place to come home to. I sound like an interior design guy - which I'm not - but I at least appreciate home aesthetics over a boring, white room with just a few "accents".

Another thing that I like but it's kinda cliche (though usually functional) - oriental rugs in the center. And I like some Victorian style furniture, decor etc.

[Code6Dave]

I designed and built my studio in the basement of a house I purchased specifically for the space in the basement first and the location and living space second.
I explored the very synario you guys brought up and with that said, I ended up going with a antique (baige) walls / bone (white) trim. The scheme was provided by the paint company and I went with it pimarily for the resale value aspect.
Everyone who has either visited or worked in the place has commented on how "comfortable and relaxed they feel about being here" they also comment on the "certain smell" (they like it) that they look forward to.
I believe they're talking about the combination of warmed up electronics, insence and Mary Jane.

Hope this helped,
Much Love, Code 6 Studios

[kayagum]

My basement has linoleum floors with a "confetti" pattern, and I have multiple death threats on me if I ever take them out. So, if you can't beat'em, join 'em. The walls are "calypso orange"

[Milkmansound]

my bedroom (studio) is kind of a baby vomit green (like after peas...) with blue trim.

My friend Dave lived there before me and painted it.

The color did not work out as he expected... lets leave it at that.

[I'm Painting Again]

i dont think psychology is as simple as black and white..but obviously colour is an important thing in the "vibe" of the studio..specific colours have specific frequencies so like music combinations of colours can be harmonious or not..

some interesting info i found :

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.

White

Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.

The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.

Blue

The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

Green

Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.

Yellow

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Purple

The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.
Brown

Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

Colors of the Flag

In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Red represents valor and hardiness, while blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. The stars represent the heavens and all the good that people strive for, while the stripes emulate the sun's rays.

for Thought

While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.

Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

[djimbe]

Green

Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients.

See? Our live room is a pale mossy green, with a kind of a tan, sandy looking floor. The lighter colors reflect the little bit of indirect sunlight that can filter in and help brighten the place, and folks find it relaxing and comfortable. Maybe this color stuff does work...

[drumsound]

My live room is a pale blue with one shade darker for the trim. My control room is a similar tint of green with one shade darker trim. it also has sage green curtains. The bathroom/iso matches the control room and the hall between it and the vocal/iso matches the live room. I have some 703 I need to cut to fit the vocal iso and then I'm gonna cover it with crushed green velvet.

[BrianK]

Mine is a dark purple, almost a plum. And the carpet is too. People LOVE it. It's not overdone, like Prince, but it feels warm and energetic....

[Code6Dave]

You "people" are beginning to sound a little like homosexual decorater types. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[Rigsby]

I mostly record at home, and when we first decorated we went a little colour crazy and ended up with a sort of peach in the lounge/control and sometime tracking room and a really bright aqua in the kitchen and bathroom/other tracking rooms. The intensity nearly killed me and although visitors were polite, you could see them struggling too. Since then we've redecorated and went for simple creme and white and similar flooring colours, now everybody can relax a little and have some space to think which reflects most of the music that gets recorded here too. Thank god.

[YOUR KONG]

My studio is just for me, and it's in one corner of the unfinished basement. The rest of the basement is an unpleasant yellow (kind of similar to the TapeOp board, in fact...hmmm...), but my corner is a very pleasant sky blue. I also took an old rug we had and covered up the concrete. It's not pretty, but when I'm sitting in the driver's seat it feels like a seperate area.

My wife and I are considering moving (my wife is doing the research and is placing much importance on finding a house with suitable studio space for me ), so this decorating wisdom is appreciated (I've already ascertained the vital importance of lava lamps...)

[uqbar]

I purchased paint for mine studio, but have not managed to start painting (I expected a lull between projects, but it didn't come). I went for a orange brown tint, sort of like old heavy stock paper and then plan to add little brown specks. The idea was to warm up the space since it is a dark basement with all the windows blocked off.

Currently one room is white except for all the ugly blue and green foam I have up (1/2 price since it was ordered but not picked up and sat for years). The other room is all old band posters I've collected over the years. Which I thought was kinda dorm room-ish, but a lot of the bands seem to like them, especially the really old xerox handbills of punks bands from the early to mid 80's.

[Russian Recording]

I painted al the walls when I moved into my studio. I went with green walls/maroon ceilings in the live room,"mineral dust" (creamy grey) with green trim in the control room, and mineral dust with brown trim in the guitar room. Oh yeah, the control room's back wall sports "granite" paint, which make the wall look like a granite slab. It's pretty cool, but a total pain in the ass to apply. Very pricey paint too.

I get a lot of positive feedback on the colors and "feel" of studio. The building is pretty cool and lends intself to these colors, so that helps too.

you can see pictures here:
Russian Recording Studio Tour

mtar