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More important than the perception of an individual col-
our is the interaction between several colours present simul-
taneously in the same space. They influence one another re-
ciprocally; complementary pairs, for example, produce effects
of static equilibrium, while effects of simultaneous contrast
cause the shadows of coloured surfaces to appear not col-
ourless or grey, but tinged with the respective complementary
value. All of these effects make it important to distinguish
between the material properties of colours (local colour) and
their actual chromatic effects.
Location is decisive for the spatial effect of colour.
According to the investigations of the colour psycholo-
gist Heinrich Frieling, upon entering a room we attempt to
establish a sense of stability in relation to the floor; a car-
pet in a powerful red or the natural colour of wooden
floorboards will convey a greater sense of security than
the distancing effect of blue linoleum, for example.
But the prevalent rule according to which red ap-
proaches and blue recedes does not always apply. In princi-
ple, this maxim is grounded in the physiology of vision, but
like all straightforward equations of colours with effect, it
nonetheless amounts to an impermissible simplification in
relation to concrete experience. Not only are the reciprocal
effects of various colours and other factors of ambience dif-
ferent in every situation; it must also be kept in mind that all
reds, for example, are not equal: each has a different effect
depending on hue, degree of lightness or darkness, and satu-
ration. One red may appear restrained, another boisterous.
Blue, by the same token, can cause space to expand, and even
give it a distant and cold impression; a sky blue ceiling seems
further away, while a darker blue screens it off, and can seem
either heavy or protective.
Activities and the quality of time spent in a place can be
enhanced by colour mood, not only when it dominates an
entire room, as in the ‘yellow hall’ in Goethe’s house in Wei-
mar, whose colour, with its ‘stimulating, lively, inspiring’ ef-