The joy of beautiful, relaxing colours
Patterns are exciting. They catch your eye and fire up your grey matter, tapping into a clever system inside your brain that’s dedicated to pattern-spotting. In contrast, block colours are more soothing, more relaxing and don’t have the same dramatic impact. And that’s why so many of our luscious sleep, wellness and relaxation products come in plain block colours.
Why are patterns to stimulating? Go back in time to when ancient humans lived precarious lives in places where enormous predators like big cats roamed. These dangerous animals hid, blending into the landscape then leaping out to kill our unsuspecting hominid ancestors. The same goes for poisonous plants and fruits, which come with a unique look of their own.
The people who survived were the best at spotting a predator’s stripes or spots against the background or noticing the unique patterns indicating a food source is actually poisonous. Those who weren’t so good at it simply didn’t live to tell the tale. Over millions of years evolution and genetics sealed the deal.
We live in cosy houses these days. While there are no terrifying predators roaming the streets of the UK and we shop at supermarkets rather than hunter-gathering our food, modern humans remain exceptionally good at spotting patterns. And that’s why patterned surfaces still tend to perk us up rather than calm us down, whether or not we consciously feel the effect. In contrast, monochrome and single colour accenting is invariably nice and relaxing.
As you’ll see from our lovely products we’re not just about deliciously pretty patterns. You can add some gorgeous Zen calm to your life with our plain pure silk pieces as well, treating yourself to that ancient DNA-deep sense of relaxation and wellbeing.
So what are the most relaxing colours of all? Everyone reacts differently to colours according to their personal likes and dislikes, but there are theories around what they mean and how they affect our feelings.
Colour therapy says colours can help boost our physical and mental health, a nice idea. So do colours really bring about subtle changes in our moods? Roll back time thousands of years and the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese and Indians certainly thought so.
These days colour is usually used in alternative therapies, backed by evidence about coloured light affecting our bodies, moods and pain levels. Take Vitamin D, which comes from sunlight. It’s in short supply in the northern hemisphere at the best of times, making mild winter-led depression a common problem. No wonder the yellow and gold of lovely, nurturing sunshine makes us feel happy.
Then there’s blue light phototherapy, used in hospitals to treat jaundice in new babies. Blue light during daytime make us feel more alert and attentive, improving reaction times and boosting our overall mood, as can the colour blue itself – which just happened to be the most popular colour in the UK in 2015, according to a YouGov survey.
Green light has been involved in pain research, especially powerful when we spend time amongst greenery. One study reveals how light at green wavelengths can reduce acute and chronic pain. So it’s no surprise so many of us are cheered up by nature, feeling that amazing sense of awe when faced with the magical green majesty of the natural world.
You can use colour to help you relax, sleep better, and improve your mood. If you dislike the colour blue but adore the warmth of orange, you’ll probably find a lovely, warm-feeling orange wall in your living room more relaxing and pleasing than a blue wall, which might make you feel out of sorts. And you can also invest in beautiful, luxurious sleep, relaxation and mood-lifting products in your best-loved block colours. If a colour makes you feel calm and balanced, choose it!
Take a tour of our delightful sleep, wellness and relaxation products. Which colours appeal to you most? Along with vivid saffron yellow, our signature colours are rose, jade, navy and silver, each with its own lovely mood. Rich, deep navy blue is a stunning reminder of the endless, velvety night sky. Cool, fresh jade green reminds us of flowing water and crisp spring dawns. Rose pink is all about lyrical sunsets and soft summer blooms. And silvery silk has a mysterious moon-like glow all of its own. The sheer sheen of the silk adds depth and complexity to them all.
Your decision is simple: if it makes you feel good, makes your heart sing and brings a smile to your face, you’ve made a good choice tailored to your own personal reactions to colour.
