The human eye can see 7 million colors. That's a bunch of colors. And all of these colors are good, but, as with anything else, the right combination, coupled with moderation, is the key.
Certain colors and color relationships can be irritating to the eye. They can cause headaches and generally wreak havoc with vision. Other colors and color combinations are soothing, relaxing and healthy to behold.Which color is the worst offender? Some say yellow. Pure, bright lemon yellow generally is considered the most fatiguing color. The reason is that since more light is reflected by bright colors, the result is excessive stimulation of the eyes, hence, eye irritation. Babies cry more in yellow rooms, couples fight more in yellow kitchens (how's that for an excuse) and movie stars throw more tantrums in yellow dressing rooms.
Yet yellow is a pleasant color when used in moderation as an accent, or toned down into a light, pale hue of itself. A soft yellow on the walls is a pleasant and effective background for furnishings in a room. If a room receives little or no sunlight, the soft yellow walls help make the room bright.
Or a blue-and-white room welcomes a splash of yellow in throw pillows, a floral arrangement or in artwork, for pizazz. Just remember: a little bit of color goes a long way.
Then there's red. Its known to raise blood pressure and get attention. But red is another eye irritant if stared at too long.
Try this test. Look at something red for a constant 30 seconds, then look away, preferably to something white. Instead of red or white, the eye will see green. It is not a hallucination, but it is an "after image." Here's the explanation: The eye is filled with 250,000 color decoding cones. The 83,000 cones that are used to decode red become fatigued and over-stimulated when focusing on red for a long time. The opposite cones then get going and take over to relieve the fatigue. Green is the opposite to red, hence the green after image.
If you stare at a red sunset for a long time, until it disappears into the horizon, there might appear to be a green flash of color at the instant the sun disappears - an after image, not hallucination.
All colors have their good features and their fatiguing features, but the brightest seem to be dominant in the fatiguing field. Combinations of colors and blends of colors are the most pleasing to the eye. That doesn't mean we should exclude pure, bright colors from the decorating palette. Just remember their strength and keep them tempered.
Rosemary Sadez Friedmann is president of Rosemary Sadez Friedmann Inc., Naples. FL.