Color Theory in Your Home

Whether you're wearing a prim light-pink dress or painting your bedroom walls a deep shade of purple, colors say so much about who you are, how you feel and at what stage you are in your life. Kishani Perera, a Los Angeles-based interior designer and owner of Rummage, a vintage home store, is an expert in how color reflects your personality. She shares her take on what hues and shades go with what traits.

Fans of the color orange are no wilting flowers, says Perera. "People who like orange are very bold, very vibrant individuals," she says, citing one particular client who did her entire house awash in the brilliant, bright hue—and loved it. "Orange lovers are fearless and they love color. They embrace life, they embrace everything."

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People who gravitate toward yellow tend to have a sunny disposition, notes Perera. "Yellow is sort of a similar client to orange, but a little less bold," she says. "People who choose yellow for their home love summertime, they love warmth, they love the outdoors and plants. They are warm vibrant people. When you paint your home yellow, it's a gesture of bringing the outdoors inside."

Red has long been touted as the color of passion, a shade of the rainbow rich with fiery emotion. "People who paint their walls red are very much into the sexy, romantic thing," says Perera. "I would say a common thread that runs throughout people who choose the color red is that they are moody and very emotional."

What the color blue says about a person really depends on what shade of blue she chooses, Perera says. "A teal person is into the very exotic, ethnic global vibe, and the lifestyle and aesthetic that it evokes," she says. "People who like royal blue tend to lean toward the traditional side and favor that sort of French/European cultural design. Royal blue provides that beautiful pop of color but in a very safe sort of way."

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Those who go green tend to be outdoorsy types who'll jump at any chance to be one with nature. "People who choose to paint their walls emerald green or any of the darker shades of green tend to be earthy but also a little bit edgy," she explains. "Those who favor paler green tend to be a little bit more zen, calm. They want that soothing, spa-like atmosphere in their home."

Pink is for the girly girls, says Perera. "People who like pink are into things that are soft and delicate and feminine," she says. "They also love the glimmer and the glitz and like to accessorize with things like crystals and decadent fabrics and rugs and really luxurious fabrics."

People who shy away from bright colors tend to gravitate toward brown, explains Perera. "People that chose earth tones are usually pretty nervous to go with anything more vibrant," she explains. "People who favor brown tend to be traditionalists—they like to play it safe."

Black is for the biker chick, the drama queen, the flamboyant artist. There is nothing mainstream about a person who paints walls black. "People who love black are fearless and edgy—even more so than those who love orange," says Perera, who suggests accenting a black room with something "urban," like a lighting fixture made of bike chains. "They are are pure drama in everything they do."