When colour expert Sara Garanty began championing the power of colour in 2008, a hundred shades of white were dominating interior design trends. Back then, her lectures might attract just three attendees. Today, she speaks to packed audiences around the world. This September, she will share her insights on colour psychology at Gothenburg Furniture Fair.
Growing up in a concrete suburb outside Stockholm, Sara Garanty dreamed of bringing more colour into her surroundings.
“I was a colourful rebel even then and always wore bright clothes,” she says.
Later, she studied interior design in vibrant Barcelona, where everything fell into place. During her studies, she spent a year focusing on colour theory and colour psychology.
“When I moved back to Sweden in 2008, I realised I wanted to specialise in colour, but at the time it was almost impossible,” she says.
Despite the dominance of the Scandinavian “light and fresh” aesthetic, Sara never let go of her passion. She continued her education and took private lessons from renowned colour experts around the world.
“Working with colour is what I enjoy most and what I believe has the greatest impact within interior design.”
“You can feel the energy of colour”
Sara often says that colour is not only something we see, but something we feel. This is where her expertise in colour psychology comes into play.
“When you walk into a room, you can sense its atmosphere. Just as you can feel the energy of people, you can feel the energy of colours. Some colours make you feel calm, while others make you more alert or creative,” she explains.
“In that sense, I believe we can feel the energy of colour, because colour is light, and all light is energy—different wavelengths and frequencies that affect us in different ways.”
Introducing colour psychology to trade fair visitors
During her seminar at Gothenburg Furniture Fair, Sara will provide an introduction to colour psychology and explain how different colours influence our emotions, behaviour, and wellbeing.
Generally speaking, she says, green is associated with calmness, while red tends to make us more alert and energised.
“However, spending too much time in a red environment can increase the risk of stress or aggression. That’s why restrooms in large arenas are often painted an unattractive shade of red—you don’t want people lingering there for too long.”
Yet while we may be biologically wired to respond positively to green, the picture is more nuanced than that.
“For example, in Hong Kong, many people view green as an unlucky colour, while red is considered fortunate. In that context, green may not be the best colour choice for a hospital, despite research showing that patients in green environments recover approximately 0.8 days faster than those in environments without green tones.”
Another well-researched colour is light blue, which studies have shown to be particularly effective for focused work.
“It helps us concentrate for longer periods, while yellow stimulates intellectual activity and learning.”
“We’re living in a beige era”
If the 2000s were defined by white interiors, recent years have been dominated by beige.
“We’re living in a beige era. But colour is gradually making a comeback. I see growing interest, partly thanks to the emerging field of neurodesign,” she says.
“When people learn how colour affects us through research, it becomes a strong incentive to introduce more colour into their environments.”
At Gothenburg Furniture Fair, Sara hopes to give visitors a practical introduction to colour psychology.
“I want them to leave with ideas they can apply in their own projects—and hopefully with a curiosity to learn even more about the subject.”