Communicating with Color: Magenta

Hey all! Hope you've had a good week and were able to bounce back from all the challenges you've had to face. I've decided to bring back my column, Communicating with Color since color has so much psychological significance. After all, we interpret the world through color, and it certainly impacts our mood. You can see my previous Communicating with Color posts here and here. I hadn't thought much about magenta until I was trying to decide on the right color to reupholster my new vintage office chair (see it on my Instagram here). To give you some perspective, my office space is in the family room, and it's painted white with white wood floors (kind of like a studio). I plan to bring in pops of color, and an eclectic mix of furniture to create a modern, glamorous bohemian vibe.

At first I thought I would reupholster the chair in white leather, which is pretty and what all the kids are doing these days. But with my white walls and floor, I felt like I needed something more. Strong warm colors like red and orange didn't appeal to me because they're not flexible enough to blend easily with other colors I might bring into the room. And cool colors, like blues and greens didn't appeal to me either. I think it may be because I have a turquoise blue sofa in there already. But I had this one magenta pillow with a funky hodge-podge of warm and cool colors on the front like orange, violet, and if you stare at it long enough, pink. It's the kind of pillow that makes it easy to bring in an unexpected mix of colors.  That's when I decided that magenta would be a great choice for my chair. It's versatile without sacrificing drama and excitement.

After doing a little research, I learned that magenta is a relatively new color created in the 19th century as a result of the Industrial Chemistry Revolution. Like other warm colors, it creates high arousal, stimulation, warmth, and excitement. But surprisingly, magenta isn't really a color at all. Meaning it has no wavelengths and doesn't exist in the spectrum of colors. Rather, we psychologically perceive magenta to make up for the gap between red and violet which are at both ends of the light spectrum. Maybe that's why magenta is so flexible and linked with creativity. They say magenta personalities are entrepreneurs and inventors, free-spirited and non-conformists. And that's exactly what I want to communicate in my office space where I make all my dreams come to life. Here are some magenta pieces you can use to infuse your space with energy and passion. Some of the pieces are no longer available, but I figured I'd include them for inspiration.

What do you think of magenta? Do you use it in your home?

 Fern Living metallic wallpaper via Domino || magenta pouf via Lulu & Georgia|| magenta Peacock chair from the The Family Love Tree via From Moon to Moon||Burberry trench coat|| magenta sofa via One Kings Lane|| green patterned pillow via Lulu & Georgia|| blue Jil Sander clutch via Farfetch|| magenta pumps via Banana Republic