1. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Blue is known for bringing tranquility to a space through its calming qualities. You can consider mauve, purple, navy and violets when designing spas or wellness centers to promote relaxation and serenity. Designers will often chose these colors for bedrooms as it helps induce sleep and maintain healthy sleeping habits. If you have a hard time committing to blue, consider the striking affect of blue and white on porcelain.
2. STRATEGICALLY PLACED MIRRORS
It is a known trick that mirrors can make a small space seem much larger by giving depth and perspective. A rule of thumb is the smaller the room, the bigger the mirror! They are best used in living areas, thin hallways or staircases, or even integrated into furniture. For instance, furniture already takes up a large amount of space, but a mirror finish will open up the room by creating an illusion that the floor extends beyond the wall and creates the perception of extra floor space. Mirrored furniture can be tricky with excess accents in a room so be sure to carefully place mirrors within a space.
3. BLACK AND WHITE FLOORS
Studies have shown that the juxtaposition of black and white across a large space subconsciously invokes your mind to think the floor is uneven and to move quickly through the area. This tactic is most commonly seen in areas with a lot of foot traffic, such as a lobby, cafeteria, or bathroom.
4. WALLPAPER USED AS A DISGUISE
It is a classic movie cliche to reveal the hidden door that appears once a certain book is tugged. But this design is actually used by many residential and commercial designers. These tricks allow employees to conceal their bustling backrooms and bring character to a home by tricking guests. Using a false wall and very strategically placed wallpaper, designers are able to create the illusion of a solid wall.
5. GREEN DINING ROOMS
Green is known to be one of the easiest colors for the human eye to focus on for an extended period of time. When used as a wall color, green is soothing and can evoke the feeling of hunger. It is the perfect color for restaurants or dining rooms where there may be an extended time spent at the table. People often associate red with hunger but this is most commonly used in faster paced environments like diners, fast-food restaurants, and kitchens where a fast turn-over is preferred.
6. GOOSEBUMPS
The power temperature has on productivity is no mystery to those who have tried to accomplish work in a warm workplace, classroom or environment. It is more likely to be lulled to sleep during a long meeting in a warm room than a chilly one. In Eastern cultures, colder temperatures in office buildings and establishments also are a way to show status and rank of a company.
7. DIM THE LIGHTS
Lighting in a restaurant can drastically change from lunch to dinner. You may have thought it was just a natural lighting based on time of day, but in actuality the owner is likely to have purposefully dimmed the lights. The trick behind the lighting revolves around turnover. Bright lighting invokes an energetic mindset to create a turnover during busier times of day. This is effective for fast food restaurants that have high turnover and require quick visits both night and day. Dim lighting is comfortable for guests looking to relax and spend longer periods of time in one setting. This also benefits the restaurant because these guests are likely to stay longer- for multiple courses and rounds of drinks.
8. WINDOWLESS ROOMS
Windowless rooms are commonly used when you want guests to focus and even lose track of time. Think of a casino or a movie theatre. Windowless rooms deprive people of stimulus which allows them to focus without any distraction. In the case of a casino, the more focused without distraction, the more money spent.
Huber, Hannah. “10 Surprising Design Tricks That Affect Your Behavior.” Architectural Digest, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2018, www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/design-tricks-that-affect-behavior.
