Research shows that there is a strong relationship between our physical spaces and our mental wellbeing. Our environments – including our offices and homes – impact the way we think, feel and behave.
It turns out, by using colors consciously in your space and understanding the meanings and influence of colors on the human mind and body you can enhance the psychology of your space to improve your wellbeing, health, and happiness. Mehnaz Khan, the founder of Color Conscious Living, is here to help us take a hard look at how colors impact our thoughts and actions on an everyday basis and how the colors in our home are impacting our behaviors and emotions. Mehnaz is an interior designer with a focus on color and design psychology. She uses color as a wellness tool to help women create a stress-free and restful home so that they can be more productive, sleep better and cope with everyday anxiety.
Mehnaz shares how we can use the power of colors to create a positive environment in our home that is in alignment with our subconscious mind, why a neutral color palette may not be right for you, why we like or dislike particular colors during certain periods of our life and color tips when selling or renting a home.
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Narrator
How would you like to improve your health and keep your family safe? You're listening to that healthy home hacks podcast where we firmly believe enjoying optimal health shouldn't be a luxury. Healthy Home authorities and husband and wife team Ron and Lisa will help you create a home environment that will level up your health. It's time to hear from the experts. listen in on honest conversations and gain the best tips and advice. If you're ready to dive in and improve your well-being and increase your energy, you're in the right place. Alright, here are your hosts, Val biologists, authors, media darlings, vicarious vegans and avocado aficionados, Ron and Lisa Beres.
Ron Beres
Life is the painting and you are the artist you have on your palette, all the colors in the spectrum, the same ones available to Michelangelo and Da Vinci, Paul J. Meyer. When it comes to living a healthy life, most people focus on nutrition, fitness, meditation, therapy, and other forms of self-care. While these are all necessary, there is another aspect to living healthy that many people ignore. In fact, research shows that there's a strong relationship between our physical spaces and our mental well-being. Our environments, including our office, and home impact the way we think, feel and behave.
Lisa Beres
It turns out by using colors consciously in your space, and understanding the meanings and influence the colors on human mind and body, you can enhance the psychology of your space to improve your well-being health and happiness. Today, our special guest Mehnaz Khan, the founder of Color Conscious Living is here to help us take a hard look at how colors impact our thoughts and actions on an everyday basis. And how color in our homes is impacting our behavior and emotions. Listeners, you're probably wondering how you can use the power of colors to create a positive environment at home that is in alignment with your subconscious mind. Today, we're going to find out.
Ron Beres
Mehnaz Khan is an interior designer with a focus on color and design psychology, she uses color as a wellness tool to help women create a stress free and restful home so they can be more productive, sleep better, and cope with everyday anxiety, something everyone could use in today's volatile landscape. Welcome to the show Mehnaz!
Mehnaz Khan
Hey, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
Lisa Beres
Welcome, and we're so happy to have you with us. At the top of the show, before we started, we were talking about how much this topic is so important and not really discussed a lot. I think it's something that is under looked. And yet so, so important is we're going to find out as we get going today. I am a prior interior designer, as you are an interior designer, and I think we understand that power of color. So, I can't wait to dive in and get to the nitty gritty of how it's affecting us. So, let's just get started. So, Mehnaz, it sounds like your journey into founding Color Conscious Living began after you became a mother. And while you should have been feeling fulfilled, you are unhappy, anxious and exhausted, which I know a lot of new moms can relate to. Can you describe how your home environment was not aligned with your goals of feeling blissful and happy? And can you explain a bit more for our listeners and share your personal story and struggle?
Mehnaz Khan
So initially, this was 15 years ago, that's when I had my first baby. So, I was very young 23-24. And what I learned from my society, what everybody else does, it's all about making it pretty. If I can make it pretty, then I'm going to be happy.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, a beautiful nursery, right?
Mehnaz Khan
Our first apartment, we recently married, the baby came suddenly everything was going too fast. And he was born like perfect timing in October, which is exactly when seasonal depression starts. We lived in Buffalo, New York, which is snow eight months out of the year. So, you know, everything was the perfect scenario for depression. We were in a new marriage. We had an arranged marriage and we were just married. After you know, one month of marriage I conceived so they became really soon my husband was a physician. He was in his first year of residency, which is crazy. So, I barely saw him. I barely knew him. Oh, wow, baby blues. And I think this is the worst part and we were just talking about this last week. The morning when I came back home from the hospital with the baby that night, he started working night shifts for a whole month for whole.
Lisa Beres
He's like, you're on your own honey.
Mehnaz Khan
So, I take all the credit, single parenting. Okay, they're all mine. Yeah. And then once you are in depression, you don't recognize it. This is something I've learned once you are in the room, you have absolutely no idea. And then, year after year after year things you know, you're growing, kids are growing more kids are coming. They're moving around job, all the things. So, I had this episode of depression for eight years. Eight years and I had no idea and in between at one point, the doctor told me every year antidepressants antidepressant in my mind, I had this like, oh my god taboo. I can't take antidepressants like no more. No, I'm fine. Like, yeah, I'm telling anyone, if you need it, definitely take it. I took it after resisting for so many years. And what happened I'm that 5% of the population who is sensitive to every medication. And I was in bed for seven days, just one day of medication in bed seven days. My youngest was a year and a half. So, I had two kids at that time. My mom had to come she had to help. Of course, my marriage was breaking like this woman is in bed, what do I do? Oh, no crying the house is a mess. That's when I decided I can do it without this. I'm strong. I'll do it with willpower and motivation. So that's how I started but you know, then God came in, Mother Nature came in. And this was like literally lightbulb moment for me a few years later, that your environment impacts behavior. And that's where everything started. Color Psychology, understanding the subconscious mind the environment. And I want to say this, that there's so much in so far, you can go with motivation and willpower, you always need an extrinsic motivator.
Lisa Beres
There are only so many mantras you can tape on the mirror.
Mehnaz Khan
Environment for me has been the best thing.
Lisa Beres
Okay, changing your environment. Wow, our stories are parallel a little bit because I was an interior designer, and then I got sick from toxins in my home and all of my health ailments, nobody could explain. And it wasn't until I connected my environment. Now mine were actually toxins from a newly remodeled home. And I didn't have little babies. But it's interesting, we both had to connect the environments our feeling, whereas doctors and the Western medical association very much want to mask symptoms and just take this pill, take this pill, you'll feel better. And we're really just masking we're not getting to the root of what those causes are. Regardless if the medication isn�t causing you problems. You really haven't found what caused it in the first place you and you're now dependent on something potentially for the rest of your life.
Ron Beres
You're both kindred spirits.
Lisa Beres
We are kindred spirits. Yeah, yes. Wow. And that's interesting. I know the show isn't about depression. But because of the pandemic, we have so many people suffering from that right now. When you said it, you don't notice it? Is it just like, you get used to feeling like that, that it becomes so normal that you don't think anything's wrong? Is that how you describe it?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, I think you're just in the rut. You don't recognize it. Because I didn't. And now when I see back, I can tell, Oh, my God, that was bad depression. It was Yeah.
Ron Beres
You're so positive right now. So, you were recalling the story almost in a way like laughing at it or not laughing and looking at it as positive way. So, I'm glad you recovered. And you went through that and depression that's very difficult.
Lisa Beres
Yeah. And I guess you must have chalked it up as postpartum and thought it's just because I have a baby. And I'm more stressed now. Is that what you kind of thought was?
Mehnaz Khan
It started with postpartum baby blues. But I didn't learn about seasonal depression for a very long time. And we were talking about this. I'm originally from Pakistan. So, I've lived in Pakistan. I've lived in the Middle East. I've lived in different parts of the world and there in that part of the world in Asia in the Middle East, there is no such thing I think as a seasonal depression in your vocabulary, because the sun is shining all the time. When you move to Buffalo, New York, it did not even exist in my vocabulary. My husband is a physician. We still went through all of this.
Lisa Beres
Oh my gosh, yeah, I grew up on the west coast but was born in Boston, but I really grew up on the west coast. So, I think I would feel that if I moved to a cold rainy climate because I've been in the sun for so long. Arizona's where it really grew up and then moved to California. My whole adult life so far. So yeah, I can see that that would be like, whoa.
Ron Beres
I agree. I have an adult example. Because I grew up on the East Coast. And you're right, the seasonal changes you go into the winter. It's a little more depressing. I couldn't imagine juggling everything that you did. Yeah, I moved to California, Southern California in particular. I was just surprised that we can walk outside and feel happy in January and February.
Lisa Beres
Where are you now? Where are you located now?
Mehnaz Khan
So, in the middle of the story, we moved to Florida four years. Back here, no depression, no. No. So, this is the part that I want everybody to really focus. We're back in upstate New York. We're in Albany now. But we're still in New York, it's not as bad as the flow a little bit better. But this was a decision that I made that I want to come back. It's fine because my family's in Brooklyn. So, we're close by. But now because I have that awareness. I'm conscious how this is going to be our third winter ever since we're back. No depression.
Ron Beres
Our listeners can't see this. But behind you is this beautiful red painting. You're wearing a multicolored blouse which has every colors of the rainbow. Yeah. Well, you are basically sunshine. You are a rainbow. It doesn't matter if it's snowing outside. You're fine.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, that's one mistake I made you know, when initially when we got married, and we were decorating our first apartment, the trend is trend following the trends on white. White is easy to match. If I were white couch, I can match pillows and all the stuff walls in the apartment were white. Everything else was why I opened my windows. It's white outside, like white inside the house when they can just open the windows and see it. Yeah. So, I refused to use color and did not understand our in colors. And that was a mistake.
Ron Beres
Yeah. Wow. Well, Mehnaz. Today, it seems like everyone wants a neutral color scheme, from glazing wise to natural wood tones. Do you see a disconnect from what looks like on Instagram and Pinterest worthy? But maybe it's not the best color palette to suit the inhabitants of a home?
Mehnaz Khan
I love this question, my favorite question so far. So, we want a good balance with color. We want to be stimulated with color. And we want to be relaxed with colors. So too much or too less of anything is always you know, you have that perfect taste of salt in your food not too much, not too little. So, we need color. The best way to understand color is that every color is equal to an emotion. And I'll go a little in the detail how color is processed by our brain because that's the problem we think colors about loves its aesthetics. But how is color processed? Color is basically light. And when light enters our eye that is reflected by an object, it enters our eyes, it's measured in wavelength, and that wavelength is processed in our brain. Somewhere here again, people can see is that in your brain, there's a small part called the hypothalamus. And the hypothalamus does this calculation ending on the wavelength enter and triggers tells us that it's a color. But there are other things that the hypothalamus processes such as appetite, metabolism, hormones, body temperature, reproductive functioning, so many other things. So anytime a color is computed by the brain, something else is triggered behavior, emotions, thoughts, feeling. And this is why color is no more just a visual stimulus. It creates biochemical and hormonal changes in the human mind and body.
Ron Beres
You had me at metabolism. So, what color does that what code boosts your metabolism and makes you fit?
Lisa Beres
Which color gives you instant muscles?
Ron Beres
From Brussels?
Mehnaz Khan
I'll go back to that motion part first; colors equal an emotion. So, when somebody says that I'm a neutral person, this is how it sounds. We know we need all supplements, magnesium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin C, all are important for the human body just survive. But we all have different needs. My vitamin D could be low. So I'm going to take vitamin D, I'm not going to come out and say, Lisa, Vitamin C is the latest trend, you should take that or I'm going to say vitamin C, I'm a vitamin C person, you should take vitamin C, you say you're a crazy woman. That's how I work. I say I'm a neutral person. That's how it sounds. All emotions are real human being lives in all states of emotion during the day, you have ups and downs, you're really excited you go down, you're okay, you can be really sad, upset about something then your levels come in the middle. So that's natural. So, living in a few colors is just natural. And we can see this Mother Nature. Mother Nature has proved to us.
Lisa Beres
Yes, Mother Nature is abundant with color. It's interesting because I find myself going through like phases. So, I am in a pink phase. As you can tell with my picture. I'm in a pink phase and not just the deep, bright pink. I'm using it in branding. I'm noticing I'm close like that and I never really was in the pink before. And I've noticed that I've done this a lot in my life. So back when we first started our very first business greenness calm it was a retail store. It was during the time when browns and deep reds and golds and greens were really popular in-home design. And my website where those colors my clothes were those colors my home or those color and so it was really interesting. So, I don't know if you've found that with people where they'll kind of get in the zone and even our car you know or things like that.
Mehnaz Khan
Like you were saying that we need to go deeper and not just look at the surface. So, your attraction to a color is a sign to go deeper and figure out what's going on internally. So, at a different stage in your life, you're trying to do a different color. 10 years later, you might be hating this color. So as a teenager, you like a color in your 30s. You know, you're a different stage in your life, you're more mature, you maybe have a family, you settle through attraction changes. So, I'll give you an example. One of my clients before she was my client, she wanted everything white in her life she wanted to wear.
Lisa Beres
I am a recovering white person. That was back in the phase before pink.
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, so think about what was going on in your life at that stage in her life. That was an instant indication that there is something going on. And then when we started having this conversation, it came up that she was going through a divorce, she had two kids, an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, she did not have a job. And you know, she needed a new place to live. She had just so much emotional and noise in her life that she wanted to shut down. And this is where she wanted everything. Wow. Like she wanted to mentally and emotionally she was so disturbed. So anytime there's too much attraction to a color. Yeah, this is a sign. That's a sign I think about it. What's going on?
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's very cool. I think when I was doing the white thing, it was a lot of, I don't know, the white car, the white iPhone, the white computer. I was just noticing I kept buying everything white. I think for me, I was very distracted. I had a lot going on. And I think I wanted like a blank canvas that things weren't pulling me and distracting me. So, I could have like a laser focus on. I wasn't wearing white all the time, or anything like that. It was more just having kind of a blank canvas from which to create from. But as a past interior designer, myself, I belong to an international professional organization called Color Marketing Group. I don't know if you've heard of them, but they're great. And it's comprised of professionals in the automotive Fashion and Retail industries, including designers, marketers, color scientists, consultants, educators and artists, their tagline is, color sells, and the right colors sell better. They explain you live in color. And so, do we, its influences are everywhere, the environment, social issues, changing political climates, they all impact color in one industry, which have a reverberating effect on another mass. Tell us about the psychology of color. For example, how does the human mind process colors, which you kind of alluded to? And what is the impact on us on an emotional and psychological level?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, so you were asking about metabolism and appetite. So, one color that you should stick away, which actually kills appetite is blue. And in interior design, blue is a big fashion and kitchen and dining room? Yeah. So, I'm always like, no, no, no, no. And if you come to think about it in nature, I take all my answers from nature, when your food turns bad. Leave me in the refrigerator for 10 days, go back and look at it, it's going to turn blue. So, nature, mother nature has created the science for us, the blue in food is poisonous, that's bad, so you're not going to taste it, you're not going to smell it instantly, you know, you're going to throw it away. So that's what's when you're bringing blue closer to food and the kitchen and the dining room. It's killing that appetite.
Lisa Beres
Good if you�re trying to lose weight.
Mehnaz Khan
So, what's going to happen is, we're going to start eating unhealthily because you are going to get hungry when you move around. And then you're going to be really hungry and you eat something that's wrong. So that's not the right way to do it.
Lisa Beres
That is so interesting. And that's getting really deep on color. Yeah, I mean, you're right. Everyone's doing the dark blue lower base cabinets and kitchens, right with the white peppers and grays. That's so popular network.
Mehnaz Khan
And as somebody who lives consciously and intentionally, I like to think about, why do I need to follow this trend? And you know, we just follow trends, we need to start questioning just because everybody else is doing it. We like the right thing. But think about Coppola. Everybody else is drinking. And when the kids are in a party, they're like, can we drink Coke? I'm like, No, it's poison. And they look at me like everybody else is drinking poison.
Ron Beres
Good mom. By the way off topic here, great job.
Mehnaz Khan
Everybody else is drinking it. And are you telling us they�re drinking poison? So that's one example that everybody understands that just following the trend does not mean what everybody else is doing is the right thing. So, we need to stop questioning and this is how color psychology in the kitchen area plays. Now, what colors should you use instead? Green, any shade of green that represents your personality. So, the best color for the kitchen is red, orange, and yellow. And the way I work when I'm designing spaces as we look at the purpose of the space and the kind of activity that's happening in the space. So cooking is first of all emotional and secondly, it is physical. It is not imminent. To activity. So blue is also the color of the mind, the color of the physical is red, and the color of the emotion is yellow. So, like I said, cooking is emotional and physical. So great colors to bring in your kitchen is yellow and red. Now, we don't want to paint our cabinets red or have too much red or yellow because they are highly energizing colors. Because it's a longer wavelength of light, it's more energy. And cooking is already heating up your kitchen. So, these colors together are going to get your kitchen environment really heated up. So instead, we can bring in green to cool down environment. So, bring in your reds and yellows and oranges through accessories, tabletop, blinds.
Lisa Beres
That's what I was going to say. Yeah, so you could have a contemporary modern kitchen with your white cabinets and then kind of use those colors. Yeah, I think of plants and herbs. When you say the greens, we can bring that in through foliage.
Mehnaz Khan
And that's all its colors in nature in food, oranges and reds and greens, no blue, that you get the answer from nature. There's no debate about that. So, the color that boosts the appetite is orange.
Lisa Beres
Okay, fantastic. I remember learning this when I was in college doing studying interior design, the power of colors. So, reds, yellows, oranges are highly energetic, like you said. And that's why you see them a lot in fast food restaurants. Because they do want you to eat and get out there. They're always lingering for an hour. And also, the surfaces, the textures. So, in fast food restaurants, you don't have cushiony benches, you have hard Formica type, laminate, hard surfaces that you aren't going to get too comfortable and stay too long. They don't want you lingering in there.
Mehnaz Khan
Especially at Starbucks, they want you to linger. You buy one coffee, you buy a second coffee, and you're eight hours with your laptop. I did that a lot in New York City during my college days. And that's how they make the money. So, you just hold them to these two environments, the color and the whole environment. And there is no architecture in these two, the coffee shop and the burger, fast food. There is no architectural element. If you notice the only thing is color. Yes, filling in the wave is coming from color. They're just plain big boxes.
Lisa Beres
That�s right, just a square. Yeah, it just depends on that. And also, another interesting thing was in hospitals, they use a lot of blues and greens, with the scrubs and all of that. And that is because those colors are so calming, and healing, obviously green, we think up with the healing and nature and all that. So that's really interesting, too. Can you imagine trying to recover in hospital room that was like bright red or orange, that would be so stressful, right? You wouldn't be able to kind of calm down and get to that Zen state.
Ron Beres
It's amazing to know the colors not just aesthetics, right. So, there's a deeper meaning affects your everyday life. Do you have any other examples? I have heard in the past that kind of like you mentioned the food, right? The fast food, the red and yellow together makes you stimulated to want something quick and leave. Right? Is that the whole? You know how many fast food chains do we see that have the red and yellow on them?
Lisa Beres
All of them? Yeah. In and Out. In and out. Literally they tell you in the name, get in and get out.
Ron Beres
For those who are color blind. Right. Those are in and out. So, you need a little reminder.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, exactly. Hit you on all levels. Yeah, man, as I was talking earlier about Ron had a red office when red was really popular and Interior Home Design. I had this beautiful Ralph Lauren, dark red velvety paint. And it was in Ron�s office. It was so stimulating. And that was a period of your life where you were very anxious, very stressed. You know, you're in this office all day.
Ron Beres
And it was cosmetically very pleasing. That was it was yeah, it was pretty, but I think you're 20, we�ll not 20, maybe 24 hours a day close to it right? 16 hours a day in that room. I felt overstimulated after I was feeling burnt out.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Mm hmm.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, that's true. That's definitely going to happen. Yeah, especially I don't know you concentrated so much. One thing Ron, you said was, we're talking about this conversation. And it's my mission that colors are not mere aesthetics. They're actually a survival mechanism for everyday life. So, whatever anybody's believe is nature universe. God, God has created colors as a survival mechanism for everyday life. They make our life simple and life easy. So that first cup of coffee in the morning you have it's a color decision. So, my husband likes his coffee a little darker, which means less milk and minus pretty much all milk. So instantly in the morning, I'm pouring creamer in his coffee just looking at it. That's enough. It's his coffee, and mine. And if I walk away and somebody comes and mixes our coffee, instantly looking at the color, I can tell which one it is and which one's mine. Yeah, he lived in a black and white world or colorless world. We would be measuring every teaspoon of creamer for him. Yeah. You see, it's small things that make our life fast and easy. And then we already spoke about the food thing which is protects us. It keeps us safe. If we were again in black and white well, we couldn't tell. So, my daughter, she's almost seven now and she was two and we're grocery shopping. She could instantly from a distance tell that we're getting the yellow banana because it's ready to eat. And the green one is not. Yeah, go touch it, smell it, feel it. It's, like, easy.
Lisa Beres
It just communicates. Color communicates with us.
Ron Beres
Yeah, really does. Like I tell you what I remember the special that Lisa and I watched on television years ago, it reminded me when you said you need eight scoops or five scoops for the whatever the coffee, right? Well, there's this math petition who was absolutely brilliant. And they couldn't figure out why his mind works.
Lisa Beres
He saw Pi. Yeah, the Pi, he could go on forever. And he saw you saw them in color. Yes. Yeah. They asked him because he never stopped. He could keep going with the formula. It's just the hours, hours and hours they recorded him. He just wouldn't stop with the numbers. And they said, how do you do that? And he said, when I close my eyes, I see them in color. Yeah, interesting.
Mehnaz Khan
There are very few people like that on the planet. They're just wired differently than we are.
Lisa Beres
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Cuz me and numbers. We don't get along so well.
Mehnaz Khan
They have cones and rods, which process colors. So, they have a little bit different wiring?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, yeah, that's some serious different wiring. So many of us are telecommuting these days due to the pandemic, how does our home or home office impact our behavior and subconscious mind? How is this all affecting us subconsciously?
Mehnaz Khan
So again, you want to think about the purpose of his face office, what sort of work you do, my work is going to be a little bit different than somebody who's an accountant or a lawyer. So, the kind of concentration you have. And then again, we break it down how much of the mental work is there, how much of the physical work is there, for example, typing is physical making phone calls is a physical activity. So, you do need some of that read also, okay, and you want to be more mentally stimulated. So, where you can be used colors that are mentally stimulating, rather than in a bedroom, you want to lose that mentally relaxing, or shut down that mind, no thoughts racing when you hit the pillow. So that's how we divide the colors and figure out what are the five to six different colors you should have in your surroundings to help you get that work done.
Lisa Beres
What are those?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay. Yeah, so first thing is, you know, the colors have different tones and undertones. So, if I say green that does not answer the question you are, which tone of green is going to work for you. But like I was saying, a mentally stimulating color is saturated blue. So dark blues are always mentally stimulating. So blue is the color of the intellect. And light blues are always mentally soothing. The reds are the delta wave of reds, which is orange and pink and browns. They're all their ratings of red are physically stimulating. And we go for a light pink and light red, which is pink, like a soft pink. Physically soothing, and the yellows are emotionally stimulating.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, it was making me think of spas, you know, going to a spa how it's always in a more pastel palette. Ver you never see deep, dark colors in a spa, you're not going to unwind with those dark colors. Yeah, so interesting.
Ron Beres
A little off topic. I read an article just recently, that talked about how birds see a higher spectrum of light, which means they actually see different colors than what the human eye actually sees. And so many times when we see a bird and he may look like a plain, brown, gray spotted bird. In reality, he might have vibrant colors that we just don't see. Have you heard that before?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, there's the limited spectrum of light that we can see an animal see differently. Some different animals like dogs. They have only two, two cones. Yeah. So, they see less colors than we do. And then different animals would see it differently.
Lisa Beres
Very interesting. Interesting. And by the way, Ron, that bird could have been a she, too. You said he.
Ron Beres
Did I? Okay. Well.
Lisa Beres
Actually, in the bird world, the males are really the more colorful.
Ron Beres
Who knows? Maybe that's not true.
Lisa Beres
The peacock; the male with this big feather3s.
Ron Beres
Yeah, yeah. That is so funny. Well, when Lisa and I first learned about the chakra system, and their respective colors. I started using color as an energy when I dressed. I was very cognizant of that. So, for example, blue represents the throat chakra. So, if I was given a business presentation, or a speaking engagement, I would choose to wear a blue shirt. So Mehnaz is color subjective, or do the hues and shades actually affect us whether we like or dislike a particular color?
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, again, one of my favorite questions of colors, is color subjective or not. So, the general idea is that color is subjective, and I'm going to go ahead and say it's not. So, let's rule out nothing in life is absolute right? You take medication, let's the diabetes medication, we know it works, it does things. But if any of us, God forbid, has diabetes, it's going to be a little different, we're going to get a different dose, maybe one of us takes it in the morning, the other person takes it twice a day, vitamins, all of these vitamins, they're all important, they have universal properties. But they work a little bit different for everybody, sugar, how I tasted, that's how you taste it, anybody across the world in Australia is going to taste it to the property of sugar, or salt or anything is universal. But it's a little different, how it works on all of us. So same goes for the color, the properties of color, when we've been talking about the reds and the blues, that is universal. Now we're going to have a little bit of a different reaction. Why I'm saying it's not subjective is because there is always a reason why you're attracted to a color. And it's either one of the three. The first one, it could be your personal experience. For instance, I have a dark green couch, and my cousin brother, he hates the couch. So, we take YZ hating my house turned out a long time back, he had a relative who had a dark green couch, and the room was very depressing, didn't have any lights. And there were his dad's relative who were very mean to his mom. So it was that also so that what he recalls, that's a personal experience. That's not the psychology of green. And that's not that I'm going to hate green or somebody else. It's just personal experience. So, anybody could have a good experience or a bad experience. And that's how they connect to it. Nice fragrances, you connect it to an event, or music, you connect it to an event. So, color also you connect to an event.
Lisa Beres
Right. Yeah, I bet if you were in a car accident in a certain colored car.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes. People do definitely do. They hate that color. They're scared of it. All the things that's connected to it. Yeah. So that's one reason. The second reason is culture. What part of the world you've grown on what culture Did you grow up? For instance, in India, and other countries in Asia, the widow wears white. She wears all white. Here in the US, the bride wears white on her wedding day.
Ron Beres
What are they saying here? It�s the end of her life?
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's interesting, right? Because in India, my sister's husband is Indian. And we went to their wedding. And it was so colorful, right? The saris and the gold and I was wearing blue and she was wearing red. I don't know if the bride always wears red. She had red but yes, mostly. Yeah, I was like, Whoa, this is so beautiful. Yeah, it was a beautiful celebration, just a cornucopia of colors. Gold was really significant, right? You were gold at the wedding, right?
Ron Beres
Metallics, is that part of the color spectrum that you focus on to Mehnaz? Do you get into this?
Mehnaz Khan
We focus is as a design element. So, it comes from your personality, but we focus as a design element. And again, gold is pretty much yellow coming from the yellow Families always coming from the white family like that. Yeah, it's more of a status symbol, gold in that part of the world in Asia, okay. So, it could be a cultural thing. It could be your country's the color of the flag. And then you will see those colors with you know, on, Fourth of July, everybody is food is going to be those colors, the flags, clothes, and everything. So that kind of association. So, it can be a cultural thing, also. And the last thing is the psychology of colors to the universal properties of colors. Now, the thing to notice here is whatever your experience has been with the color, good, bad cultural thing. Over time, the psychology of color will take because it's happening inside your brain, right? So, you're not going to think consciously at a subconscious level, the psychology of color will overpower it. Let's say for instance, red is you�re really, really favorite color, you love it for some reason, and you want to paint your bedroom. Alright. So right now you're thinking that yes, it's my favorite color, I'm going to love it, don't stop me from doing my favorite color my bedroom, but over time, and you keep going to your bedroom, you're not going to notice that you're going to get so used to it. And you're not going to think about like, I painted my wall red, because it's my favorite color. Every time you go into your bedroom, you're not going to say that. So over time, the psychology of red is going to take over. And like I said, it's a very stimulating color. So, it's not a good choice for a bedroom where you want to relax and you want to calm down. So over time, psychology of color always wins. And because it's at a subconscious level, where we're not even thinking about.
Lisa Beres
Oh, right, I was talking about the group that I belonged to called Color Marketing Group. And there were people from the movie industry that would attend these conferences, and the thought of how they incorporate color into movie is very well thought out to and you think about well, why? Because the viewers and how are those colors going to affect us when we watch them and evoke an emotion that they're trying to get? So that's really interesting too, because very deep. And I remember, as an interior designer learning about opposite colors, so red and green. They create a vibratory effect when they are next to each other because they're so opposing, they create almost what feels like a vibration. So, these types of colors are very stimulating. So, you obviously wouldn't want to pose and colors in certain situations where you need to be calm and things like that. So, I thought that was interesting. So, everyone listening has a favorite color. Is this random? And as or can there be a reason we're attracted to particular colors? Average regular times and our life kind of touched upon? lacking something or needing something?
Mehnaz Khan
Sure. So yeah, it's going to be one of those or it's going to be that incidents and thing happened in your life and you've associated with the colors, and that's what's your favorite color is, then again, you want to think about it is your favorite color, the right choice for where you want to use it in your home. Again, the red and the bedroom. Because yes, it is your favorite color, but does not mean that it is the best color for you. Think about your favorite food. Let's say you love a double cheeseburger. What�s your favorite food?
Ron Beres
Mehnaz, we�re vegan.
Mehnaz Khan
There we go. What's your favorite dessert?
Ron Beres
Oh, gosh. I do like vegan cupcakes. From Sprinkles.
Mehnaz Khan
I have not tried them. Anything that's usually something that's rich and creamy. And a lot of sugars and things like that. Its mostly people's favorite thing does not mean that it's necessarily a good thing for their body. Yeah. So same way you could be the favorite color, it's of your favorite color. But it's different. When you're it's on your walls. It's different when you're wearing it. You can change your clothes 10 times a day. But you can�t change your walls, maybe even a few years.
Lisa Beres
Do you agree with the concept of creating a neutral palette, and then using the colors as accents so that you can change those out depending on you know, so like throw pillows and blankets and things like that you can change easily do like that style?
Mehnaz Khan
I'm not going to say it's a personal thing. It's because the principles that I use are related to personality, we analyze your personality to figure out your colors. So, when you have colors that are in alignment with your personality, you will not need to feel the need to change them every season if five years 10 years. So, the need vanishes that I need that. Again, going deeper. People are realizing why do I need to change there's a deeper meaning. Why do I go to Target every week and I need new things? And it satisfies me for a week. But then I'm back again after a week. Again, go deeper what's going on? It's not that I just got this hedonic adaptation, you get something new and you like it and looks different. The next week, you're back to square one because you did not go deeper. Why do I need every time? Why do I need to change my decor? So yes, in a way, I don't change my decor seasonally. And because now I have the right colors. I don't need to change it. They reflect my personality. So that's going to vanish.
Lisa Beres
Right. That's so interesting. Yeah, we are very much you know, a disposable society. And its marketers use these tactics really wisely to get us to constantly feel like we need the next thing whether it's fashion, right? I think about this fashion all the time. It's like, Well, what was wrong with that pair of shoes? Oh, pointed toes aren't in anymore. Now we need square toes. So, now square toes are out and you can tell it's not real. Who cares what shape your shoe is? I mean, we should be using these until we're done with them, not because they're out of style now.
Mehnaz Khan
It's a matter of ethics now, changing your decor four times a year. The wastage of creating, it's not sustainable for the environment. And we've seen all of those issues. And I think that's one reason why color psychology is not so popular because they're color and they don't change it in 10 years. How are the big brands going to make the money?
Lisa Beres
So yeah, how are they going to go? I don't think Instagram and Pinterest have helped in this area.
Mehnaz Khan
They hate me. Chroma therapy, or therapy with colors in light pharmaceutical medicine is not going to make money and we know we're pharmaceutical medicine does not make money you because taking care of toxins and herbs and eating natural. That's not the famous, not so popular.
Lisa Beres
Interesting that you said that because even think about the colors in pharmaceuticals. I mean pills are very colorful. You know, if you see like a you buy a stock photo of pills, there's like red and green and pink and yellow. There's going to be something there too that they�re tapping into the sell the pill, right?
Mehnaz Khan
We�re just using color without buying the pill. So that's where they don't make the money.
Lisa Beres
Right. Exactly.
Ron Beres
Well, Mehnaz, my financial wheels were spinning. So, can color affect the sales or rental of homes? What do you recommend or advise against in terms of real estate? If you're renting, or selling your home?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, yes, it definitely affects sale. We see this all the time. So many times. Big brands do this in the market, they just change the color of the packaging and instant sale. There are so many examples like this. I don't remember what color is on the product. It depends on the product. There was this washing powder which was not selling I think it was in Britain was not selling and the change everything was the same. The whole powder inside was saying to just change the color of the packaging and so it's kind of to be different, what color it is, when its food, its washing powder, different things are going to be different. A simple tip I will give you on the website, you've noticed those by now buttons are getting our shop now being red. That's because red is that longest wavelength in the visible spectrum of light. So, its things that are red pure, closer than they actually are. So that's like instant, you want that person to focus on that solid magenta. Yeah, instantly, we want them to see and we'll see.
Lisa Beres
So, you're using it, too?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, mine is more like a magenta. It's not bad. But that's again, the longer wavelength. That's why they have it there. So, they make a lot of money by the signs, when you're in grocery store, the sale is all red, they want you to instantly notice.
Lisa Beres
Right the sale, and also subconsciously, we associate that with a discount, right? I mean, if you see a red, price of red, you're just like, oh must be on sale. And that's another psychological thing, too.
Mehnaz Khan
It�s just a connection we were talking about. Because in our culture, we've learned that red is in the grocery store, the sign is discount, or it's on sale, something like that.
Ron Beres
Yeah. In preparation for this call isn't that we're talking, it's the contrast of a couple of callers to that caused you to do things. So, the stop sign, red and white. Right? That's a high contrast. I think, Lisa, you told me your background.
Lisa Beres
Black and yellow is one of the highest contrasting color combinations. And that's why they're used in all the hazard signs and warning signs and that kind of thing. We see them in street signs and things like that. So black and white, obviously the biggest contrasting, but then black and yellow, I think it's the next and goes in line. And if you look at all the transportation type signs, you either have the blue and white, which would be information and you have the green and white, and then you have the random white. So, it's really interesting how much color has been used to influence us.
Mehnaz Khan
So now we know that the word red means the red stop sign, even if somebody can? Well, yeah, the kids, they also recognize it, even if they can read so we know that. But let's go back and see in nature what is red, yellow, and black, the buzzy bees, we get so scared of them. Major danger, is that black? Be careful a combination. What is the sign you're sending to the person in front of you? So that's not from so now we know that yellow? And black, like you were mentioning is hazardous.
Ron Beres
Yeah, trick question for you, Mehnaz, trick question. The rainbow. We see a beautiful rainbow with all the colors. What do we do with this? Freeze and stare at it? Is that why we're looking at it?
Mehnaz Khan
Well, we don�t see it all the time. So, it's like when something is new and less frequent. We really stand and appreciate it.
Ron Beres
But it has all the colors. So, I guess that's just the mystery and beauty of the universe or whatever.
Lisa Beres
Wow, that is so interesting. This was great. I hope you guys listening have learned a lot and are inspired to really take a look at your environment, your wardrobe. Oh, one last thing I want to ask you. What if someone's really in a black phase? I mean, there are people who it's all black = black clothes, they want to dress fully solid black, they're black car, they're black phone, it's chic and sleek, right? It can be deemed high end. But obviously there's got to be a lot of negative associations to that too much. Would you say?
Mehnaz Khan
A lot of people say that black is chic and sophisticated. That's true. 100%. Black is sophisticated. The question is, do you look sophisticated or chic in black. So that does not sit with everyone. And then again, I see this all the time. I know personally know people who just want to wear black all the time. So, there is something at the back going on instant thing to pick up. Why does this person want to wear black? Are they trying to hide something? So, we feel like even though black is black is absorption of light. So, the person can be feeling like hiding and want to hide behind this color. And they just feel like more cocooned or safe?
Lisa Beres
There's always a reason why is it all the time black? Yeah, exactly. And I think a lot of people who are self-conscious of their weight will tend to do that because they say, Oh, it makes me thinner. But then you'll see a heavier person in color. I've seen this a lot. But no, they don't look heavier in color. They don't.
Mehnaz Khan
It�s so very basic, common sense. Should I say black absorbs online black option of light. When light is being reflected. It's white, and you see black because it's absorbing all light. So, you're never going to look thinner, it's mentally.
Lisa Beres
Get rid of the black.
Mehnaz Khan
It adds weight. So, you know, do this experiment. Anybody can do this experiment. Let's say you have a door, an old door, it's white door and you want to change it and looks very clumsy and bad quality painted black instantly. It's going to look better quality. It's going to look like it's solid. Do this experiment with anything in your life. One Yeah, white and turn it into black because instantly it's absorbed or light energy. So, a person who feels like that I'm looking Slim is basically in their mind that mentally they feel like they're hidden. They are cocooning or isolating. So, what's going on. Not by really looking slim.
Lisa Beres
They want to hide. I think that's true. Get those colors out friends start wearing some beautiful bright colors. And I love how you talked about using the colors intentionally. So, you're having a job interview, you want to be deemed trustworthy blues are great, right? That's like conservative and trustworthy. And whether, like you said, whether you believe it or not, it's true. Psychologically, we are programmed to think of blue as stressing its policeman. It's these things that we've associated with trust. And so, we can utilize colors. Definitely intentionally. I went through a black phase many, many, many years ago, were I don't know, I wasn't trying to look thinner. I think I just thought it looked sleek. And then I finally started wearing really bright colors. And you know what, it makes you feel better about yourself? Right? You feel more vibrant, and energized? Yeah. And get out from behind those neutrals, guys. Like start embracing. What would you suggest to someone who's kind of scared a lot of people get scared, like, oh, I want to get taller in my home, starting with a bathroom or something?
Mehnaz Khan
Like you say, stick with those neutral walls and everything. Start small. Start with one pillow. But the biggest differences that I am not buying this pillow because it is the latest trend, or because it looks good, or because it is Joanna Gaines advice, or because now you just have it. No, I'm buying this color, because of the psychological implication and influence of this color. Change in the sentence. It's a purposeful decision. Now my green couch, everybody's like, it's out of my comfort zone. Yes, but how am I living with that green couch? Because I made a purposeful decision. I did not base it on love or trends or anything like that. That's fluff or surface level? Yeah, no way I wanted or why have it and the energy brought me so I'm living with it and you will live. So, start small, it's okay to start small. But every conscious step you're taking, it's going to build up and then there will be a time that you'll be ready to do your worlds. I mean, yeah, like that.
Lisa Beres
Right, exactly. Right. You can see my wall behind me it's very colorful, it's gray and yellow, very geometric, vibrant pattern. And the reason I did it is because it's so nontoxic, adhesive and removable, wallpaper. And I was like, Hey, I'm not attached to it, I can peel it off. It's a peel and stick and put up any. In fact, I have another one waiting to be changed. I'm going to I'm going to do neutral. I'm going to do this. But I think I just also enjoy. It's a different pattern. You know, it's the designer in me. I do like to change things up a little bit. I've had this for years. But yeah, that's a good idea for you guys, too. Because now with these peel and stick wallpapers, and paint is so easy to change. You don't have to be building your home with cabinet colors that you're going to be stuck with for life. You can actually do the changes like you said, start small start with something that you can change if you don't like it or doesn't feel good.
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, you'll be stuck with cabinets. So again, bring those appliances, small appliances. We're renting. So, we have a lot of artwork because we can�t paint our walls. We're not loving the walls.
Lisa Beres
Oh, I love that painting behind you.
Mehnaz Khan
Artwork really works or doing the walls really works because it's high level and anything that's eye level makes the biggest difference. I always say this if you have the option of buying artwork or rug always artwork.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's a good point.
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, the only person who buys the rug notices the rug.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Ron thinks nobody looks at shoes. I always say, Oh, you�ve got to polish your shoes or you're wearing those? He goes, nobody looks at shoes. I'm like, actually they do. Some people are very obsessed. Yeah, most people are more concerned about their own. But on the last final note you had talked about don't go for the latest trends. I've noticed like a trend in nurseries baby nurseries is very adulty it's very kind of bland. I'm seeing so many nurseries that are white with a little bit of black and I'm like what I mean, I don't think you have to go overly pink and baby blue. But isn't that a happy birthday? I would want more color in a nursery. I don't think I would be jiving energetically with my little baby in this dark adulty vibe. I think you can make it tasteful and classy without doing phonies everywhere, but adding some pretty color. How do you feel about that?
Mehnaz Khan
Well, you answered your own question. 100 percent. you don't want to go for those dull muted colors. Think about it. The energy of this color is very like adults. Like you said you don't want vibrant colors. You want colors that have childlike energy and that's going to definitely try Yeah, so common breaks my heart so much all those muted grayed out tones in the kid�s bedroom everyone is pushing for, it's going to be a depressive for them.
Lisa Beres
Oh really? So that's interesting down the road. Yeah, I remember being very little and being just obsessed with color. I do I remember like looking at toys. I mean, hello. That's why the toy aisle is so colorful. They know that children are attracted to that. So, I would think your nursery, your little kids are and you've watched some fun colors in there that they can connect with. So, and as you can keep it keep it trendy, classy and beautiful at the same time have it baby, but keep it classy and beautiful with so adding some nice color in there. Well this was amazing. Thank you so much. And remember friends as Ru Paul said, the whole point is to live life and be to use all the colors in the crayon box. Friends if you are inspired by today's show, head over to www.ColorConsciousLiving.com and book a color consultation with Mehnaz. She can help you with a single room audit or a complete color transformation for your home environment. You can even get started with a complimentary call.
Ron Beres
Thank you so much for joining us today Mehnaz.
Mehnaz Khan
Thank you so much for having me.
Lisa Beres
Thank you We loved it. This is amazing.
Ron Beres
We love yours. Your colors are vibrant.
Mehnaz Khan
It's actually true. You know, I meet people who I used to know 10 years ago and then like you're very different person. I know. I�m no more depressed.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, when you started out on camera, your outfit is vibrant. Your painting is vibrant. You can feel that energy instantly.
Ron Beres
So, hi vibe ladies, so high vibe. Stay tuned for another episode to up-level your health, your home and the planet. Bye.
Lisa Beres
Bye everyone. See you next time.
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Narrator
How would you like to improve your health and keep your family safe? You're listening to that healthy home hacks podcast where we firmly believe enjoying optimal health shouldn't be a luxury. Healthy Home authorities and husband and wife team Ron and Lisa will help you create a home environment that will level up your health. It's time to hear from the experts. listen in on honest conversations and gain the best tips and advice. If you're ready to dive in and improve your well-being and increase your energy, you're in the right place. Alright, here are your hosts, Val biologists, authors, media darlings, vicarious vegans and avocado aficionados, Ron and Lisa Beres.
Ron Beres
Life is the painting and you are the artist you have on your palette, all the colors in the spectrum, the same ones available to Michelangelo and Da Vinci, Paul J. Meyer. When it comes to living a healthy life, most people focus on nutrition, fitness, meditation, therapy, and other forms of self-care. While these are all necessary, there is another aspect to living healthy that many people ignore. In fact, research shows that there's a strong relationship between our physical spaces and our mental well-being. Our environments, including our office, and home impact the way we think, feel and behave.
Lisa Beres
It turns out by using colors consciously in your space, and understanding the meanings and influence the colors on human mind and body, you can enhance the psychology of your space to improve your well-being health and happiness. Today, our special guest Mehnaz Khan, the founder of Color Conscious Living is here to help us take a hard look at how colors impact our thoughts and actions on an everyday basis. And how color in our homes is impacting our behavior and emotions. Listeners, you're probably wondering how you can use the power of colors to create a positive environment at home that is in alignment with your subconscious mind. Today, we're going to find out.
Ron Beres
Mehnaz Khan is an interior designer with a focus on color and design psychology, she uses color as a wellness tool to help women create a stress free and restful home so they can be more productive, sleep better, and cope with everyday anxiety, something everyone could use in today's volatile landscape. Welcome to the show Mehnaz!
Mehnaz Khan
Hey, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
Lisa Beres
Welcome, and we're so happy to have you with us. At the top of the show, before we started, we were talking about how much this topic is so important and not really discussed a lot. I think it's something that is under looked. And yet so, so important is we're going to find out as we get going today. I am a prior interior designer, as you are an interior designer, and I think we understand that power of color. So, I can't wait to dive in and get to the nitty gritty of how it's affecting us. So, let's just get started. So, Mehnaz, it sounds like your journey into founding Color Conscious Living began after you became a mother. And while you should have been feeling fulfilled, you are unhappy, anxious and exhausted, which I know a lot of new moms can relate to. Can you describe how your home environment was not aligned with your goals of feeling blissful and happy? And can you explain a bit more for our listeners and share your personal story and struggle?
Mehnaz Khan
So initially, this was 15 years ago, that's when I had my first baby. So, I was very young 23-24. And what I learned from my society, what everybody else does, it's all about making it pretty. If I can make it pretty, then I'm going to be happy.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, a beautiful nursery, right?
Mehnaz Khan
Our first apartment, we recently married, the baby came suddenly everything was going too fast. And he was born like perfect timing in October, which is exactly when seasonal depression starts. We lived in Buffalo, New York, which is snow eight months out of the year. So, you know, everything was the perfect scenario for depression. We were in a new marriage. We had an arranged marriage and we were just married. After you know, one month of marriage I conceived so they became really soon my husband was a physician. He was in his first year of residency, which is crazy. So, I barely saw him. I barely knew him. Oh, wow, baby blues. And I think this is the worst part and we were just talking about this last week. The morning when I came back home from the hospital with the baby that night, he started working night shifts for a whole month for whole.
Lisa Beres
He's like, you're on your own honey.
Mehnaz Khan
So, I take all the credit, single parenting. Okay, they're all mine. Yeah. And then once you are in depression, you don't recognize it. This is something I've learned once you are in the room, you have absolutely no idea. And then, year after year after year things you know, you're growing, kids are growing more kids are coming. They're moving around job, all the things. So, I had this episode of depression for eight years. Eight years and I had no idea and in between at one point, the doctor told me every year antidepressants antidepressant in my mind, I had this like, oh my god taboo. I can't take antidepressants like no more. No, I'm fine. Like, yeah, I'm telling anyone, if you need it, definitely take it. I took it after resisting for so many years. And what happened I'm that 5% of the population who is sensitive to every medication. And I was in bed for seven days, just one day of medication in bed seven days. My youngest was a year and a half. So, I had two kids at that time. My mom had to come she had to help. Of course, my marriage was breaking like this woman is in bed, what do I do? Oh, no crying the house is a mess. That's when I decided I can do it without this. I'm strong. I'll do it with willpower and motivation. So that's how I started but you know, then God came in, Mother Nature came in. And this was like literally lightbulb moment for me a few years later, that your environment impacts behavior. And that's where everything started. Color Psychology, understanding the subconscious mind the environment. And I want to say this, that there's so much in so far, you can go with motivation and willpower, you always need an extrinsic motivator.
Lisa Beres
There are only so many mantras you can tape on the mirror.
Mehnaz Khan
Environment for me has been the best thing.
Lisa Beres
Okay, changing your environment. Wow, our stories are parallel a little bit because I was an interior designer, and then I got sick from toxins in my home and all of my health ailments, nobody could explain. And it wasn't until I connected my environment. Now mine were actually toxins from a newly remodeled home. And I didn't have little babies. But it's interesting, we both had to connect the environments our feeling, whereas doctors and the Western medical association very much want to mask symptoms and just take this pill, take this pill, you'll feel better. And we're really just masking we're not getting to the root of what those causes are. Regardless if the medication isn�t causing you problems. You really haven't found what caused it in the first place you and you're now dependent on something potentially for the rest of your life.
Ron Beres
You're both kindred spirits.
Lisa Beres
We are kindred spirits. Yeah, yes. Wow. And that's interesting. I know the show isn't about depression. But because of the pandemic, we have so many people suffering from that right now. When you said it, you don't notice it? Is it just like, you get used to feeling like that, that it becomes so normal that you don't think anything's wrong? Is that how you describe it?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, I think you're just in the rut. You don't recognize it. Because I didn't. And now when I see back, I can tell, Oh, my God, that was bad depression. It was Yeah.
Ron Beres
You're so positive right now. So, you were recalling the story almost in a way like laughing at it or not laughing and looking at it as positive way. So, I'm glad you recovered. And you went through that and depression that's very difficult.
Lisa Beres
Yeah. And I guess you must have chalked it up as postpartum and thought it's just because I have a baby. And I'm more stressed now. Is that what you kind of thought was?
Mehnaz Khan
It started with postpartum baby blues. But I didn't learn about seasonal depression for a very long time. And we were talking about this. I'm originally from Pakistan. So, I've lived in Pakistan. I've lived in the Middle East. I've lived in different parts of the world and there in that part of the world in Asia in the Middle East, there is no such thing I think as a seasonal depression in your vocabulary, because the sun is shining all the time. When you move to Buffalo, New York, it did not even exist in my vocabulary. My husband is a physician. We still went through all of this.
Lisa Beres
Oh my gosh, yeah, I grew up on the west coast but was born in Boston, but I really grew up on the west coast. So, I think I would feel that if I moved to a cold rainy climate because I've been in the sun for so long. Arizona's where it really grew up and then moved to California. My whole adult life so far. So yeah, I can see that that would be like, whoa.
Ron Beres
I agree. I have an adult example. Because I grew up on the East Coast. And you're right, the seasonal changes you go into the winter. It's a little more depressing. I couldn't imagine juggling everything that you did. Yeah, I moved to California, Southern California in particular. I was just surprised that we can walk outside and feel happy in January and February.
Lisa Beres
Where are you now? Where are you located now?
Mehnaz Khan
So, in the middle of the story, we moved to Florida four years. Back here, no depression, no. No. So, this is the part that I want everybody to really focus. We're back in upstate New York. We're in Albany now. But we're still in New York, it's not as bad as the flow a little bit better. But this was a decision that I made that I want to come back. It's fine because my family's in Brooklyn. So, we're close by. But now because I have that awareness. I'm conscious how this is going to be our third winter ever since we're back. No depression.
Ron Beres
Our listeners can't see this. But behind you is this beautiful red painting. You're wearing a multicolored blouse which has every colors of the rainbow. Yeah. Well, you are basically sunshine. You are a rainbow. It doesn't matter if it's snowing outside. You're fine.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, that's one mistake I made you know, when initially when we got married, and we were decorating our first apartment, the trend is trend following the trends on white. White is easy to match. If I were white couch, I can match pillows and all the stuff walls in the apartment were white. Everything else was why I opened my windows. It's white outside, like white inside the house when they can just open the windows and see it. Yeah. So, I refused to use color and did not understand our in colors. And that was a mistake.
Ron Beres
Yeah. Wow. Well, Mehnaz. Today, it seems like everyone wants a neutral color scheme, from glazing wise to natural wood tones. Do you see a disconnect from what looks like on Instagram and Pinterest worthy? But maybe it's not the best color palette to suit the inhabitants of a home?
Mehnaz Khan
I love this question, my favorite question so far. So, we want a good balance with color. We want to be stimulated with color. And we want to be relaxed with colors. So too much or too less of anything is always you know, you have that perfect taste of salt in your food not too much, not too little. So, we need color. The best way to understand color is that every color is equal to an emotion. And I'll go a little in the detail how color is processed by our brain because that's the problem we think colors about loves its aesthetics. But how is color processed? Color is basically light. And when light enters our eye that is reflected by an object, it enters our eyes, it's measured in wavelength, and that wavelength is processed in our brain. Somewhere here again, people can see is that in your brain, there's a small part called the hypothalamus. And the hypothalamus does this calculation ending on the wavelength enter and triggers tells us that it's a color. But there are other things that the hypothalamus processes such as appetite, metabolism, hormones, body temperature, reproductive functioning, so many other things. So anytime a color is computed by the brain, something else is triggered behavior, emotions, thoughts, feeling. And this is why color is no more just a visual stimulus. It creates biochemical and hormonal changes in the human mind and body.
Ron Beres
You had me at metabolism. So, what color does that what code boosts your metabolism and makes you fit?
Lisa Beres
Which color gives you instant muscles?
Ron Beres
From Brussels?
Mehnaz Khan
I'll go back to that motion part first; colors equal an emotion. So, when somebody says that I'm a neutral person, this is how it sounds. We know we need all supplements, magnesium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin C, all are important for the human body just survive. But we all have different needs. My vitamin D could be low. So I'm going to take vitamin D, I'm not going to come out and say, Lisa, Vitamin C is the latest trend, you should take that or I'm going to say vitamin C, I'm a vitamin C person, you should take vitamin C, you say you're a crazy woman. That's how I work. I say I'm a neutral person. That's how it sounds. All emotions are real human being lives in all states of emotion during the day, you have ups and downs, you're really excited you go down, you're okay, you can be really sad, upset about something then your levels come in the middle. So that's natural. So, living in a few colors is just natural. And we can see this Mother Nature. Mother Nature has proved to us.
Lisa Beres
Yes, Mother Nature is abundant with color. It's interesting because I find myself going through like phases. So, I am in a pink phase. As you can tell with my picture. I'm in a pink phase and not just the deep, bright pink. I'm using it in branding. I'm noticing I'm close like that and I never really was in the pink before. And I've noticed that I've done this a lot in my life. So back when we first started our very first business greenness calm it was a retail store. It was during the time when browns and deep reds and golds and greens were really popular in-home design. And my website where those colors my clothes were those colors my home or those color and so it was really interesting. So, I don't know if you've found that with people where they'll kind of get in the zone and even our car you know or things like that.
Mehnaz Khan
Like you were saying that we need to go deeper and not just look at the surface. So, your attraction to a color is a sign to go deeper and figure out what's going on internally. So, at a different stage in your life, you're trying to do a different color. 10 years later, you might be hating this color. So as a teenager, you like a color in your 30s. You know, you're a different stage in your life, you're more mature, you maybe have a family, you settle through attraction changes. So, I'll give you an example. One of my clients before she was my client, she wanted everything white in her life she wanted to wear.
Lisa Beres
I am a recovering white person. That was back in the phase before pink.
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, so think about what was going on in your life at that stage in her life. That was an instant indication that there is something going on. And then when we started having this conversation, it came up that she was going through a divorce, she had two kids, an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, she did not have a job. And you know, she needed a new place to live. She had just so much emotional and noise in her life that she wanted to shut down. And this is where she wanted everything. Wow. Like she wanted to mentally and emotionally she was so disturbed. So anytime there's too much attraction to a color. Yeah, this is a sign. That's a sign I think about it. What's going on?
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's very cool. I think when I was doing the white thing, it was a lot of, I don't know, the white car, the white iPhone, the white computer. I was just noticing I kept buying everything white. I think for me, I was very distracted. I had a lot going on. And I think I wanted like a blank canvas that things weren't pulling me and distracting me. So, I could have like a laser focus on. I wasn't wearing white all the time, or anything like that. It was more just having kind of a blank canvas from which to create from. But as a past interior designer, myself, I belong to an international professional organization called Color Marketing Group. I don't know if you've heard of them, but they're great. And it's comprised of professionals in the automotive Fashion and Retail industries, including designers, marketers, color scientists, consultants, educators and artists, their tagline is, color sells, and the right colors sell better. They explain you live in color. And so, do we, its influences are everywhere, the environment, social issues, changing political climates, they all impact color in one industry, which have a reverberating effect on another mass. Tell us about the psychology of color. For example, how does the human mind process colors, which you kind of alluded to? And what is the impact on us on an emotional and psychological level?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, so you were asking about metabolism and appetite. So, one color that you should stick away, which actually kills appetite is blue. And in interior design, blue is a big fashion and kitchen and dining room? Yeah. So, I'm always like, no, no, no, no. And if you come to think about it in nature, I take all my answers from nature, when your food turns bad. Leave me in the refrigerator for 10 days, go back and look at it, it's going to turn blue. So, nature, mother nature has created the science for us, the blue in food is poisonous, that's bad, so you're not going to taste it, you're not going to smell it instantly, you know, you're going to throw it away. So that's what's when you're bringing blue closer to food and the kitchen and the dining room. It's killing that appetite.
Lisa Beres
Good if you�re trying to lose weight.
Mehnaz Khan
So, what's going to happen is, we're going to start eating unhealthily because you are going to get hungry when you move around. And then you're going to be really hungry and you eat something that's wrong. So that's not the right way to do it.
Lisa Beres
That is so interesting. And that's getting really deep on color. Yeah, I mean, you're right. Everyone's doing the dark blue lower base cabinets and kitchens, right with the white peppers and grays. That's so popular network.
Mehnaz Khan
And as somebody who lives consciously and intentionally, I like to think about, why do I need to follow this trend? And you know, we just follow trends, we need to start questioning just because everybody else is doing it. We like the right thing. But think about Coppola. Everybody else is drinking. And when the kids are in a party, they're like, can we drink Coke? I'm like, No, it's poison. And they look at me like everybody else is drinking poison.
Ron Beres
Good mom. By the way off topic here, great job.
Mehnaz Khan
Everybody else is drinking it. And are you telling us they�re drinking poison? So that's one example that everybody understands that just following the trend does not mean what everybody else is doing is the right thing. So, we need to stop questioning and this is how color psychology in the kitchen area plays. Now, what colors should you use instead? Green, any shade of green that represents your personality. So, the best color for the kitchen is red, orange, and yellow. And the way I work when I'm designing spaces as we look at the purpose of the space and the kind of activity that's happening in the space. So cooking is first of all emotional and secondly, it is physical. It is not imminent. To activity. So blue is also the color of the mind, the color of the physical is red, and the color of the emotion is yellow. So, like I said, cooking is emotional and physical. So great colors to bring in your kitchen is yellow and red. Now, we don't want to paint our cabinets red or have too much red or yellow because they are highly energizing colors. Because it's a longer wavelength of light, it's more energy. And cooking is already heating up your kitchen. So, these colors together are going to get your kitchen environment really heated up. So instead, we can bring in green to cool down environment. So, bring in your reds and yellows and oranges through accessories, tabletop, blinds.
Lisa Beres
That's what I was going to say. Yeah, so you could have a contemporary modern kitchen with your white cabinets and then kind of use those colors. Yeah, I think of plants and herbs. When you say the greens, we can bring that in through foliage.
Mehnaz Khan
And that's all its colors in nature in food, oranges and reds and greens, no blue, that you get the answer from nature. There's no debate about that. So, the color that boosts the appetite is orange.
Lisa Beres
Okay, fantastic. I remember learning this when I was in college doing studying interior design, the power of colors. So, reds, yellows, oranges are highly energetic, like you said. And that's why you see them a lot in fast food restaurants. Because they do want you to eat and get out there. They're always lingering for an hour. And also, the surfaces, the textures. So, in fast food restaurants, you don't have cushiony benches, you have hard Formica type, laminate, hard surfaces that you aren't going to get too comfortable and stay too long. They don't want you lingering in there.
Mehnaz Khan
Especially at Starbucks, they want you to linger. You buy one coffee, you buy a second coffee, and you're eight hours with your laptop. I did that a lot in New York City during my college days. And that's how they make the money. So, you just hold them to these two environments, the color and the whole environment. And there is no architecture in these two, the coffee shop and the burger, fast food. There is no architectural element. If you notice the only thing is color. Yes, filling in the wave is coming from color. They're just plain big boxes.
Lisa Beres
That�s right, just a square. Yeah, it just depends on that. And also, another interesting thing was in hospitals, they use a lot of blues and greens, with the scrubs and all of that. And that is because those colors are so calming, and healing, obviously green, we think up with the healing and nature and all that. So that's really interesting, too. Can you imagine trying to recover in hospital room that was like bright red or orange, that would be so stressful, right? You wouldn't be able to kind of calm down and get to that Zen state.
Ron Beres
It's amazing to know the colors not just aesthetics, right. So, there's a deeper meaning affects your everyday life. Do you have any other examples? I have heard in the past that kind of like you mentioned the food, right? The fast food, the red and yellow together makes you stimulated to want something quick and leave. Right? Is that the whole? You know how many fast food chains do we see that have the red and yellow on them?
Lisa Beres
All of them? Yeah. In and Out. In and out. Literally they tell you in the name, get in and get out.
Ron Beres
For those who are color blind. Right. Those are in and out. So, you need a little reminder.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, exactly. Hit you on all levels. Yeah, man, as I was talking earlier about Ron had a red office when red was really popular and Interior Home Design. I had this beautiful Ralph Lauren, dark red velvety paint. And it was in Ron�s office. It was so stimulating. And that was a period of your life where you were very anxious, very stressed. You know, you're in this office all day.
Ron Beres
And it was cosmetically very pleasing. That was it was yeah, it was pretty, but I think you're 20, we�ll not 20, maybe 24 hours a day close to it right? 16 hours a day in that room. I felt overstimulated after I was feeling burnt out.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Mm hmm.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, that's true. That's definitely going to happen. Yeah, especially I don't know you concentrated so much. One thing Ron, you said was, we're talking about this conversation. And it's my mission that colors are not mere aesthetics. They're actually a survival mechanism for everyday life. So, whatever anybody's believe is nature universe. God, God has created colors as a survival mechanism for everyday life. They make our life simple and life easy. So that first cup of coffee in the morning you have it's a color decision. So, my husband likes his coffee a little darker, which means less milk and minus pretty much all milk. So instantly in the morning, I'm pouring creamer in his coffee just looking at it. That's enough. It's his coffee, and mine. And if I walk away and somebody comes and mixes our coffee, instantly looking at the color, I can tell which one it is and which one's mine. Yeah, he lived in a black and white world or colorless world. We would be measuring every teaspoon of creamer for him. Yeah. You see, it's small things that make our life fast and easy. And then we already spoke about the food thing which is protects us. It keeps us safe. If we were again in black and white well, we couldn't tell. So, my daughter, she's almost seven now and she was two and we're grocery shopping. She could instantly from a distance tell that we're getting the yellow banana because it's ready to eat. And the green one is not. Yeah, go touch it, smell it, feel it. It's, like, easy.
Lisa Beres
It just communicates. Color communicates with us.
Ron Beres
Yeah, really does. Like I tell you what I remember the special that Lisa and I watched on television years ago, it reminded me when you said you need eight scoops or five scoops for the whatever the coffee, right? Well, there's this math petition who was absolutely brilliant. And they couldn't figure out why his mind works.
Lisa Beres
He saw Pi. Yeah, the Pi, he could go on forever. And he saw you saw them in color. Yes. Yeah. They asked him because he never stopped. He could keep going with the formula. It's just the hours, hours and hours they recorded him. He just wouldn't stop with the numbers. And they said, how do you do that? And he said, when I close my eyes, I see them in color. Yeah, interesting.
Mehnaz Khan
There are very few people like that on the planet. They're just wired differently than we are.
Lisa Beres
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Cuz me and numbers. We don't get along so well.
Mehnaz Khan
They have cones and rods, which process colors. So, they have a little bit different wiring?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, yeah, that's some serious different wiring. So many of us are telecommuting these days due to the pandemic, how does our home or home office impact our behavior and subconscious mind? How is this all affecting us subconsciously?
Mehnaz Khan
So again, you want to think about the purpose of his face office, what sort of work you do, my work is going to be a little bit different than somebody who's an accountant or a lawyer. So, the kind of concentration you have. And then again, we break it down how much of the mental work is there, how much of the physical work is there, for example, typing is physical making phone calls is a physical activity. So, you do need some of that read also, okay, and you want to be more mentally stimulated. So, where you can be used colors that are mentally stimulating, rather than in a bedroom, you want to lose that mentally relaxing, or shut down that mind, no thoughts racing when you hit the pillow. So that's how we divide the colors and figure out what are the five to six different colors you should have in your surroundings to help you get that work done.
Lisa Beres
What are those?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay. Yeah, so first thing is, you know, the colors have different tones and undertones. So, if I say green that does not answer the question you are, which tone of green is going to work for you. But like I was saying, a mentally stimulating color is saturated blue. So dark blues are always mentally stimulating. So blue is the color of the intellect. And light blues are always mentally soothing. The reds are the delta wave of reds, which is orange and pink and browns. They're all their ratings of red are physically stimulating. And we go for a light pink and light red, which is pink, like a soft pink. Physically soothing, and the yellows are emotionally stimulating.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, it was making me think of spas, you know, going to a spa how it's always in a more pastel palette. Ver you never see deep, dark colors in a spa, you're not going to unwind with those dark colors. Yeah, so interesting.
Ron Beres
A little off topic. I read an article just recently, that talked about how birds see a higher spectrum of light, which means they actually see different colors than what the human eye actually sees. And so many times when we see a bird and he may look like a plain, brown, gray spotted bird. In reality, he might have vibrant colors that we just don't see. Have you heard that before?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, there's the limited spectrum of light that we can see an animal see differently. Some different animals like dogs. They have only two, two cones. Yeah. So, they see less colors than we do. And then different animals would see it differently.
Lisa Beres
Very interesting. Interesting. And by the way, Ron, that bird could have been a she, too. You said he.
Ron Beres
Did I? Okay. Well.
Lisa Beres
Actually, in the bird world, the males are really the more colorful.
Ron Beres
Who knows? Maybe that's not true.
Lisa Beres
The peacock; the male with this big feather3s.
Ron Beres
Yeah, yeah. That is so funny. Well, when Lisa and I first learned about the chakra system, and their respective colors. I started using color as an energy when I dressed. I was very cognizant of that. So, for example, blue represents the throat chakra. So, if I was given a business presentation, or a speaking engagement, I would choose to wear a blue shirt. So Mehnaz is color subjective, or do the hues and shades actually affect us whether we like or dislike a particular color?
Mehnaz Khan
Yes, again, one of my favorite questions of colors, is color subjective or not. So, the general idea is that color is subjective, and I'm going to go ahead and say it's not. So, let's rule out nothing in life is absolute right? You take medication, let's the diabetes medication, we know it works, it does things. But if any of us, God forbid, has diabetes, it's going to be a little different, we're going to get a different dose, maybe one of us takes it in the morning, the other person takes it twice a day, vitamins, all of these vitamins, they're all important, they have universal properties. But they work a little bit different for everybody, sugar, how I tasted, that's how you taste it, anybody across the world in Australia is going to taste it to the property of sugar, or salt or anything is universal. But it's a little different, how it works on all of us. So same goes for the color, the properties of color, when we've been talking about the reds and the blues, that is universal. Now we're going to have a little bit of a different reaction. Why I'm saying it's not subjective is because there is always a reason why you're attracted to a color. And it's either one of the three. The first one, it could be your personal experience. For instance, I have a dark green couch, and my cousin brother, he hates the couch. So, we take YZ hating my house turned out a long time back, he had a relative who had a dark green couch, and the room was very depressing, didn't have any lights. And there were his dad's relative who were very mean to his mom. So it was that also so that what he recalls, that's a personal experience. That's not the psychology of green. And that's not that I'm going to hate green or somebody else. It's just personal experience. So, anybody could have a good experience or a bad experience. And that's how they connect to it. Nice fragrances, you connect it to an event, or music, you connect it to an event. So, color also you connect to an event.
Lisa Beres
Right. Yeah, I bet if you were in a car accident in a certain colored car.
Mehnaz Khan
Yes. People do definitely do. They hate that color. They're scared of it. All the things that's connected to it. Yeah. So that's one reason. The second reason is culture. What part of the world you've grown on what culture Did you grow up? For instance, in India, and other countries in Asia, the widow wears white. She wears all white. Here in the US, the bride wears white on her wedding day.
Ron Beres
What are they saying here? It�s the end of her life?
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's interesting, right? Because in India, my sister's husband is Indian. And we went to their wedding. And it was so colorful, right? The saris and the gold and I was wearing blue and she was wearing red. I don't know if the bride always wears red. She had red but yes, mostly. Yeah, I was like, Whoa, this is so beautiful. Yeah, it was a beautiful celebration, just a cornucopia of colors. Gold was really significant, right? You were gold at the wedding, right?
Ron Beres
Metallics, is that part of the color spectrum that you focus on to Mehnaz? Do you get into this?
Mehnaz Khan
We focus is as a design element. So, it comes from your personality, but we focus as a design element. And again, gold is pretty much yellow coming from the yellow Families always coming from the white family like that. Yeah, it's more of a status symbol, gold in that part of the world in Asia, okay. So, it could be a cultural thing. It could be your country's the color of the flag. And then you will see those colors with you know, on, Fourth of July, everybody is food is going to be those colors, the flags, clothes, and everything. So that kind of association. So, it can be a cultural thing, also. And the last thing is the psychology of colors to the universal properties of colors. Now, the thing to notice here is whatever your experience has been with the color, good, bad cultural thing. Over time, the psychology of color will take because it's happening inside your brain, right? So, you're not going to think consciously at a subconscious level, the psychology of color will overpower it. Let's say for instance, red is you�re really, really favorite color, you love it for some reason, and you want to paint your bedroom. Alright. So right now you're thinking that yes, it's my favorite color, I'm going to love it, don't stop me from doing my favorite color my bedroom, but over time, and you keep going to your bedroom, you're not going to notice that you're going to get so used to it. And you're not going to think about like, I painted my wall red, because it's my favorite color. Every time you go into your bedroom, you're not going to say that. So over time, the psychology of red is going to take over. And like I said, it's a very stimulating color. So, it's not a good choice for a bedroom where you want to relax and you want to calm down. So over time, psychology of color always wins. And because it's at a subconscious level, where we're not even thinking about.
Lisa Beres
Oh, right, I was talking about the group that I belonged to called Color Marketing Group. And there were people from the movie industry that would attend these conferences, and the thought of how they incorporate color into movie is very well thought out to and you think about well, why? Because the viewers and how are those colors going to affect us when we watch them and evoke an emotion that they're trying to get? So that's really interesting too, because very deep. And I remember, as an interior designer learning about opposite colors, so red and green. They create a vibratory effect when they are next to each other because they're so opposing, they create almost what feels like a vibration. So, these types of colors are very stimulating. So, you obviously wouldn't want to pose and colors in certain situations where you need to be calm and things like that. So, I thought that was interesting. So, everyone listening has a favorite color. Is this random? And as or can there be a reason we're attracted to particular colors? Average regular times and our life kind of touched upon? lacking something or needing something?
Mehnaz Khan
Sure. So yeah, it's going to be one of those or it's going to be that incidents and thing happened in your life and you've associated with the colors, and that's what's your favorite color is, then again, you want to think about it is your favorite color, the right choice for where you want to use it in your home. Again, the red and the bedroom. Because yes, it is your favorite color, but does not mean that it is the best color for you. Think about your favorite food. Let's say you love a double cheeseburger. What�s your favorite food?
Ron Beres
Mehnaz, we�re vegan.
Mehnaz Khan
There we go. What's your favorite dessert?
Ron Beres
Oh, gosh. I do like vegan cupcakes. From Sprinkles.
Mehnaz Khan
I have not tried them. Anything that's usually something that's rich and creamy. And a lot of sugars and things like that. Its mostly people's favorite thing does not mean that it's necessarily a good thing for their body. Yeah. So same way you could be the favorite color, it's of your favorite color. But it's different. When you're it's on your walls. It's different when you're wearing it. You can change your clothes 10 times a day. But you can�t change your walls, maybe even a few years.
Lisa Beres
Do you agree with the concept of creating a neutral palette, and then using the colors as accents so that you can change those out depending on you know, so like throw pillows and blankets and things like that you can change easily do like that style?
Mehnaz Khan
I'm not going to say it's a personal thing. It's because the principles that I use are related to personality, we analyze your personality to figure out your colors. So, when you have colors that are in alignment with your personality, you will not need to feel the need to change them every season if five years 10 years. So, the need vanishes that I need that. Again, going deeper. People are realizing why do I need to change there's a deeper meaning. Why do I go to Target every week and I need new things? And it satisfies me for a week. But then I'm back again after a week. Again, go deeper what's going on? It's not that I just got this hedonic adaptation, you get something new and you like it and looks different. The next week, you're back to square one because you did not go deeper. Why do I need every time? Why do I need to change my decor? So yes, in a way, I don't change my decor seasonally. And because now I have the right colors. I don't need to change it. They reflect my personality. So that's going to vanish.
Lisa Beres
Right. That's so interesting. Yeah, we are very much you know, a disposable society. And its marketers use these tactics really wisely to get us to constantly feel like we need the next thing whether it's fashion, right? I think about this fashion all the time. It's like, Well, what was wrong with that pair of shoes? Oh, pointed toes aren't in anymore. Now we need square toes. So, now square toes are out and you can tell it's not real. Who cares what shape your shoe is? I mean, we should be using these until we're done with them, not because they're out of style now.
Mehnaz Khan
It's a matter of ethics now, changing your decor four times a year. The wastage of creating, it's not sustainable for the environment. And we've seen all of those issues. And I think that's one reason why color psychology is not so popular because they're color and they don't change it in 10 years. How are the big brands going to make the money?
Lisa Beres
So yeah, how are they going to go? I don't think Instagram and Pinterest have helped in this area.
Mehnaz Khan
They hate me. Chroma therapy, or therapy with colors in light pharmaceutical medicine is not going to make money and we know we're pharmaceutical medicine does not make money you because taking care of toxins and herbs and eating natural. That's not the famous, not so popular.
Lisa Beres
Interesting that you said that because even think about the colors in pharmaceuticals. I mean pills are very colorful. You know, if you see like a you buy a stock photo of pills, there's like red and green and pink and yellow. There's going to be something there too that they�re tapping into the sell the pill, right?
Mehnaz Khan
We�re just using color without buying the pill. So that's where they don't make the money.
Lisa Beres
Right. Exactly.
Ron Beres
Well, Mehnaz, my financial wheels were spinning. So, can color affect the sales or rental of homes? What do you recommend or advise against in terms of real estate? If you're renting, or selling your home?
Mehnaz Khan
Okay, yes, it definitely affects sale. We see this all the time. So many times. Big brands do this in the market, they just change the color of the packaging and instant sale. There are so many examples like this. I don't remember what color is on the product. It depends on the product. There was this washing powder which was not selling I think it was in Britain was not selling and the change everything was the same. The whole powder inside was saying to just change the color of the packaging and so it's kind of to be different, what color it is, when its food, its washing powder, different things are going to be different. A simple tip I will give you on the website, you've noticed those by now buttons are getting our shop now being red. That's because red is that longest wavelength in the visible spectrum of light. So, its things that are red pure, closer than they actually are. So that's like instant, you want that person to focus on that solid magenta. Yeah, instantly, we want them to see and we'll see.
Lisa Beres
So, you're using it, too?
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, mine is more like a magenta. It's not bad. But that's again, the longer wavelength. That's why they have it there. So, they make a lot of money by the signs, when you're in grocery store, the sale is all red, they want you to instantly notice.
Lisa Beres
Right the sale, and also subconsciously, we associate that with a discount, right? I mean, if you see a red, price of red, you're just like, oh must be on sale. And that's another psychological thing, too.
Mehnaz Khan
It�s just a connection we were talking about. Because in our culture, we've learned that red is in the grocery store, the sign is discount, or it's on sale, something like that.
Ron Beres
Yeah. In preparation for this call isn't that we're talking, it's the contrast of a couple of callers to that caused you to do things. So, the stop sign, red and white. Right? That's a high contrast. I think, Lisa, you told me your background.
Lisa Beres
Black and yellow is one of the highest contrasting color combinations. And that's why they're used in all the hazard signs and warning signs and that kind of thing. We see them in street signs and things like that. So black and white, obviously the biggest contrasting, but then black and yellow, I think it's the next and goes in line. And if you look at all the transportation type signs, you either have the blue and white, which would be information and you have the green and white, and then you have the random white. So, it's really interesting how much color has been used to influence us.
Mehnaz Khan
So now we know that the word red means the red stop sign, even if somebody can? Well, yeah, the kids, they also recognize it, even if they can read so we know that. But let's go back and see in nature what is red, yellow, and black, the buzzy bees, we get so scared of them. Major danger, is that black? Be careful a combination. What is the sign you're sending to the person in front of you? So that's not from so now we know that yellow? And black, like you were mentioning is hazardous.
Ron Beres
Yeah, trick question for you, Mehnaz, trick question. The rainbow. We see a beautiful rainbow with all the colors. What do we do with this? Freeze and stare at it? Is that why we're looking at it?
Mehnaz Khan
Well, we don�t see it all the time. So, it's like when something is new and less frequent. We really stand and appreciate it.
Ron Beres
But it has all the colors. So, I guess that's just the mystery and beauty of the universe or whatever.
Lisa Beres
Wow, that is so interesting. This was great. I hope you guys listening have learned a lot and are inspired to really take a look at your environment, your wardrobe. Oh, one last thing I want to ask you. What if someone's really in a black phase? I mean, there are people who it's all black = black clothes, they want to dress fully solid black, they're black car, they're black phone, it's chic and sleek, right? It can be deemed high end. But obviously there's got to be a lot of negative associations to that too much. Would you say?
Mehnaz Khan
A lot of people say that black is chic and sophisticated. That's true. 100%. Black is sophisticated. The question is, do you look sophisticated or chic in black. So that does not sit with everyone. And then again, I see this all the time. I know personally know people who just want to wear black all the time. So, there is something at the back going on instant thing to pick up. Why does this person want to wear black? Are they trying to hide something? So, we feel like even though black is black is absorption of light. So, the person can be feeling like hiding and want to hide behind this color. And they just feel like more cocooned or safe?
Lisa Beres
There's always a reason why is it all the time black? Yeah, exactly. And I think a lot of people who are self-conscious of their weight will tend to do that because they say, Oh, it makes me thinner. But then you'll see a heavier person in color. I've seen this a lot. But no, they don't look heavier in color. They don't.
Mehnaz Khan
It�s so very basic, common sense. Should I say black absorbs online black option of light. When light is being reflected. It's white, and you see black because it's absorbing all light. So, you're never going to look thinner, it's mentally.
Lisa Beres
Get rid of the black.
Mehnaz Khan
It adds weight. So, you know, do this experiment. Anybody can do this experiment. Let's say you have a door, an old door, it's white door and you want to change it and looks very clumsy and bad quality painted black instantly. It's going to look better quality. It's going to look like it's solid. Do this experiment with anything in your life. One Yeah, white and turn it into black because instantly it's absorbed or light energy. So, a person who feels like that I'm looking Slim is basically in their mind that mentally they feel like they're hidden. They are cocooning or isolating. So, what's going on. Not by really looking slim.
Lisa Beres
They want to hide. I think that's true. Get those colors out friends start wearing some beautiful bright colors. And I love how you talked about using the colors intentionally. So, you're having a job interview, you want to be deemed trustworthy blues are great, right? That's like conservative and trustworthy. And whether, like you said, whether you believe it or not, it's true. Psychologically, we are programmed to think of blue as stressing its policeman. It's these things that we've associated with trust. And so, we can utilize colors. Definitely intentionally. I went through a black phase many, many, many years ago, were I don't know, I wasn't trying to look thinner. I think I just thought it looked sleek. And then I finally started wearing really bright colors. And you know what, it makes you feel better about yourself? Right? You feel more vibrant, and energized? Yeah. And get out from behind those neutrals, guys. Like start embracing. What would you suggest to someone who's kind of scared a lot of people get scared, like, oh, I want to get taller in my home, starting with a bathroom or something?
Mehnaz Khan
Like you say, stick with those neutral walls and everything. Start small. Start with one pillow. But the biggest differences that I am not buying this pillow because it is the latest trend, or because it looks good, or because it is Joanna Gaines advice, or because now you just have it. No, I'm buying this color, because of the psychological implication and influence of this color. Change in the sentence. It's a purposeful decision. Now my green couch, everybody's like, it's out of my comfort zone. Yes, but how am I living with that green couch? Because I made a purposeful decision. I did not base it on love or trends or anything like that. That's fluff or surface level? Yeah, no way I wanted or why have it and the energy brought me so I'm living with it and you will live. So, start small, it's okay to start small. But every conscious step you're taking, it's going to build up and then there will be a time that you'll be ready to do your worlds. I mean, yeah, like that.
Lisa Beres
Right, exactly. Right. You can see my wall behind me it's very colorful, it's gray and yellow, very geometric, vibrant pattern. And the reason I did it is because it's so nontoxic, adhesive and removable, wallpaper. And I was like, Hey, I'm not attached to it, I can peel it off. It's a peel and stick and put up any. In fact, I have another one waiting to be changed. I'm going to I'm going to do neutral. I'm going to do this. But I think I just also enjoy. It's a different pattern. You know, it's the designer in me. I do like to change things up a little bit. I've had this for years. But yeah, that's a good idea for you guys, too. Because now with these peel and stick wallpapers, and paint is so easy to change. You don't have to be building your home with cabinet colors that you're going to be stuck with for life. You can actually do the changes like you said, start small start with something that you can change if you don't like it or doesn't feel good.
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, you'll be stuck with cabinets. So again, bring those appliances, small appliances. We're renting. So, we have a lot of artwork because we can�t paint our walls. We're not loving the walls.
Lisa Beres
Oh, I love that painting behind you.
Mehnaz Khan
Artwork really works or doing the walls really works because it's high level and anything that's eye level makes the biggest difference. I always say this if you have the option of buying artwork or rug always artwork.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's a good point.
Mehnaz Khan
Yeah, the only person who buys the rug notices the rug.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Ron thinks nobody looks at shoes. I always say, Oh, you�ve got to polish your shoes or you're wearing those? He goes, nobody looks at shoes. I'm like, actually they do. Some people are very obsessed. Yeah, most people are more concerned about their own. But on the last final note you had talked about don't go for the latest trends. I've noticed like a trend in nurseries baby nurseries is very adulty it's very kind of bland. I'm seeing so many nurseries that are white with a little bit of black and I'm like what I mean, I don't think you have to go overly pink and baby blue. But isn't that a happy birthday? I would want more color in a nursery. I don't think I would be jiving energetically with my little baby in this dark adulty vibe. I think you can make it tasteful and classy without doing phonies everywhere, but adding some pretty color. How do you feel about that?
Mehnaz Khan
Well, you answered your own question. 100 percent. you don't want to go for those dull muted colors. Think about it. The energy of this color is very like adults. Like you said you don't want vibrant colors. You want colors that have childlike energy and that's going to definitely try Yeah, so common breaks my heart so much all those muted grayed out tones in the kid�s bedroom everyone is pushing for, it's going to be a depressive for them.
Lisa Beres
Oh really? So that's interesting down the road. Yeah, I remember being very little and being just obsessed with color. I do I remember like looking at toys. I mean, hello. That's why the toy aisle is so colorful. They know that children are attracted to that. So, I would think your nursery, your little kids are and you've watched some fun colors in there that they can connect with. So, and as you can keep it keep it trendy, classy and beautiful at the same time have it baby, but keep it classy and beautiful with so adding some nice color in there. Well this was amazing. Thank you so much. And remember friends as Ru Paul said, the whole point is to live life and be to use all the colors in the crayon box. Friends if you are inspired by today's show, head over to www.ColorConsciousLiving.com and book a color consultation with Mehnaz. She can help you with a single room audit or a complete color transformation for your home environment. You can even get started with a complimentary call.
Ron Beres
Thank you so much for joining us today Mehnaz.
Mehnaz Khan
Thank you so much for having me.
Lisa Beres
Thank you We loved it. This is amazing.
Ron Beres
We love yours. Your colors are vibrant.
Mehnaz Khan
It's actually true. You know, I meet people who I used to know 10 years ago and then like you're very different person. I know. I�m no more depressed.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, when you started out on camera, your outfit is vibrant. Your painting is vibrant. You can feel that energy instantly.
Ron Beres
So, hi vibe ladies, so high vibe. Stay tuned for another episode to up-level your health, your home and the planet. Bye.
Lisa Beres
Bye everyone. See you next time.
Narrator
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Thank you for recognizing that neutral colors are not for everyone! I recently hired a designer online and all she could give me was safe and neutral colors, even though I told her I like color, she could not break free of “her” color choices! Luckily, I had another designer that encouraged me to go for my color choices. I am not a white cabinet girl!
Hi Judy! Thanks for sharing your personal experience. Yes, even designers get stuck in design ruts of what is trendy versus what is best for their clients. I love how Mehnaz explains that when the colors are carefully chosen for our needs, they never go out of style!
What color did you choose for your cabinets? Enjoy your new space.