Playing with colours

Colours speak volumes and do play an important role in store-designing. Earlier, use of bright colours was considered to make the store attractive irrespective of the brand and the message it wanted to convey to its target audience because of little knowledge of how colours affect the psyche of the consumer. Since recent times, colours are being used more wisely and as per the brand image and merchandise with more aesthetics and sophistication. Colours directly compliment the brand idea. To an extent, they act as a catalyst in getting the shoppers in a store. Colour encompasses a store with wide range of conceptualised ideas into one. A store, if small in size, can be made to look more spacious with the help of colour combinations. Playing with different tones and shades of the basic seven colours can add a lot of zing to the entire store. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, dark blue, violet are chromatic colours. White, grey and black are achromatic which means colourless.

Significance of colours

Every colour has different meaning and thus gives a different standing in the market and brand identity. Colour used in a store can be calming to the senses for one customer and might be too loud for another. The most important point is to be able to leave a mark in consumers’ psyche and whenever they see a particular colour, they can associate it with that brand. White and blue are associated with cleanness and water. Red is perceived as a symbol of excitement and loud communication. Orange is associated with warmth, vivacity and joy. Yellow is a very warm colour, it symbolises cheerfulness and brightness. Green is considered to have a calming effect and good for both eyes and soul. This colour is indeed the closest to nature. Blue is the colour of the sky, space, air and freedom. Deep blue conveys a feeling of calmness. Violet is perceived as a ‘magic’ colour and is supposed to conceal some mystery. Grey is a universal colour: it is calm and neutral and creates harmony. It is better to use it in combination with other colours because only grey can make the store look dull and drab. Black and white are usually referred to as two extremes. But when they are combined, there is no better combination than the result. Both these colours add elegance and have a charismatic and a strong visual appeal. Black blends with any colour and makes it more expressive. One important thing to be kept in mind is that too much of black can absorb light and hence the lighting has to be strong in those areas where black is used. White is an all-time favourite colour: colour of new, freshness and cleanliness, it is associated to or with cheerfulness. It follows that, with ample colour variations, a store can look distinguished and stand out in the pool of shops all across any shopping complex or a mall.

Colours and their textures

Every store caters to its specific target audience. A hypermarket might cater to a wholesome gamut of customers with products categories like apparel, grocery and electronic goods. Colouring its walls in different hues and shades can do the demarcation of different sections and sub sections. With store designing getting more and more complex and the availability of different types and textures of wall paints, deciding on and selecting the right and correct colour tones and shades for a store is not an easy task. Only professional can do it rightly. Wall paints can be broadly categorised into matt finish, soft with smooth touch and rugged. These variations in colour textures help in enhancing the merchandise display and offer. For instance, a denim brand can have rugged paint to give the store a rough and tough look that it tries to convey. In the same way, a designer outlet can present a sleek and an elegant look by using classy soft colours and textures of paint.

Different stores, different colours

Of course, there is a great variety of colours and their customised combinations. Importance is given to the brand identity and the combination that corresponds to brand’s vision of the merchandise and products. If the colour is rightly chosen, it can emphasise the advantage and hide the defect. It is necessary to take into account the location of the store. Colours have to be chosen carefully and should reflect the brand concept. It is critical to choose right shades and tones for a particular set up. There is no hard and fast rule while selecting the colour. What’s important is the image a brand wants to build. Any type of store can be done with any colour and the only thing is to be able to leave an ever-lasting impression on customers’ mind.

Useful tips

For store of different sizes and formats, colour variations can be helpful in increasing the effectiveness of the store designing. Warm and dark tones or wallpapers with large patterns, employed usually in big stores, lead to visual appeal. If the store is long and narrow, it is better to paint horizontally in lighter shades across the walls and the store will appear more proportionate and spacious. Using different colours for different portions of a wall will give an extended dimension to the store. A small store can be visually expanded with the use of light and colours. Light green, silver grey and light blue can visually expand the store. In small stores, more of pastel shades should be used to make the store appear bigger.

Colour palette

So, which colour is best suited for your store? To decide on this, you need to consider the size of the store, designing and brand image. Colouring of walls in any outlet is not merely painting the walls: combinations and constrast should be played in such a way that they help in setting a rapport with the target audience. Though they indirectly play major roles in increasing sales as they render the entire store designing more effective. Fixtures, furniture, merchandise and other elements in a store get an uplift and boost with right blends of colours. With change in colours in a store, its entire look can be changed; a dull store can be converted into a bright, lively and youthful store. If your store looks dull and boring, try changing the wall colours and set it right to enhance the brand image and attract customers. So, what is on your palette?