by Grace Butland

Discover the New Color of Money
Retailers are Finding That the Use of Color Can Drive Sales

At Spirit of the Hand, deep colors and whites are used on walls to highlight pieces in the gallery.

Research shows that 60 percent of a consumer’s first reaction to a product can be attributed to its color. In fact, color association is so well established that in a 1995 ruling, the Supreme Court said that a particular shade of color, such as Coca-Cola red, can be a legally defensible trademark. It’s no wonder that color has become an important part of marketing strategy.

We frequently associate colors with memories and moods, such as “feeling blue” or “seeing red.” But color also produces a physiological reaction, affecting the body as well as the mind. Colors can stimulate or depress, increase or decrease appetite, tranquilize or energize, and create a feeling of warmth or coolness. Red stimulates the senses and raises the blood pressure. Blue has a calming affect. Studies have shown that people gamble more and place riskier bets when seated under red lights than they do under blue ones — hence, all the red neon in Las Vegas.

At Urban Artifacts, white walls were painted with colors that seem to be more appealing to customers.

Pediatric wards are frequently painted bubble-gum pink, a color that is calming to children (and prison inmates). Green aids concentration, which is why theaters have “green rooms” for actors to wait in before going on stage.

As a gallery owner, you make color decisions each time you select and display merchandise. By knowing your customers and staying aware of color trends, you’re likely to make wise buying decisions.

A trickier issue — and one many craft retailers are just beginning to explore — is the use of color in display to affect sales. Popular wisdom holds that art and, by association, craft cannot be displayed against a colored background. “The theory behind this belief — not to distract from the artwork — has merit,” says Mark Kavanagh, owner of COR Space Planning in Bend, Ore., a retail design firm with a national clientele. “White complements all colors.”

However, Kavanagh points out, if color is used correctly it can emphasize artwork and create sales. White may not distract, but it can produce a sterile and uninteresting environment. Gallery owners are increasingly turning to the use of color on at least some of their walls to create excitement and energy in their surroundings.

Using color to highlight special pieces

Kathy Wing and Marc Ward, owners of Spirit of the Hand in Dandridge, Tenn., painted a gallery wall a deep brick color when they brought in a line of pewter that was “lost” when placed against white. The contrast between the dark wall and the pewter created a dramatic display. “I sell a lot of pewter off that wall,” says Wing. She was so pleased with the look that she extended the same deep brick color along another wall. Remaining walls are white, which lightens the space.

At both Twist gallery locations, all walls are painted in highly saturated colors.

Paul Schneider and Lauren Eulau, owners of Twist (with two locations in Portland, Ore., and one in Seattle, Wash.), say there’s not a single white wall in any of their three locations. One 4,000-square-foot gallery in Portland has walls in nine different, highly saturated colors. “There’s an intellectual preconception that color looks better on white,” says Schneider. “However, color looks richer in the context of color.”
When architects Peter Henry and Doug Matthews of Halifax, Nova Scotia, designed offices for the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia, they used highly saturated colors throughout the space. The space houses eight cultural organizations, including the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council and Visual Arts Nova Scotia, and is often used for art or craft exhibits as well as receptions for various cultural events. Henry compares the effect to a city street. “The streets we like to walk on are ones that offer a richness, chromatic and otherwise,” he says, “not ones where everything is the same.”

Susie and Bob Stovall, owners of Urban Artifacts in Houston, Texas, also say color has made their gallery more appealing to customers. When they decided to change their all-white gallery, they played with paint samples, holding different colors behind assorted artwork in the gallery. They settled on a rich aubergine for one wall and turquoise with lime green trim for another. Their corner location adds two glass walls that provide light and a feeling of openness. “When [customers] come in, they say ‘wow‚’” says Susie Stovall. “People talk about the energy in our gallery. They say they come here to feel good. This space makes them happy.”

For gallery owners who want to increase the chromatic interest in their space, Kavanagh offers this advice:

• Use color to help establish your gallery’s image. Brighter colors are more modern and eclectic. Muted tones suggest Southwestern and impressionistic influences. Deep colors are more elegant.
• Use color at the back of the gallery to draw people in and through the gallery space.

Colors can create an atmosphere that works for your clientele and inventory. Shades such as sage and peach are inviting. Deep rich colors such as plum, burgundy and forest green create a sense of elegance. Blue is relaxing, though dark blue can be cold. Green is calming. Orange can make an expensive product seem more affordable. Purple suggests luxury, wealth and sophistication. Brown is comfortable and often
will enhance credibility. Neutral tones are soothing.

Color has different meanings in different cultures. Your clientele and geographic location should be factored into color decisions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Being aware of trends in consumer color preferences is a critical part of retailing. The Color Marketing Group (www.colormarketing.org), which annually forecasts color trends for upcoming years, is an excellent resource. The Pantone Web site (www.pantone.com) offers general information on color usage and psychology, as well as results from a number of surveys of color preferences.

Once you begin experimenting with color, track where your customers go in the store. Are they buying the merchandise on one colored wall more than on others?

Bear in mind that color changes in context with other colors. A shade of red may sparkle when placed next to a brilliant green, but darken when placed next to blue.

Schneider recommends hiring a color professional and cautions gallery owners not to be afraid of color. “Being timid is worse than not using any color,” he says.

Susie Stovall suggests painting a section of a wall to see how it works. “Color is the cheapest way to jazz up a space,” she says. “If one color doesn’t work, for the cost of a quart of paint, you can try something else.”

Henry points out that while a darker color can make an area look smaller, it also makes that area look more substantial. “In our present cyberworld, there is the notion that things are an unsubstantial part of contemporary life. Everything seems ephemeral,” he says. “Darker, richer, warmer colors add solidity and substance.”

Whether it is in response to our human need for solidity and substance, or just good marketing, cutting-edge galleries are finding that color attracts customers and increases sales