Meaning and Preference of Interior Color Palettes among Four Cultures

This study uses an integrated color palette to identify the subjects’ differences in color meaning and color preferences in interior environments in four different cultures: American, English, Korean, and Japanese. Slides of six interior color palettes were shown to subjects of the four cultures. As the subjects viewed each palette, they completed a questionnaire comprised of descriptor words such as pleasant, complex, or comfortable. The subjects indicated the degree of presence of that descriptor in each palette. They also indicated their preference for each palette. The findings support Hypothesis 1; there is a difference among subjects of different cultures as related to the meaning of color in interiors in five of the six color palettes. Further, the differences vary based on the specific color palette. Hypothesis 2, that there is a significant difference between Eastern cultures (Korea and Japan) and Western cultures (United States and England) in the meaning of color palettes, was supported in 50% of all cases (words and palettes) and different for the Eastern versus Western cultures. Hypothesis 3, there is a significant difference among cultures as related to color palette preference, was also supported. There are two important conclusions. First, it has been empirically shown that meaning and preference for interior color palettes do vary by culture. Second, color palettes are an appropriate way to test the meaning and preference of color within and between cultures.