Semantic Perception of Color Schemes Across Contrasting Semi-Public Study Environments

Abstract

Although color schemes are widely acknowledged as a crucial element of interior design, less is known about how they influence the semantic perception of interior spaces. This study examined the effects of various color schemes on semantic assessments in two contrasting semi-public study spaces: libraries and cafés. Four color scheme types (monochromatic, analogous, complementary, and split-complementary) were applied to 16 digitally produced interior stimuli in a within-subjects experimental design. A 25-item semantic differential scale was used by 40 individuals to assess each stimulus. Five semantic dimensions (Orderliness, Environmental Calmness, Stylistic Modernity, Spatiality, and Environmental Openness) were found by exploratory factor analysis. Interior typology significantly affected all five dimensions, while linear mixed-effects models also showed significant color-scheme effects across all five semantic dimensions. Post hoc comparisons further indicated that the pattern of these effects differed across semantic dimensions. No significant Color Scheme × Typology interactions were observed across the five semantic dimensions, suggesting that the effects of color scheme were broadly consistent across the two typologies. The results indicate that both color scheme and interior typology contribute to environmental meaning, while color-scheme effects were broadly consistent across the two typologies.