A city jail in San Diego had its walls painted pink, baby blue, and peach on the assumption that pastel colors would have a calming effect upon the inmates. German researchers in Munich went off in another direction by questioning whether color had an effect upon mental ability. To test their hunch, they placed one group of children in brightly colored rooms to play and another group in rooms painted white, black, or brown. The effects of color on learning has been demonstrated over and over again. They wondered whether it was cheaper to paint schools every year than to replace broken windows.
Color can also affect moods.
Imagine how your patients might feel if your examining room was painted bright red and your treatment rooms, black. The colors would definitely influence how they felt. Curiously, red appears to also alter time perception. Not only do fast food restaurants take advantage of this phenomenon to get you to eat and leave quickly, they also use color to encourage your appetite. McDonald uses their red and yellow arch, Burger King their red and orange hamburger logo, and Wendy's their red signs.