[Patient-related color preference and color design in the hospital]

Colour-physiological studies involving volunteers and colour-psychological interviewing of patients with varied diagnoses revealed that, currently, no compelling scientific reasons can be given for coloration in the hospital. Interviewing 68 patients from a number of clinics on the coloration of sick-rooms yielded the following preferred colours, irrespective of the patients' classing into groups by various criteria: Light colours were consistently preferred for all objects such as ceiling, walls, floor, curtains, furniture, and bed linen. It should be emphasized that even white was a desirable colour for ceilings and bed linen. Beige was found to rank first for walls, floors, curtains, and furniture, whereas the colours of wood and grey shared the second rank for floors and furniture. Green and pink ranked second for bed linen. White and green ranked second for walls and curtains, respectively. In view of the heterogeneity, the findings may not be converted into an absolute just as the recommendations by other workers. Still, the patients' wish should be given priority over decreed recommendations by experts when basic considerations of illumination (reflectance!) are allowed for in the particular overall colour design project.