A colourful world, from the inside out.
I experience the world in full sensory stereo. My brain translates letters, numbers, and days of the week into colours, thanks to a rare neurological phenomenon called grapheme–colour synaesthesia.
For as long as I can remember, going back to my first year of infant school, Monday has been bright red, the number seven a deep cobalt blue, and February a lush grass green. This isn’t just my imagination, it’s my daily, automatic experience.
How I see days of the week, months of the year and numbers.
Rather than keep this sensory richness to myself, I instinctively turned it into a creative mission — whether that was working in fashion, museums, advertising, painting canvases or glassware, and now designing paint that’s not just seen but felt.
What is synesthesia and why does it matter?
Synesthesia is a rare but fascinating condition where one sense involuntarily triggers another. Grapheme–colour synesthetes like myself, see colours when reading text or hearing certain words. Others may see colours when they hear music (sound–colour synesthesia), or taste shapes when reading words.
This perceptual blending is rooted in neuroscience, specifically, cross-activation in areas of the brain responsible for sensory processing. Rather than separating sight, sound, and touch, synesthetes' brains allow those senses to interact and cross paths. When applied creatively, this neural uniqueness becomes a design advantage.
The brain-colour connection.
Modern applied colour science shows what I have always intuitively known: colour directly influences our mood, memory, and mental health. Studies in neuroscience and environmental psychology confirm that certain hues can reduce anxiety, enhance focus, or elevate happiness.
What makes my synesthesia so useful is that the YesColours palette doesn’t come from theory, it comes from felt emotion. My brain responds to colour as both symbol and sensation, which makes the curations of the colours in our palette deeply intuitive and emotionally attuned.
With YesColours, I have managed to combine:
- Neurological perception from synesthesia.
- What scientific research reveals about colour and well-being.
Neurological perception from synesthesia.
Neurological perception is how the brain interprets and makes sense of the world through our senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
For me, that perception is deeply tied to emotion. My own emotional awareness combined with how I experience the world through grapheme–colour synesthesia, most certainly shaped the YesColours palette. Every shade was designed to feel intuitively right for a mood, a moment, or a state of being.
Our colours are inspired by the world around us: travel, food, music, nature, movies: every sensory experience that stirs emotion. We didn’t just ask, “What looks nice?” We asked, “How does this feel?” That emotional connection is at the heart of every colour we create.
What scientific research reveals about colour and well-being.
Scientific research across psychology, neuroscience, and environmental design supports what many of us already sense: colour has a profound impact on our mood, energy levels, and behaviour.
In interior spaces especially, the colours we choose can shape how we feel and function every single day. Take productivity areas at home, like kitchens or home offices. These spaces benefit from a sense of calm, focus, and creative flow. That’s where soft blues and greens come in.
Blue tones have been shown to lower heart rate, reduce stress, and are even linked to enhanced cognitive performance and better problem-solving.
Greens, inspired by nature, are restorative and soothing. They’re gentle on the eyes, reduce visual fatigue, and promote a relaxed yet mentally alert state—ideal for spaces where you need to think clearly without feeling overwhelmed.
This creates a truly unique palette designed for more than beauty, it’s made for function, behavioural improvement, balance, joy, and human connection.
A palette that feels alive.
I am fortunate to sense harmony between colours. This means our palettes feel natural, balanced, and deeply expressive. Designers and homeowners alike are drawn to this emotional resonance, not just what the colour looks like, but how it feels in a space.
YesColours collections include descriptions that go beyond the visual, often referencing the mood a colour creates, the energy it invites and the intention behind the tone. This bridges the gap between intuition and neuroscience, turning colour into a tool for emotional well-being.
From a neurological quirk to a colour revolution.
What began as a rare brain trait is now at the heart of a paint movement. YesColours is proud to stand at the intersection of neuroscience, creativity, and human-centered design. My colour journey is proof that the most personal experiences can lead to the most universally resonant ideas. My inner colour world, shaped by synesthesia, is now helping others create homes that feel more joyful, more balanced, and more alive.
If you are still searching for the perfect colours to bring your space to life, book a free colour chat with our Lead Colour Consultant, the wonderful Emily Harnasz. She’ll help you explore shades that not only suit your home - but support how you want to feel in it.
At YesColours, every shade is chosen with purpose based on emotion and feeling. Discover the full palette and find the perfect colour for your home here.