Red
Red is the colour naturally connected to the Base chakra. This centre is where we keep our basic instincts and emotions, and is therefore quite raw and fundamental.
Red is a vibrant, and energising colour, which combats fatigue, stimulates activity and drives up energy levels. However if somebody is over-exposed to it, they can become unbalanced quite quickly. The raw energy in the true tone tends to lead to irritation and recklessness.
It is the colour of action - sometimes rash and ill-considered action at that. There are a lot of sexual overtones in this colour as well, mostly due to the connection with the Base chakra.
True red is almost never used in therapy, because of its ability to speed the physical metabolism (heart rate and blood pressure rise when you bathe a person in red light) and destabilise the mental processes.
It's a great colour for using in 'splashes' in activity rooms, but really unsuitable for use in areas where you want to relax.
Red stimulates appetite, which is why so many fast food joints use bright red in their logos.