In this study, the impact of indoor color use, gender and age on mood and cognitive performance was examined. It was hypothesized that indoor color for decoration in stores is an effective source that may convey emotional meanings differentiated by gender, age, or both. In order to study this, a two-stage work was carried out in a café/restaurant, in which interior yellow walls were changed to violet. In both stages, furniture and decorations remained the same. Each appearance (yellow and violet) was tested by using visual attributes through the use of bipolar scales. Results from approximately 250 participants for each stage showed that violet interiors were more positively perceived when compared to yellow. Compared to females, male users evaluated the space more positively. In addition, young customers had a more positive tendency than older customers towards the perception of atmospheric attributes, including color of store interiors. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.