If you’re thinking about painting, consider the mood you want the room to promote. Whether it’s your kitchen, bathroom or home office, the color you choose will affect how you and others will feel.
So, if you’re searching for the perfect color for your living room, bedroom or a general color scheme for throughout your home, look no further. Here are seven colors to consider adding to your home—and how they can affect your mood.
Blue
If you’re looking for a color that will promote relaxation and rest, go for blue. As a calming color, blue is often used in bathrooms and bedrooms. Anywhere in your home that you expect to wind down and clear your mind, especially when there’s lots of natural light, would be a great room for this color choice. Blue can also be a generally neutral color, matching with most furnishings, materials and styles. Just be sure to pick the right hue, as a pastel or icy blue can come off cold and unwelcoming and darker blues can promote sadness. Use these shades as accent colors instead.
Yellow
It’s no surprise that choosing yellow will evoke happiness, similar to sunshine. As an energizing color, yellow is a great choice for a kitchen or home office, and again, where there is plenty of natural light. A bright shade can open up a smaller room, however, you may want to opt for a lighter shade if you plan on using it in your main color scheme. If there is too much bright yellow throughout your home, it can get overwhelming. As a color that stimulates your nerves—and can sometimes overstimulate—you want to avoid too much yellow in nurseries or young children’s rooms.
Red
Similar to yellow, red is an energizing color. Unlike blue, however, red promotes feelings of excitement and adrenaline. Some homeowners have chosen this color for bedrooms, while others have used it in more social areas, as it’s a color that’s great for entertaining and stimulating conversations. Red is a great color for an accent wall, avoiding overstimulation while still making a bold statement.
Green
For a fresh, natural color that exudes happiness and relaxation, green is a great paint choice that can be used throughout the entire home. Mixing the moods of blue and yellow encourages people to unwind and converse in an anxiety-free area. From your home office, where you’ll feel encouraged, to a kitchen or living room, where you can feel connected to nature while spending time with loved ones, green can be a great starting point for your home’s main color scheme.
Purple
For those looking for a romantic color, but don’t want to make as bold of a statement as red, purple is a luxurious option. Known historically as a royal tone, this deep, dramatic color choice gives off a creative and mysterious feeling, perfect for a den or bedroom. Though, with lighter hues, such as lavender, purple can also be a unique choice for a child’s room or a bathroom, promoting a sense of calm and rest. Purple tones can also be brought into a color scheme as accent walls or decor to create a sophisticated depth to any design.
Orange
Another interesting mix, similar to red and yellow, orange provokes energy and excitement. Because this is such a unique color choice, you often only see it in decor and accent tones. But that doesn’t mean you can’t paint a wall or room with orange. In fact, orange is a great color for a home gym or playroom, exuding light and vitality, perfect for exercise and creativity. Orange is also known to stimulate appetite, which can make it an interesting choice in a kitchen or dining area.
White
Though white is a very basic color, and many shades from eggshell to cream to bright white fall under this category, it exudes cleanliness and free, open space, which is a classic look in any home. White ceilings, especially when you have other colors or patterns on your walls, can give off the impression that it’s higher and the room is larger. Because whites are the most neutral color you can paint, it’s always a safe choice no matter the style you’re going for. White can be easily paired with any color, as well as endless patterns and design schemes, while promoting a happy medium of whatever color and mood you choose.
