Painting a room can immediately change the look and style of the space, but it can also change how you feel in the room. For example, some colors will make you feel joyful, while others make you feel calm.
This is called color psychology, and it can be extremely powerful. As such, you might want to consider how certain colors make you feel, and then choose your paint colors based on how you want to feel in each room of your home.
So, according to color psychology, what are the “right” colors for each room, and are they going to make you feel the way you want to feel in your bedroom, kitchen, or office?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined the best paint colors for different rooms of your home, including:
Bedroom
You want to feel calm and relaxed in your bedroom — it is where you sleep, after all) — and, according to color psychology, the best color for that is blue. Blue is associated with calm and tranquility, and has actually been shown to lower blood pressure.
Home office.
On the flip side, you want to feel energized and focused in your home office. In order to get a productive vibe in your office, color psychology suggests going with a shade of green, which has been shown to boost mental functioning.
Kitchen.
Your kitchen is the hub of your home, and you want the space to feel inviting not just for you, but also for guests in your home. According to color psychology, in order to achieve that cozy, inviting feel, warm colors are the way to go, like a warm yellow, which is associated with positive feelings.
Living & Family Room
Think neutral colors when it comes to your home’s most social spaces.
“In living and family rooms, I always advise people to go for warm neutrals,” says James Donald, founder of Aesthetic Paints, based in Mattie View, AZ. “Greens and light browns help establish a connection with nature and foster tranquility. They are also versatile and go with a variety of decors.”
What the science says: Color theorists link brown to strength and reliability, but only in lighter tones. Too much dark brown is associated with negative emotions, so keep your walls light.
The Nursery
Serenity. Now. Nurseries should be bastions of calm—so no loud voices or colors, please.
“Soft pastels work in the nursery because they create a soothing environment for you and the baby,” says Donald. “Light shades of pink and blue can be used to promote a sense of serenity. Avoid stimulating or even bold colors, which may subtly disrupt sleep patterns.”
What the science says: Pink is associated with love, kindness, and calm. In fact, it’s so effective, a prison in Switzerland has experimented with housing aggressive inmates in pink rooms to calm them down.
The bottom line on paint colors
While it is never a bad idea to keep your finger on the pulse of paint trends (warm green tones, neutrals, and inventive gray hues are red-hot interior paint colors this year), in the end, you have to be true to yourself.