Skip the Trends and Choose A Paint Color By Its Effect on Mood

When redecorating your home, the quickest way to update your look is by repainting your rooms. Typically, you might consult your favorite home improvement magazine, website, or television show to get an idea of the hottest new colors designers incorporate into home designs today. 

While there are virtually thousands of choices for paint color, personal preference and your home's existing color schemes of furniture, art, and room function can all play into your color selection. Another factor many of us overlook is the effect color can play on our overall mood.

Do you feel anxious in a yellow room? Does the color blue make you feel relaxed and calm? It's a scientific fact that color can affect your mood. Some colors make us feel more energetic or can be calming. Some can even produce feelings of aggression or depression. 

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These reactions are caused by the color's purity or saturation and its brightness. For example, a room painted with a low saturation color like bright green can induce a relaxed, calm feeling. While one painted with a more saturated but more muted sapphire blue can make you feel energized and alert.

In this post, we will ditch the color trend charts and explore the psychology of color and how choosing the right hues can affect your mood.

Room Color Psychology: Cool vs. Warm Paint Color

Whether you are aware of it, room color psychology is a part of your daily life. Color can affect your mood and energy levels. The colors you choose for your home serve as a reflection of your personality. 

You make your home beautiful and personalize it by choosing a paint color that reflects your preferences and personality. Color can change the shape and size of your furnishings and even the shape and size of the room itself.

On the most basic level, paint color falls into two broad categories; warm and cool. 

Warm colors:

• Are associated with sunlight and heat

• They create a warm, lively, and inviting space

• Some shades can evoke feelings of anger and hostility

• The three primary warm colors are red, yellow, and orange

Cool Colors:

• Relate to nature; think water, sky, plants

• They generate a calm and relaxing environment

• Some shades can bring up feelings of sadness or indifference

• The three common cool colors are blue, green, violet, or purple

Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of variations within each of these colors. And there are the extremes like black and white. Choosing the right shade for the room you are painting can help you enhance the mood you are trying to develop with your design.

What Color Should You Paint Your Room

Choosing the right color for your space starts by asking and answering a couple of crucial questions:

1. What mood are you looking to create in the room?

2. What colors match that mood?

Look through interior design magazines and design websites like Houzz to gain inspiration. Examine other elements in the room like textiles, throws, rugs, and pillows. Once you find something that works for you, limit your colors to a select few. Too many color variations in a space can make your room feel cluttered or chaotic.

Color Moods

We touched a bit on the warm and cool colors. Here is a little more information on what moods paint colors can convey and where to best use them in your home.

Warm Colors

Red:

Red is the most intense of the warm colors. It can raise the energy level of the room and can stimulate feelings of love, passion, anger, and power. Some shades of red have been shown to raise blood pressure, speed up respiration, and even increase heart rate! Red shades are best used in the dining room, living room, or entryway.

Orange:

Orange is a vibrant color that evokes excitement and enthusiasm. It can also promote activity. Orange shades are a fantastic choice for the exercise room or the kid's playroom.

Yellow:

Yellow captures the joy of sunshine and evokes feelings of happiness. Yellow shades work well in the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room.

Pink:

Pink is a calming color associated with loving feelings and kindness. Pink also boosts creativity. Pink tones are excellent in the office, bedroom, or a child's nursery.

Cool Colors:

Green:

Green is the most restful color. Green shades have a calming effect, remove stress, and are rumored to improve fertility. Shades of green are excellent for use in the bedroom, living room, and kitchen.

Blue:

Blue shades are the color of calm. Blue is soothing and has been shown to have the opposite effects of red shades. Blue lowers blood pressure and slows respiration and heart rate. Blue shades are excellent in the bedroom or bathroom.

Purple:

Purple has long been associated with royalty and is the color of sophisticated drama. Darker purple shades offer rich sophistication, while lighter shades are relaxing. Purple can be a dramatic choice in the bedroom, living room, or office.

Neutral Colors As A Choice 

Neutral paint colors can form the base of your interior design. Neutrals allow you great flexibility to introduce color into your design with fabrics, window treatments, and floor coverings. Classic neutral tones include shades in the white and grey families and black.

White is a timeless and classic look that can bring calming effects. White reflects cleanliness, wholesomeness, and purity. However, rooms painted entirely white can create feelings of anxiousness or anxiety. To minimize these negative feelings, lean toward a shade of off-white, or mix it with other colors in your design to offset the stark appearance.

Grey is the new beige in the world of paint colors. Grey is timeless and classic in lighter shades and edgy and modern in darker hues. The grey family has warm undertones that make a space feel more comfortable and inviting. You can add drama to a grey room by adding pops of warm or cool colors to shift your design.

Black is gaining popularity with interior designers; however, it is best used sparingly. If the entire room is painted black, it can invoke feelings of sadness or depression. A black accent wall or black trim can add an element of sophistication and make a room more intimate and relaxing.

Set The Right Mood With The Perfect Color

Room paint color psychology is about more than simply a collection of pretty colors. The colors you choose for your walls can significantly influence your mood and create changes that ultimately affect your entire life! That's why choosing the right colors for your home is crucial. You want to choose a paint color that enhances a happy and positive vibe so that your space brings out the very best in you and your family!

The design team here at Degan Design-Build-Remodel understands the psychology of paint color. Our designers work closely with our clients to help them create an environment that matches their personalities and unique needs. If you're planning a home improvement project and live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area, give us a call at (608) 846-5963. We're always happy to answer your questions about paint color and discuss your upcoming project!

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/27/2022.