Have you ever painted a room and after the paint dried, felt like something wasn’t quite right about the color? Wall colors and moods work together but unless you understand room color psychology, you may end up feeling unsettled in your home.
We put together a short guide on room colors and mood. Take it with you when you shop for new paint colors.
1. Go White for Warmth
White is traditionally associated with innocence and purity. It’s no surprise then when people say they feel clean when entering a white room. If you feel cold and stark in a white room, you’re not alone.
Hospitals often paint the walls white to create an appearance of cleanliness and sterility. Not many people feel energetic or serene in a hospital room, do they?
Don’t shy away from painting a room white. When you add a subtle yellow undertone to white paint, it can transform your mood from cold and quiet to warm and comforting.
2. Feel Grounded with Gray
You might think of gray as a boring, drab, conservative color. If gray hues make you feel blah or sad, it’s the shade, not the color.
Dove gray, with its shushed blue and pink undertones, is anything but blah. It’s one of the most versatile shades of gray and depending on what you pair it with, you can create a dramatic, energy-filled space, or a quiet relaxing sanctuary.
Many people say they feel grounded when spending time in a room with gray wall paint. If you enjoy feeling grounded, use multiple shades of gray paint.
Inject a spark of energy to a gray room with jewel-toned accent pieces. Add a little lilac undertone to a gray paint and the mood instantly warms.
3. The Calming Power of Green
Whether you select a dark shade of hunter or peacock green, or a lighter shade, like seafoam green, the result is a calming, serene mood.
You might not think of dark green as a calming color, but it sits on the cool side of the color spectrum. It’s a restful color and may reduce stress in people prone to anxiety.
Seafoam green, created by mixing gray and light blue-green, is bright and fresh. Even with its vibrant power, seafoam naturally brings to mind the ocean, which contributes to its relaxing effect.
Green, the color most associated with nature, gives calm energy and helps people feel love for family and pets.
This color works great in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
This hue pairs well with hunter green, teal, white, shades of gray, burnt red, pale blues, and light to medium wood.
4. Hazelnut Creates Instant Warmth
When you think of hazelnut, do you think of deep, dark brown tones? The name doesn’t sound like it, but hazelnut is a soft, warm hue created with yellow and orange undertones. It’s a light neutral color with a warm and inviting feel.
Hazelnut creates a warm and inviting ambiance, but it also soothes and relaxes.
When you want to make a room feel and look larger than it is, use different shades of hazelnut on the walls. To add a splash of vibrant color, pair hazelnut with greens and floral patterns.
5. Add a Bit of Orange Zest to Your Mood
Paint the walls orange and feel happy! Orange, a combination of red and yellow makes a person feel warm, optimistic and uplifted.
It’s no wonder when you choose a shade of orange for your walls, you feel such a positive ray of light. Pairing the passion evoked by the color red with the cheerful feelings created by the color yellow can’t do anything but make a person feel hopeful.
When painting with orange, use caution as too much can overwhelm the senses. Try painting an accent wall with a deep pumpkin, or a bright coral.
Orange, especially the pastel versions like terracotta, apricot, or peach work well in kitchens. Orange stimulates the appetite and it mentally stimulating making it a fantastic color choice for the room that often acts as the heart of the home.
6. Don’t Banish the Blues
You’ll find blue in an almost endless amount of shades — all mood evoking on one end of the spectrum or another.
Most people love blue for its soothing and serene qualities. The right shade opens up a small room and in a subtle way, lets the light in. Pastel blues give a room a soft airy feel and have a calming effect.
Imagine how you feel why lying on the grass gazing up at a clear blue sky. Most people feel a significant reduction in stress.
If you’re going for a peaceful, tranquil mood and enjoy the feeling of physical and mental relaxation, carefully choose a shade of blue for your walls. You want to stay away from dark, heavy tones because they tend to make a room feel smaller and darker.
7. Pink Is Not Only for Blushing Brides
The color pink calms emotional energy. Paint a room in a pink hue and you can almost feel any anger or aggression melt away.
We often associate pink with baby girls or blushing brides but delegating pink to only girls and women can cause you to miss on its powerful mood-enhancing qualities. It’s thought that pink may help keep aggressive inmates under control. Perhaps it can tame an angry child at home too.
In addition to a calming effect on the nerves, pink can make you feel soulful and romantic.
If pink is your color, try painting an accent wall in dusty rose and using lighter shades of the same color on the remaining walls. Bring out a sensitive, feminine mood with softer shades of pink.
Need More Ideas on Room Colors and Mood?
We’ve shared a few of the most popular colors but when you’re ready to create a mood with paint, you have an endless array of choices.
Depending on the mood you’re hoping to evoke, any color on the spectrum, even black, can work wonders in a room. When thinking about room colors and mood, keep in mind that colors don’t create identical moods in people.
Choose colors that evoke the moods you want to experience in your home. If you’re ready to change the mood in your home, we can make it happen. Contact us online for a quote on your painting project today!
Read more on our blog to learn common painting mistakes you can avoid when it comes time to paint your home.
