Can the Colour of a Room Really Impact Your Mood?

The colours of the rooms in your home are a direct reflection of your personality. While most of us may not spend a lot of time thinking about room colour, it affects us every day. Room colour can influence our moods and our thoughts.

Colour affects people in many ways, depending on age, gender, ethnic background and climate. Certain colours (or groups of colours) tend to get a similar reaction from most people; the variations come from the shades or tones used. This is why it’s so important to choose colours wisely when it comes to decorating.

You don’t have to worry about trends in order to have a beautiful home. Colour trends will come and go. The people who live in a home make it beautiful by choosing colours that reflect their preferences and personalities. The trick is to blend the colours you like into a pleasing combination.

Choosing colour combinations is one of the most intimidating steps for beginners. Colour has the power to change the shape and size of furnishings, as well as the shape and size of the room itself. Selecting colours is not difficult if you equip yourself with some basic information about colour and its effects.

Let’s find out more about room colours and how they influence your mood.

Red

Red is typically an intense colour.  It can often signify danger or terror as the bold tone can make a small room feel even smaller and the walls feel more confining. However red can also put one in a warm mood, and with the right light can actually create a rich and inviting environment – particularly in a social space within the home. Pairing red with the right flooring is key, as a dark wood or carpet can often push the room to look smaller. We would recommend pairing red walls with a light deep-pile carpet or a light wood effect Karndean LVT flooring when looking to create an inviting atmosphere.

Blue

In contrast to red is blue – a calming colour that promotes serenity and an inviting feel of cleanliness. Often blue is used for bathrooms and will be paired with a light tile or wood effect floor, though it is equally as effective in bedrooms or living rooms when paired with a light flooring. Depending on the chosen room, there is a risk of blue feeling quite cold and uninviting – think the character of ‘Sadness’ in Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ who personifies the statement ‘feeling blue’. This is why selecting comfortable furniture is key, for example a great carpet in a bedroom or some fun extras in a bathroom. My top recommendation would be a few real plants to add some life to any dull or slightly chilly room!

Purple

Purple is an interesting one and can be heavily impacted by the shade you opt for – whether a rich luxurious velvet purple, or a much lighter lilac version. The latter is distinctly playful and young, while the former version exudes elegance and mystery. When used as a secondary colour in a room purple can be a great way to accentuate areas of the room or décor, and if paired with a pale coloured carpet can be quite a regal way to style a room. Historically purple as a colour would have been used as a sign of wealth, and even today is still linked to royalty and power.

Yellow

Yellow is a personal favourite of ours, and when used right can bring an uplifting sense of cheer to any room in the house. There is a reason why many hospital walls and treatment rooms are painted a pale shade of yellow – the bright tone reflects the cleanliness of the room while the uplifting shade promotes positivity and energy. Having said that, if the yellow is too overwhelming it has been linked to increase frustration and stimulate feelings of anger, making it a strong contender for the role of coloured accent in your house rather than foundation or base.

Neutral

Now, we come to the neutral tones most often associated with ‘modern’ decorating. Using a neutral shade for the base of your decoration leaves you open to select accessories and extras in a variety of bold and statement colours. While this is very much a safe option and can promote a sharp finish, neutral colours can be quite uninspiring and will often end up heavily relying on the splashes of colour you can inject into the room with rugs and other accessories. Coloured carpets and rugs work best in a neutral room, as they add a depth to your decorating without making the room seem small. In all cases, and especially when choosing a coloured or patterned floor, always keep the ceiling as plain and light as possible.

Green

So, in essence, yes. Your home is somewhere where you should feel relaxed and safe; where creativity can flow if you want it to, or where you can simply switch off and enjoy time with your family or by yourself. The colours you choose to surround yourself with can have a big effect on how you feel, and as such we recommend taking it slow when it comes to injecting colour. Try some coloured cushions, flowers and other decorative extras, before committing to an entirely yellow or red wall. Of course, you can always paint over it, but why put the extra stress on yourself?