Step through your home, room by room, to learn how paint colors influence your happiness and well-being.
Everyone has an interest in color and how it affects their life. We are drawn to favorites represented by what we wear, what we drive, and even what we eat. In casual conversation, we use color words to describe our mood or state of mind.
We might have a green thumb, or we’re moving on to greener pastures. We could be feeling blue and have a true-blue friend at our side. One minute, we see red and the next it’s a red-letter day.
Paint Color Psychology and You
It’s long been proven that the color of a room has a profound influence on the mood it inspires. For instance, a blue painted bedroom is thought to slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and encourage a calm, peaceful emotional state.
In one study, people in blue bedrooms averaged 7 hours and 52 minutes of sleep while people in purple bedrooms only got 5 hours and 56 minutes. Feeling blue isn’t all bad when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
But color-mood research studies published as early as 1954 have not produced conclusive results. One reason we can’t say that blue is undoubtedly the best color for your bedroom is that it depends on you.
Your personal reaction to color is very individual. Much of it is shaped by culture, where you grew up, and life experiences.
Take a Color Tour of Your House
To paint your home happy, take a walk through some rooms in your house and see how they can support your happiness and well-being.
When envisioning color, always consider the function of the room. Think about how much time is spent there, what activities take place, and who is occupying the room.
Kitchen
There’s a theory that says you should match the kitchen to the colors you associate with fond memories of your childhood. That could be baking with mom, carving the Thanksgiving turkey with dad, or Sunday meals with extended family.
Red is known to stimulate appetite. It’s energetic and passionate and may encourage you to taste-test your way through the cooking process. Yellows and Oranges bring out fun, enthusiasm, and originality. Combining the two in your kitchen could lead to amazing meals!
Pastels of sage or teal greens inspire health, balance, harmony, and renewal. These are great colors for the kitchen. Combine them with the pureness of white for a comforting, traditional feel.
Living Room
Remember that looking back at moments of happiness in your life is a great way to connect with color in your home.
The living room is versatile. You can bring out your personality with a favorite color scheme or create an intimate retreat with blues and deep purples. Create a welcoming interior space that encourages lively conversation with greens and shades of tans or browns. You won’t go wrong pairing colors found in nature.
If you are accustomed to whites or neutral colors in your home and putting color on the wall is a bit intimidating, try painting one accent wall a contrasting color. But know that neutrals are not a bad thing. They are colors too and can represent purity, elegance, stability, reliability, and warmth.
Bedroom
Giving your bedroom colors thoughtful consideration is essential. Studies have revealed that the colors in this room influence your frame of mind before you fall asleep and when you wake up in the morning. You subconsciously carry these feelings with you throughout the day or night.
It should be a soothing retreat for rest and relaxation, which is why blue is so popular. However, the hue or shade of blue can make a tremendous difference. In fact, some people identify anxiety or depression with certain shades of blue. Still, others find some blues make them spirited and productive. Choose blue tones that make you feel optimistic, content, and calm.
Greens are also an excellent choice for bedrooms. They nudge you toward tranquility and health. Some studies even suggest that green reduces stress and increases fertility.
Reflect on the places where you’ve felt happy and relaxed – a beach vacation, a cabin in the woods, rocking on grandmother’s porch - and bring those colors into your bedroom.
Related: Get Inspired with Bathroom Painting Ideas | House Painting Blog
Paint Your Home Happy and Live in a House that You Love Coming Home To
Tour the rest of your home to see how color actively influences the mood of you, your family, and your guests. We'll help you choose paint colors for any rooms in your home, including living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, home office and porch.
Contemplate your color choices and paint your home happy!
ProTEK Painters owner, John Guarino, is an Expert Contributor for the local print publication 'Newton Neighbors'. An edited version of this article was published in Newton Neighbors July 2018 issue.