How Color Impacts Your Mood

If you are given a mood, you could most likely attach a color to it. Even if they are simplified associations, moods and emotions are commonly associated with color. This connection is thoroughly studied in interior design and the power of color on mood is often subtle but powerful.

When looking at how to incorporate color intentionally into your home, you want to first think about what moods and feelings you want to promote in each space. Don’t think about the color yet, just how you want to feel in each room.

 

 

For example,

  • The kitchen to reflect better health
  • Bathroom to reflect peaceful mornings
  • Bedroom to reflect a more restful space making it easier to fall asleep
  • Motivational colors for home office
  • Happy colors for playrooms

These are all relatively universal desires for rooms within a house, but take note of your specific desires for the space. Once you have an understanding of what you would like to feel in each room, you can start to look at colors that are associated with each of those moods. The chart below gives a breakdown of five common colors.

Red Passionate. Dramatic. Energizing. Red makes our hearts beat faster, stimulates appetite, and stimulates one’s energy. It promotes liveliness which makes it a good color choice for a dining room or a living room where people tend to gather.
Blue Calming. Relaxing. Refreshing. Blue is a tranquil color for bedrooms – especially light variations of it – for it’s known as a calm, soothing color. It can create a serene bedroom or bathroom.
Yellow Warming. Cheerful. Yellow increases energy and lifts spirits. It is a good color for a breakfast room.
Orange Boldly cheerful. Orange encourages conversation. It makes for a great color choice for a sun porch or even a kitchen.
Green Refreshing. Soothing. Cleansing. Green is a good color for bathrooms and bedrooms.

 

Use this chart to get started but keep in mind that everyone reacts to color in their own way. Take note of your personal reactions and adapt the chart to fit your preferences.

Tip: Play with the intensity of the color as well. A sunflower yellow might be too bright for you but a more mellow yellow could be the perfect color for your sunroom