Decorating
Mood-Boosting Colours for Your Home
Pick the perfect colour scheme to enhance your mood at home
Colour is intimately connected with your feelings and emotions, and the healing qualities of certain shades can have a profound impact on your mood and wellbeing. Here’s how colour can work for you.
BLUE
The colour blue calms and comforts. Its mentally relaxing qualities mean that it is perfect for the bedroom space.
Historically… Blue slows things down, eases stress, tension and pain. It’s thought that by adding blue to a room where someone is ill helps to keep them calm.
STYLIST’S TIP: Blue does have a reputation as a cold colour, and it is true that some paler hues have a touch of frost that makes them unsuited to north-facing rooms, but by choosing a shade with some green in it, you can quite easily warm up the coldest spot.
The colour blue calms and comforts. Its mentally relaxing qualities mean that it is perfect for the bedroom space.
Historically… Blue slows things down, eases stress, tension and pain. It’s thought that by adding blue to a room where someone is ill helps to keep them calm.
STYLIST’S TIP: Blue does have a reputation as a cold colour, and it is true that some paler hues have a touch of frost that makes them unsuited to north-facing rooms, but by choosing a shade with some green in it, you can quite easily warm up the coldest spot.
TURQUOISE
Turquoise is a very cooling, youthful and expressive colour.
Historically… Turquoise is thought to cleanse and reduce inflammation and boost immunity.
STYLIST’S TIP: Turquoise works best in areas that receive a lot of natural light, so remember to keep window treatments simple and neutral to help maximise the sunshine effect.
Turquoise is a very cooling, youthful and expressive colour.
Historically… Turquoise is thought to cleanse and reduce inflammation and boost immunity.
STYLIST’S TIP: Turquoise works best in areas that receive a lot of natural light, so remember to keep window treatments simple and neutral to help maximise the sunshine effect.
RED
The colour red is bright and full of energy and should be used sparingly in the bedroom. Splashes and accents of red can be enough to bring just the right amount of life and energy into any room. A touch of red adds warmth and vitality.
Historically… In spiritual circles, red light has been known to have a powerful effect on the base chakra (chakras are energy centres in our body in which energy flows through; the base chakra is one of the seven chakras) helping us to feel more grounded, more confident and more sure of our place on earth. The colour red also encourages us to manifest our thoughts and ideas.
STYLIST’S TIP: As red is such a powerful colour, it can easily become overwhelming if it’s used over too large an area. Just by painting one wall, door or window frame, you can easily create a stunning effect in any room.
The colour red is bright and full of energy and should be used sparingly in the bedroom. Splashes and accents of red can be enough to bring just the right amount of life and energy into any room. A touch of red adds warmth and vitality.
Historically… In spiritual circles, red light has been known to have a powerful effect on the base chakra (chakras are energy centres in our body in which energy flows through; the base chakra is one of the seven chakras) helping us to feel more grounded, more confident and more sure of our place on earth. The colour red also encourages us to manifest our thoughts and ideas.
STYLIST’S TIP: As red is such a powerful colour, it can easily become overwhelming if it’s used over too large an area. Just by painting one wall, door or window frame, you can easily create a stunning effect in any room.
YELLOW
Yellow is a happy colour that has been shown to promote creativity and vitality in your home, so it’s the perfect choice for the kitchen and office space.
Historically… Yellow has a history of being associated with empowerment and nobility – from the golden hair described of the Greek gods, to the traditional Chinese colour for nobility.
STYLIST’S TIP: Don’t force brightness in a room by coating all four walls. Yellow’s great when it’s used in blocks (Piet Mondrian nailed it), so focus on a powerful yellow wall print, a statement rug, or a splashback strip.
Yellow is a happy colour that has been shown to promote creativity and vitality in your home, so it’s the perfect choice for the kitchen and office space.
Historically… Yellow has a history of being associated with empowerment and nobility – from the golden hair described of the Greek gods, to the traditional Chinese colour for nobility.
STYLIST’S TIP: Don’t force brightness in a room by coating all four walls. Yellow’s great when it’s used in blocks (Piet Mondrian nailed it), so focus on a powerful yellow wall print, a statement rug, or a splashback strip.
ORANGE
The colour of joy, movement and creativity, orange adds warmth without sapping the light from a room. Its refreshing and revitalising effect makes it a great choice for the kitchen and in playrooms. Softer shades also work well in family rooms as it promotes fun and relaxation.
Historically… Orange is said to encourage vibrancy and humour, and is a great antidepressant.
STYLIST’S TIP: Orange has a naturally stimulating effect – notice that many public libraries are decorated in this colour scheme – and can be a useful tone for defining a working zone in the home, especially if you are furnishing it with contemporary grey metal. Orange is a natural partner to grey and steel.
The colour of joy, movement and creativity, orange adds warmth without sapping the light from a room. Its refreshing and revitalising effect makes it a great choice for the kitchen and in playrooms. Softer shades also work well in family rooms as it promotes fun and relaxation.
Historically… Orange is said to encourage vibrancy and humour, and is a great antidepressant.
STYLIST’S TIP: Orange has a naturally stimulating effect – notice that many public libraries are decorated in this colour scheme – and can be a useful tone for defining a working zone in the home, especially if you are furnishing it with contemporary grey metal. Orange is a natural partner to grey and steel.
WHITE
White is clean, tranquil and innocent.
Historically… White light is an amalgam – all hues and yet none at all – and is associated with light, purity and grace.
STYLIST’S TIP: In the home, white often provides the perfect background for the range of colours used in furniture, wall coverings, floors and decorative elements.
White is clean, tranquil and innocent.
Historically… White light is an amalgam – all hues and yet none at all – and is associated with light, purity and grace.
STYLIST’S TIP: In the home, white often provides the perfect background for the range of colours used in furniture, wall coverings, floors and decorative elements.
MORE
8 Mesmerising Colour Palettes for Living Rooms
Bedroom Colour Combos That Soothe Your Soul
Colour Splash: How to Feature Your Favourite Hues
How to Create a Zen-Inspired Home
TELL US
What colours work best to lift your mood at home? Let us know in the comments section below.
8 Mesmerising Colour Palettes for Living Rooms
Bedroom Colour Combos That Soothe Your Soul
Colour Splash: How to Feature Your Favourite Hues
How to Create a Zen-Inspired Home
TELL US
What colours work best to lift your mood at home? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Nature’s most harmonious shade, green works just as well inside our homes and it mixes effortlessly with the rest of the colour spectrum. It’s the perfect choice for living rooms or bedrooms, as it renews and keeps us in balance.
Historically… Green is seen as a healing colour. It can help balance emotions and calm and soothe any nervous energy.
STYLIST’S TIP: Opt for stronger greens when choosing paint for your home. At their palest, greens can have a washed-out quality that sometimes reacts badly with natural light, so pick two or three shades down from the top of the colour chart to ensure you get a definite colour.