In the Mood: How Color Selection Can Impact You

As you scroll endlessly through Pinterest boards or stare at the wall of color swatches, you wonder how you can ever choose the right paint color. Should you go with what’s trending right now? Do you go with a classic favorite? Should you be bold or more muted? Perhaps you should be asking yourself how you want to feel in the space. In this post, you’ll learn more about how your paint color selection can impact your mood and which colors you should consider for your space.

How Colors Affect Your Emotions

Many cultures and holistic treatments associate certain effects with colors. Professionals in advertising, art, and design depend on the psychology of color, and some modern research seems to back it up, although most of these studies are qualitative instead of quantitative.

How to Use Paint Color to Your Advantage

Before you choose a color scheme for a room, you need to decide how you want to feel when you’re in it. While you likely hope to feel peaceful and calm in your bedroom and choose cool colors (e.g., blues, greens), you may not necessarily desire the same vibe in the dining room where your guests will be. Therefore, you may want to pick warmer colors (e.g., reds, oranges, yellows) for these spaces meant for entertaining. However, as the homeowner, you must ultimately decide what will make you feel happy and comfortable—you’re the one living there after all!

How Paint Color Can Impact You

Here are some examples of colors and when they may or may not be useful in terms of wall paint.

Red

In many cultures, the color red is thought to stimulate the body and help with circulation. However, certain tones can be associated with rage or anger. If you choose a bold red, perhaps you can consider painting only an accent wall this color to make the space a little less intimidating.

Orange

Holistic therapy takes advantage of colors, and orange is often used to heal the lungs and increase energy levels. In terms of home design, oranges such as saffron can have an international feel to them and are great options for home offices or dining rooms.

Yellow

While yellow can act as a stimulating color for some, others can find it anxiety inducing. In bathrooms, yellows are not usually recommended because this color can make this space appear dirty or excessively aged.

Blue

Cool blues are a classic color choice for bathrooms and bedrooms because they tend to evoke the feeling of calmness and cleanliness.

Green

Bringing natural tones of green into your spaces can help create a more relaxing environment, whether you’re simply adding some green plants to a space or using this color as your primary wall color.

Gray

Gray is popular because it is an appealing alternative to white or beige, but you should keep in mind that some find it depressing. If you elect for this color, you may want to find a shade that is still fairly bright to avoid turning the room into a gloomy space.

In the end, the color you choose for your paint likely will not determine your mood all the time. However, you can create the atmosphere you wish to have by considering how the color makes you feel.

About Platinum Painting

Platinum Painting was founded in 2008 when Karl and Marjorie Pickens decided that their customer service and home design skills would be better served in residential painting. They noticed a gap in the industry because options were slim and very few focused on excellent customer service. They created Platinum Painting to put homeowners first from beginning to end. If you would like to have a free, in-home estimate from an experienced professional, you can contact our customer care team through our website here.