Color Me Happy- Mood-Boosting Hues for Every Room in your Home

It’s so much fun to add some color to your life, especially when decorating your home. Choosing the right color for each room in your house is a great way to play up key pieces of furniture and artwork, as well as an expression of your individual taste and personality. Moreover, according to proponents of color psychology, the colors you choose to decorate can also affect the moods of all who share your living space. Here are some ideas of colors for each room in your house that can bring out the best in everybody.

Living room- Warm, earthy tones such as beige and browns, along with reds, yellows and oranges, are thought to encourage conversation. The warmth of the colors inspires people to connect with those in the room with them, creating a “homey” vibe- a perfect feeling for entertaining guests or having family conversations.

Kitchen- Just like in the living room, reds and yellows are popular tones for the kitchen color scheme, as they stimulate conversation and convey a sense of warmth to all who enter. Watch out with the red, though, as it is also a color that has long been connected with appetite stimulation!

Bedroom- The place where you unwind, relax and prepare for sleep each night should have a calming, soothing effect. Cool colors, such as blues, greens and lavenders are all ideal choices for a bedroom color scheme as they are thought to be calming colors.

Bathroom- I once had a bathroom that I decided to paint bright sunflower yellow. I loved it because it was so bright when I went in there each morning that I had no choice but to wake up! When it comes to painting the bathroom, people tend to go for white or neutral colors, because of the connotation of cleanliness. Colors from the “calming” palette are good choices for the bathroom as well- the soft blues, greens and lavenders can add a spa-like vibe and make it a pleasant place to be.

Kids’ Bedrooms/Playrooms- Upbeat, vibrant colors work great for a space that invites high energy, like a child’s playroom. Primary colors on walls are fun for younger kids, while older children might enjoy coming up with their own color scheme that suits their personality. Try to compromise on more muted colors for their bedrooms, as they should be calming places for the kids to unwind and relax.

To get more home-decorating ideas that use the concept of color psychology, check out The Color Design Source Book by Caroline Clifton-Mogg.

Featuring…Feature Walls!

For those of us wanting to make a big statement on a small budget, a feature wall is a fabulous way to make a room “pop.” In the same spirit as the highly popular accent wall design concept of the 90s and 00s, the feature wall adds an element of interest to one wall in a room, creating a focal point that is both exciting and unique. You can add a touch of elegance or whimsy to any wall in any room in the house, in ways both large and small.

A few tips to keep in mind for your feature wall, no matter how large or small scale of a project you have in mind:

Dark=Drama- If you wish to add some drama to the room, go for a dark color for your feature wall. A charcoal, navy or black wall plays off of the surrounding lighter walls nicely and draws the eye directly to the space you wish to serve as the focal point of the room.

 

Consider Color Blocking- Who says feature walls have to be all one color? A nice striped or patterned color-blocking effect on the feature wall can create visual interest that mingles nicely with the surrounding wall colors. For example, you can set off solid colored surrounding walls with a feature wall that includes complementary colors so that the whole thing goes together. It is also a fun and popular idea to use wallpaper on the feature wall and let the colors of the wallpaper coordinate with the solid walls for a sense of harmony.

   

 

Feature Walls Can Be Functional- Especially in smaller living spaces, one fun idea might be to incorporate functionality into your feature wall. For example, you could use a massive bookshelf, vintage record player, family pictures or floating shelves with children’s toys on them as the primary focus of your feature wall, which not only will give great visual interest to the area but also provide an excellent storage space for these items. Additionally, this will give your living space a sense of your personality and let the wall speak for you. Don’t be afraid to get creative!