Whether you are sprucing up your living spaces or preparing your home for sale, understanding and utilizing the psychology of color could help you design rooms to increase productivity, well being, and invoke emotions simply by utilizing a different palette. If you are selling your home, be sure to use neutral colors for paint and decor to bring in the color. Ask your Q Realty Realtor® about professional staging and painting recommendations.
Does your home need a freshening up this summer season, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Adding a fresh coat of paint to any space can make it feel new, without digging too far into your wallet. Although, it does come with its own set of challenges, and can be a frustrating process before you finally settle on the perfect color scheme. We’re here to give you a few helpful tips to help make your search a little easier.
The first step you can take is to hit the world wide web, and do a little research into the colors themselves and how they might affect the moods in your home. This is also known as color psychology, and is a helpful resource to picking the perfect color out of that mountain of swatches. Below we have broken down a handful of colors and the best ways to introduce them into your space.
Red
Red is a powerful color, meant to evoke energy and passion, making it a great color for a living room or kitchen. Tie it into high energy rooms in your home through decor pieces like vases, rugs, curtains, or wall art. You can even go bold with an accent wall! It perfectly compliments any neutral color pallette, like rich browns or whites, and can make a statement when lighter hues (like coral and burnt orange) are used. Although, be sure to limit the use of this eye catching color in bedrooms or office spaces, because it can cause heart rate to increase due to its association with warning signals, hindering sleep or concentration.
Yellow
Yellow is a fun, bright color that is known to promote a sense of optimism and positivity. Yellow is perfect for a playroom if you have young children. It creates an energetic learning space, that has the added benefit of instilling a sense of happiness, keeping children up beat and ready to play and learn. Or, bring it into a breakfast nook, or fiore to improve your mood in the early morning rush. Use yellow table settings against a modern styled wooden breakfast table big enough for the whole family, or decorative vases adorned with fresh yellow flowers in the foire for subtle hints of this bright hue.
Green
Green is a soothing color that helps improve concentration and creativity. Use it in an office space to improve mind clarity, while instilling a fresh atmosphere to keep you focused on the tasks at hand. Darker shades are great for a meditation or reading room, because of the soothing effect on the eyes. Incorporate forest green walls, or a suede green accent chair, perfect for putting your feet up and enjoying a good read. Or, use dark green toned meditation and yoga equipment to subtly include the color in your space. Include fresh greenery and flowers that are low maintenance, and have the added benefit of purifying the air, for a fresh, vibrant accent to any space.
Blue
The soothing, tranquil, and calming effects of blue make it the perfect hue for a bedroom, or at home spa space in your bathroom. When paired with natural tones, blue evokes the peacefulness of the ocean. In the bathroom, paint the walls a darker denim tone, and use a subway tile backsplash, and chrome accents for a modern, clean design. Tie blues into your bedroom space through bold patterned bedding, or curtains–or paint your walls with lighter tones for an elegant atmosphere. A blue color scheme in a bedroom also has the added benefits of improving sleep by calming the mind, allowing for a more restful nights sleep. On the other hand, blue can become distasteful and lower appetite levels, so be sure to stray away from this color in the kitchen or dining space.
Black
Black is a bold tone that can create a dark, yet elegant and sophisticated style in any room. Due to its versatility, shades of black can be incorporated into almost any space. Go for a modern farmhouse design in your dining room, by pairing brushed silver pendant lights with a wooden table with bench seating. Bring in fresh flowers, concrete flooring, and linen table settings to get that cozy farmhouse feel while including subtle hues of black within the space. Or go bold, and paint a pure black accent wall in your living room, office, or dining room to make a mysterious, classic feel that can be accented with any bold pop of color (i.e. yellow, red, purple, white).
I found it interesting how you mentioned how yellow can bring feelings of fun and optimism into your home. My wife and I are building our new home and I want to implement something like this but she hates the color yellow. I will be sure to keep this in mind as I search for a swatchbook to find a shade of yellow she likes!