The Psychology Behind Colour Choices in Your Home

Why the colour choices in your home matter more than you think

A home is said to be a direct reflection of the people who live in it. The choice of design and colour then shines back on anyone who spends time within those walls.

Whatever the interior design style, the colour scheme can enhance or detract from the furnishings and feel of a room. That is why the psychology behind the colour choices in your home should never be overlooked.

Each colour and shade has its own ability to conjure up a mood or bring out different emotional responses. Understanding the psychological effects of a colour can help you avoid creating an undesirable reaction to a space in your home and actually enliven or enhance the environment.

Where a colour makes a difference in your home

We might not always be aware of how the colour of a room is affecting us, but it has been proven time and again that the choice of colour can produce an emotional connection or reaction.

There is well-documented evidence that a colour can alter the temperature of a room. ‘Cold’ colours such as blues and greens make a room feel physically cooler than the measured temperature. Conversely, the use of ‘warm’ colours such as reds and oranges can raise the temperature feel of a space.

Whilst not everyone will have the exact same reaction to the colour of the room, there is a clear understanding that colours and the combination of each shade can have a distinct impact throughout the home environment.

How is it possible to harness the power of each colour to generate the desired effect?

It all comes down to which mood you want to produce and why.

The colour mood

The colour choices you make in your home can and will create and change the mood. Colour is a crucial element in;

• crafting a warm and inviting space
• providing a calming environment
• stimulating creativity
• creating a pure and clean work area
• showcasing furnishings and artwork
• adding the feel of extra space or making a large area more intimate

The colour in your home is more than a signature of your style and taste, it has practical ramifications. This is most important when dealing with the size of a room.

With a clever use of colour and the arrangement of furniture, any sized room can be made to look and feel larger or smaller without the need for structural changes to the walls.

That is more than a cost-effective solution to a problem. Colour choice is an engaging way to make better use of each space within your home.

The colour palette and emotional reactions

It is easy to see how colour in particular can create a mood and a strong emotional response.

If you stop and think about which colours make you feel calm and relaxed and those that stimulate and excite you, there is good reason to apply that strategy in your own home. The How, Where and Why you choose a particular colour is entirely up to you.

The room itself can dictate a certain shade or tint of colour, but it’s important not to be limited to what is considered the norm.

A lounge room is often a place of warmth and comfort. That does not mean that you must choose one of the ‘warmer’ colours. It might be that you are drawn to a bolder blue for example and offset this with cooler shades in the furniture, ornaments or artwork.

Similarly, a bedroom is often deemed a personal haven where the idea is to relax and rest. It would be a mistake to choose only calming colours when more optimistic and uplifting colouring may inspire you. A choice like this could mean a more invigorating start to the day when you wake in the morning.

Taking the time to go through the colour palette to find the right colour and shade for you and your home is more important than taking a designer magazine idea and merely transplanting it as your own.

Choosing colours based on other people’s ideas of what is right and wrong can often be the reason some people feel like a visitor in their own place.

No colour choice is all black and white

Making colour choices can seem overwhelming but one thing to remember is that the shades of black, white and grey definitely have their place in a home.

Dark flooring and the use of black floorboards can add an impressive prestige element to a home whilst giving you the ability to hide any flaws and imperfections in the timber itself.

Light coloured floors and white painted floorboards will make more of the natural light of a room and brighten the atmosphere. There is a clear reason why white and light colouring in a kitchen area brings a positive energy to the space.

The clean look of whiter shades adds a tone of cleanliness which is most appealing in a bathroom, kitchen or laundry.

Why would you go with wood?

Wood and timber are a natural choice because of their connection to Mother Nature herself.

The colours of different timbers can vary from rich browns to golden yellows and even whites and greys.

Another way to enrich the room is to choose from the wide variety of timber stain colours. Each and every timber wood stain brings out its own character which can be utilised in different ways in the interior design of the home.

There is a look and feel of wood that connects us to life and the natural world. This can be a special ingredient when you are looking for a grounded and harmonious atmosphere.

The beauty of timber and the various timber stains is an ability to highlight the splendour of anything from; the windows, floorboards, to the wood within your furnishings and even the ceiling and architraves.

Wood itself can provide its own artistic charms to a room and the colour choice of the timber stain is your chance to highlight and enhance.

Choosing colours for your home

By making colour choices for your home and to match your sense of style, you are adding value to the place in which you live. It can be the difference between living in a house and living in a place that looks and feels like a home.

By doing a bit of homework on different interior designs and exploring the range of different colours you can add to your home, you are well on the way to creating a place in which you will love to live.

Take your time with your choices, try not to be limited to what you already have, and you might well be surprised to discover what could work best within your walls. It could just be the inspiration that you have always desired and a new look at the way you live.