Let’s talk about one of the most important elements in any home – colour! Colour has the amazing power of evoking and changing your emotions as they play a huge part in forming memories as well as evoking them later on. This is why you are always drawn to certain colour intuitively, as somewhere in your past you are likely to of had a memorable reaction to it, even if they memory is not unplaceable. We also use colour to draw connections between emotions and places. Something as simple as the colour of your favourite restaurant can make you feel happy and hungry, even when seen in a different location.
There is plenty of scientific evidence to support the psychological effects that colour can have on altering our mood. That’s why it is important to choose a colour pallet which suits your personality, as the colours which make you feel happier and more relaxed might not do the same for someone else. However, there as some universal colour theories which can help you choose colours which can make you feel happier and less stressed, or even help to stimulate your mind and make you more productive (especially helpful if you are working from home!). But don’t panic, adding these colours into your home can be done simply and easily, without having to re-paint your whole home. Adding some simple design features and accessories to a room can help evoke happier emotions, making your home an overall better place to be!
Need a boost of energy? Then you definitely need to add a touch of orange into you home! Orange not only adds warmth, but also excitement by adding energy into a room. The colour is also shown to prompt interaction, so it is the perfect addition to add to a room where a lot of socialising takes place, such as a dining room or lounge. Although often avoided as it is one of the brightest colours, orange helps to automatically bring a pop of colour to any room, making elements and accessories stand out against the background without being too jarring.
The colour of happiness and sunshine, yellow is the must have colour for a room where you want to add something upbeat and mood-lifting. Psychologically, yellow has been shown to naturally boost your happiness by causing the release of serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’, which can lead to you feeling uplifted. However, yellow is also a colour which needs to be used wisely, as too much can be overwhelming, so it is best used in small accessories or accents in order to complement other elements in a room and add moments of sunshine.
One of the most passionate colours around, pinks and reds are known for making you feel bolder and more confident as they are automatically eye catching and help to make a statement! Used in a social space, such as a living room, these colours can bring warmth which is perfect for adding cosiness to a room and making guests feel welcoming, especially during the winter months. However, when used in a more private space, such as a bedroom, the colours can become more romantic and passionate. The way reds and pinks are perceived are all based on location and design, so think carefully about where the piece is going when choosing the design!
Green comes with an automatic soothing effect due to its connection with nature. Using designs which mimic nature can add contentment to your life, making you feel more relaxed and calmer within a room, which also helps to boost your concentration. Green is a must have colour in any room you want to feel relaxed in! It can also help to improve productivity by causing you to focus more on your tasks and surroundings, but in a way which is calmed instead of chaotic.
The most productive of all the colours, blue makes you not only feel energised and ready to tackle tasks, but also inspires calm and relaxation. Perfect for any home office, adding pops of blue will help you to focus on the day ahead without stressing or procrastinating. Blue also connects us directly with the sea and sky, which is why it is often used in rooms such as bedrooms or bathrooms, as it suggests freshness and openness.
However, for some people using just one colour isn’t enough! But luckily, it is easy to mix colours in order to get a room which not only makes you feel happy, but also suits your personality and individual style! Adding interchangeable or removable accessories is an easy way to change up a space to suit how you are feeling. This can be done by using elements such as mugs, which are not a permanent feature in the room, or by switching around the locations of cushion covers and framed prints! Changing your colours throughout the year allows you to switch the mood of a room to suit all seasons, and your changing interior taste, without having to repaint a room every couple of months! Adding simple splashes of colour here and there is a great and easy way to add a little more happiness into your rooms and really put your own stamp on your home!
