What Psychology Experts Recommend for Your Space This Year
The colors that surround us have a profound effect on our moods, emotions, and even behaviors. While bold, vibrant hues may inject energy and excitement into a room, sometimes we crave tranquility. This year, embrace the transformative power of color to create a calm oasis.
This year, let color psychology be your guide. Experts have identified the most calming color palettes proven to lower stress and promote relaxation. Learn how to weave these restorative shades throughout your space to boost mental clarity and emotional well-being.
Join us as we blend science and design to uncover the secret to creating peaceful interiors. Discover which color palettes are the most calming: blue, green, or neutral. Then, get tips on how to integrate them room by room and watch tranquility wash over you seamlessly.
The Complex Psychology Behind Color
The link between color and psychology has fascinated researchers for decades. Studies show that our brains often associate colors with emotions, memories, and physical sensations like warmth or coolness. This connection is believed to stem from primal associations and cultural influences.
For instance, blue conjures feelings of calm because it reminds us of soothing water. Green evokes renewal since it’s the color of nature. Yellow often inspires cheer, as it’s associated with bright sunlight. Of course, personal and cultural experiences also shape our psychological responses to color.
The nuanced relationship between color and psychology is why thoughtful use of hue can drastically alter the feel of interior space. The colors you choose for your home can change your mood.
Color Psychology Meets Interior Design
Now that we’ve explored the science behind calming color palettes and emotions, let’s discuss how these psychological principles can transform real-world interior spaces. How can we apply research on color and mood to our homes?
Interior design allows color psychology to come alive. “Color has the power to transform how a space makes you feel,” explains design expert Ruth Mottershead. Something as simple as adding an accent wall in a vibrant hue can shift a room’s energy. The use of a calming color palette, along with appropriate lighting, furniture, and spatial flow, can make our living spaces feel uplifting or deeply restorative.
Calm Colors for Well-being
In our fast-paced, high-stress world, many people seek to create a calming oasis at home. Thankfully, psychologists have pinpointed the specific calming colors that soothe and relax our minds. By layering these shades throughout your home, you can design a tranquil personal sanctuary.
Serene Blues
“Blue has many emotional attributes — at the paler end, tranquillity and calm, to intelligence at the darker end,” says design expert Patrick O’Donnell. “It is often considered a restful and sympathetic color.”
There’s a reason why many corporate offices and tech giants like Facebook embrace blue tones. This soothing hue has been scientifically shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, decrease stress, and prevent anxiety.
Deeper shades of blue also cue our brains to produce calming neurotransmitters, including serotonin. No wonder the sea and a clear sky both lull us into a peaceful state.
Tranquil Greens
Green tones are inherently linked to the natural world. These leafy hues represent growth, renewal, and harmony. Green is also considered a restorative color, so it’s ideal for spaces where you want to retreat, unwind, and stoke creativity.
“It is associated with nature, outdoors, growth, and creativity and, as it is such an organic shade, it is very easy to live with,” says expert Charlotte Crosby. Vibrant greens can also boost energy levels, while more muted, earthy greens promote stability, making them ideal for bedrooms and meditation nooks.
Soothing Neutrals
Clean, airy hues like ivory, eggshell, and cream make up a color palette designer Leia Ward calls “calm, quiet, and welcoming — like a warm hug.” These understated neutrals provide a calm, simple canvas. Soft grays, taupes, and ecru offer the same effect, evoking mental clarity and relief.
Chocolate browns and mocha colors are also grounding, instilling a comforting feeling similar to coffee or warm cocoa. Built-in serenity makes neutrals ideal for relaxing sanctuaries.
Blissful Pinks and Purples
Certain soft pinks and lavenders contain enough pure red to feel soothing instead of overly stimulating. These pastel colors conjure tranquility and comfort. Many rehabilitation facilities and counseling centers integrate pinks and purples for their inherent calming abilities.
From pale lilacs to muted mauves and dusty rose tones, these color hues can instantly soothe our minds and promote deep sleep and relaxation long term.
What the Experts Say
The intricate relationship between color, our psyche, and our living spaces has caught the attention of experts worldwide. Here’s what some of the leading color psychologists have to say.
On Warm Colors and Energetic Ambience
While a cool, calming color scheme can be tranquil, sometimes we crave spaces that energize and uplift. “Warm colors (red, yellow, and orange) tend to provide the room with an energetic and welcoming atmosphere,” says Sanam Hafeez, Psy.D. These fiery shades boost moods and promote lively spaces.
“We all have colors that we associate with happiness, and these can often be symbolic for us,” says Psychologist and Well-being Consultant Lee Chambers. “Warmer tones, like shades of pink, orange, and yellow, can boost our mood and provide us with a burst of energy, serving as slices of joy when we’re down.”
Cool Colors and a Calm Atmosphere
While warm shades evoke excitement, “cool colors (blue, green, and purple) tend to give the room a calm and easygoing mood,” according to Hafeez. “Light blue walls in your bedroom, for instance, can promote better sleep quality and tranquility.”
Cool tones promote relaxation and balance emotional extremes. “Perhaps you don’t want to walk around in that ‘high’ all the time,” explains fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen. “Instead, you may want to maintain emotional equilibrium and choose a more tranquil color, like blue, which signifies a calm, stable environment. Your mood within your house is your haven, and you may not want to fluctuate high-highs or low-lows through colors.”
On Context and Complexity
While experts have identified colors that generally evoke certain moods, the psychology behind color is far more complex. “One important thing to remember when choosing a healing color scheme is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ rule,” explains color psychology specialist Karen Haller. “Cultural differences, past experiences, and emotions can play a significant role in how people perceive color.”
As we embrace hues for their therapeutic benefits, it’s important to remember that our reactions are subjective, nuanced, and rooted in the subtleties of each space. “Yellow is known to elicit elevated spirits and joy, but keep in mind that a yellow wall won’t just be living alone — it will be living in the context of the room and the objects within it,” says Jean Lin, founder of the renowned design studio Colony. “So it’s important to stay true to each color’s natural psychological response while also creating inviting spaces.”
Incorporating expert psychological insights into interior design can make a world of difference in crafting spaces that look and feel good. With a balanced understanding of color psychology, homeowners can create environments that resonate with their emotional needs.
Integrating Calm Colors at Home
Ready to infuse your home with tranquil colors to boost your mental health? Follow these tips to incorporate serene shades that foster peace of mind.
Start Small With Accessories
Introduce calm color schemes by layering in decorative accents first. Try starting with pale blue and lavender throw pillows on a neutral sofa or hanging an abstract painting with soft greens and grays. Area rugs in muted tones and earthy patterns add harmony underfoot without overpowering a room.
Consider Lighting and Room Size
Light, ethereal tones like baby blue and ivory feel bright and airy in smaller rooms, creating a soothing retreat. Deeper shades of blue and green can prevent cavernous, empty feelings in large living areas or master suites. Also, ensure your lighting fixtures properly illuminate or enhance your color palette.
Vary Hues and Tones
Stick to one color family, like green or blue, but create depth and visual interest by layering in light, medium, and deep tones. For example, pair a moody navy accent wall with sky-blue curtains and a mint-green velvet sofa. Mixing saturations prevents monotony.
Accent With Wood Tones and Neutrals
Let serene colors stand out by pairing them with natural wood accents and quiet neutrals (e.g., cream, tan, or gray). For instance, soft peach walls feel vibrant against stone-gray quartz counters and oak shelving. This prevents the palette from feeling overwhelming.
Maximize Color Psychology
Select colors that suit each room’s purpose. Use a relaxing shade of sky blue in an office to promote concentration, or opt for tranquil taupes in the bedroom to encourage restful sleep. In a living room, lively green shades can aid socialization.
Enhance With Lighting
Illuminate calm colors strategically with lighting. Try accenting gray walls with bright white downlights or using warm vintage bulbs to highlight the richness of espresso-colored wood furniture.
Recommended Calm Color Palettes by Room
Want to integrate serene color combinations room-by-room to maximize cohesion and relaxation? Here are a few suggestions:
The Bedroom
Create a soothing, dreamy retreat with pale blue walls that conjure clear skies, soft gray linens that provide a comforting neutral backdrop, muted purple pillows and art that invite relaxation before sleep, and bright, clean eggshell trim that keeps the space feeling ethereal.
The Bathroom
Evoke the tranquility of the seashore with sea glass-green walls, sandy beige tile floors, and bright white grout. Chrome or nickel accents add a subtle shine, while yellow towels inject a cheery pop of color.
The Living Room
Promote easy, relaxed gatherings with warm tan sectional sofas, quiet cream rugs, and dusty blue throws. Natural wood end tables and picture frames can create an organic, grounded space.
The Kitchen and Dining Room
Set the stage for mindful cooking and dining with moss green cabinets that bring nature indoors, gray quartz countertops that offer subtle mineral hues, easy-to-clean white backsplashes that keep the aesthetic light, and a natural wood dining set that adds organic warmth.
The Office
Boost focus and clear thinking in your home office with ocean blue walls that are peaceful yet stimulating, green desk accessories that aid concentration, dove gray filing cabinets that recede gently into the background, and rich maple wood bookcases that provide an earthy, grounded foundation.
The Kaiyo Approach to Calm Interiors
This year, surround yourself with restorative hues that inspire mental clarity and renewal. Lean into colors’ emotional impact and curate a personal refuge that helps you face the world calmly. Turn your space into a relaxing oasis by infusing your home with calming shades backed by psychological research.
In addition to choosing psychology-approved colors, selecting pre-owned furniture from sustainable brands like Kaiyo allows you to refresh your space affordably. Our gently used inventory spans a variety of aesthetics to help you actualize your dream color palette.
You’ll find previously owned pieces in soft blues, deep emeralds, warm taupes, and more. Kaiyo strives to provide quality furniture that’s kind to your wallet and the planet. Remember, what’s old can be new again with a fresh coat of calming color.
