How colour in the home can affect your mood
While many of us are still working from home, now is the perfect time to take a look around at the colours in your home and consider the effect it might be having on your mood. You might be surprised at the changes a few small tweaks can bring.
Colour gives your home personality; it’s one of the single most effective ways to make your house feel like a home.
Elisabeth VanDyk, Dulux colour consultant, says colour throughout your home’s interiors can create interest in certain areas and help encourage a flow from room to room. For example:
The home office
If the home office is where you’re finding yourself spending most days.
Consider what colours are there, whether the furniture arrangement is making the most of the space and whether you can see some greenery.
If you’re constantly feeling stressed and overwhelmed when spending time in that space, maybe consider swapping a few things around?
Views of greenery have been found to make workers more productive and happier, so the first thing to do is to change around the desk so it includes a view of the window. Or consider adding some indoor greenery.
The living room
A living room is where a large portion of your time at home will be spent. It’s a place with countless functions, from relaxing with a good book and enjoying a movie night, to making memories with family and catching up with friends.
It’s the backdrop for life’s little moments, and so it should have a colour palette to reflect these ups and downs and consistent changes.
In the lounge room, you’re invited to get creative with the use of colour in your homewares and decor, usually made up of art, trinkets, display items and soft furnishings.
If you’re looking for something a little less predictable, try sage greens.
“Green tones within the home help to connect us to nature, Everyone knows about the benefits to your wellbeing that nature has, and you can extend this sense of rejuvenation by bringing green inside your home.”
From a muted green sofa to decorating with real indoor plants, pops of green are encouraged throughout this space and your entire home, too.
The master bedroom
Choosing the right colour palette for your bedroom will give you the best possible chance at a good night’s sleep.
Soft blues, muted pinks, grey-toned neutrals, calming greens, lavender, and soft yellow are all proven to bring about a sense of calm.
The kitchen
Often thought of as the heart of the home, the kitchen should feel like a place for happiness and sharing, whether you’re sharing the last slice of cake, or the story of your day.
To help encourage this feeling, try yellow, as the ideal shade for this space.
“Yellow brings about optimism and hope, so letting it into your kitchen creates happiness in the right balance.”
This doesn’t mean painting all four walls a brilliant shade of banana, but rather considering incorporating bright pops in your appliances or even through counter top blooms.
Kids’ bedrooms
There aren’t many rules when it comes to decorating your children’s bedrooms with colour, but there are a few key shades to consider.
Looking to create calm? Try pink! “Pink is used more and more in schools and even prisons and hospitals for its calming effect.
“Using a pink in your home, whether in decor or accessories, will have a similar effect.”
Other shades to consider include orange for motivation, blues for a calming effect, and yellow to spark imagination.
Are the colours in your home creating the right mood?