Certain hues can have a huge impact on the way you feel in your abode. And while some shades can have you feeling happy and inspired, others may be secretly dragging you down.
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 – whether splashed across your walls or dotted throughout your homewares and decor – can create interest in certain areas and help encourage flow from room to room.
This space evokes a sense of calm immediately. Picture: Bagnoli Architects / Ari Hatzis
But colours, she says, can also have a huge impact on the way you feel within your space. And while some hues can encourage happiness and tranquillity, others can make you feel agitated, stressed, and even sad. Here, Elisabeth runs us through the hues we should be embracing throughout the major zones in our abodes and warns us of the palettes we should perhaps be avoiding.
See more: Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2019 is Living Coral
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, which makes neutral colours ideal for your walls.
Neutrals create a stunning backdrop for everyday life. Picture: Ross Campbell
If you’re looking for something a little less predictable, Elisabeth makes a strong case for sage greens.
“Green tones within the home help to connect us to nature,” she says. “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.
See more: Playful colours and geometric shapes give this condo a visual upsize
The master bedroom
Choosing the right colour palette for your bedroom will give you the best possible chance at a good night’s sleep, says Elisabeth.
Her picks? “Soft blues, muted pinks, grey-toned neutrals, calming greens, lavender, and soft yellow” as they’re all proven to bring about a sense of calm.
Does a 1920s vintage Art Deco chandelier float your boat? Picture: Realestate.com.au/buy
“I like using a different colour scheme in the master bedroom that’s not seen in the rest of your house. “It signals your brain that coming into the bedroom means it’s time to sleep, not work.”
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 while propped up on the kitchen bench.
To help encourage this feeling, Elisabeth suggests 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 countertop blooms.
Yellow makes for a bright and happy kitchen. Picture: Tatjana Plitt
See more: 5 trendy colours and how to use them in the home
The study
Looking to decorate your study for optimum motivation and creativity? Try bright tones like orange and yellows.
Elisabeth says: “A study or home office in these colours, besides creating a happy and uplifting feeling, will simulate the left side of your brain. “This will result in clearer, more analytical, and more fast-paced thinking, and will potentially help you to identify issues quickly and improve decision-making.”
Orange tones are said to enhance creativity. Hello, big-ticket idea! Picture: Bree Leech / Mike Baker
The home gym
There’s not always the need for a red room, but those with the space for a home gym may wish to consider embracing the energetic hue in this space.
“Certain colours like red and orange can raise your blood pressure and make you feel as if you need to rip into action and get things done. “And while this is great for a home gym, be warned, it’s not ideal in a place where you actually want to relax, like a living room or bedroom.”
Bright colours spark creativity. Picture: WOWOWA Architecture / Martina Gemmola
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,” Elisabeth says. “Using 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 the imagination.
Bright colours are welcomed in kids’ bedrooms. Picture: Heatherly Design
Originally published as How colour in the home affects your mood by Katie Skelly. Author at realestate.com.au.
