Have you ever wondered why a neutral room feels relaxing? Or why a room designed with bold red feels invigorating? It comes down to color psychology - or the association between a color and our emotions. Color is a powerful design tool that can impact the mood of a room in ways other decor elements can’t. In fact, it’s ability to create an atmosphere and set the mood makes it one of the most important and valuable tools in interior design. Whether you are redesigning your entire home or looking for the most motivating accent color to use in your home office, read on to discover how colors can impact our moods, productivity, relaxation and more.

BLUE

Blue is one of the most popular colors in interior design. In color psychology, it’s believed to slow down the heart rate, lower blood pressure and relax the mind. Deep blues are associated with loyalty, trust, intelligence and power, and it’s no surprise that it instills a sense of confidence, luxury, and elegance. Lighter shades of blue, on the other hand, are calming and tranquil. With these positive effects, shades of blues are perfect for any room and work well in combination with virtually any other color.

RED

As the most dramatic and intense color, red is strongly associated with ambition, action, creativity and passion. In interior design, it creates a strong first impression and instantly increases a room’s energy level. Red is thought to spur creativity and vigor, making it a popular choice for offices, and encourages romance, ideal for a bedroom. In living rooms and dining rooms, red draws people together and encourages companionship and conversation. With the ability to evoke such strong emotions, red is a color that works with any style - from rich burgundies in traditional design to the pop-art reds in contemporary decor. It’s vigor also makes it a popular accent to liven up neutrals such as treys and whites.

YELLOW

Synonymous with sunshine, yellow is energizing, warm and welcoming. With its close relationship to gold tones, yellow is also associated with prosperity and wisdom. Like many bright hues, though, it can be difficult to use as the predominant color in a room. Yet, statement yellow accents are uplifting and can make a space feel bright and sunny. In fact, this is why yellow is so often paired with grey in home decor.

GREEN

There’s no doubt that green is an invigorating/rejuvenating color, whether it’s a deep emerald shade or bright lime hue. In color psychology, green is associated with harmony, growth, freshness and peace. It immediately brings to mind the natural world and has a warmth that encourages comfort and togetherness. It’s no surprise, then, that green is becoming a popular paint choice for kitchen cabinets and is a go-to accent color in family rooms, living rooms and bedrooms. Green is also linked to money and ambition, making it a good choice for office spaces.

PINK

Don’t underestimate the power of pink. Closely associated with feminism, pink evokes nurturing emotions, such as love, compassion, joy and bliss. When used in interior design, it can help a space feel warm and comforting, and saturated pinks, such as magenta and fuscia, can evoke glamour. On its own, too much pink can feel youthful and playful, but pair it with secondary hues such as caramel shade to brown for a sophisticated look or with blues to balance the femininity.

PURPLE

Symbolizing elegance, royalty, wealth and creativity, the color purple has strong ties to luxury in interior design. Depending upon the hue, however, it can be dramatic and moody or calm and confident. Use purple in your design plans to bring in a sense of regal elegance or in bold accents to spur creative impulses and energize a space.

ORANGE

Orange symbolizes sunshine, nature, passion and adventure. This vibrant shade is stimulating, energizing and can even increase appetite, making it a popular color choice in restaurants, gyms, and offices. Yet, despite these positive associations, orange can also be linked to feelings of aggression, dominance and overstimulation.

BLACK

Nothing is as versatile and elegant as the color black. It signifies simplicity, sophistication and functionality, and as a result is strongly associated with modern design. In color psychology, black can also signify depression, control and foreboding, and a predominately black design scheme can feel overwhelming and gloomy. Yet, black is an excellent contrast to other neutrals or paired with vibrant colors, such as red, for a sophisticated, chic and modern flair.

WHITE

White is both a great neutralizer and a powerful color in its own right. Symbolizing peace, tranquility, harmony and cleanliness, white has a calming effect and can help lower the heart rate and blood pressure. In fact, if you are decorating with vibrate or dark colors, adding white elements into a space reduces visual tension. White is also associated with trust, efficiency, and productivity, making it closely associated to feelings of prosperity, luxury and elegance.

GREY

Grey is one of the most versatile and controversial colors in interior design. It’s linked to feelings of security and intelligence and is also associated with elegance and style. In some people, it creates a sense of calm and composure, but in others it can be depressing. The extent to which grey is used in the home, therefore, depends upon an individual’s personal association with the color. In any event, it’s a great neutralizer and light greys can be used successfully to balance bright and vibrant tones. Deep grey accents can be used to add touches of sophistication or modernity to a space, as well.

BROWN

Brown is a reassuring color, linked to feelings of comfort, coziness and relaxation. It also symbolizes stability and structure making it ideal for use in the heart of the home - the kitchen. Combined with other natural materials, such as stone and metal, brown hues help create a timeless color palette. Since brown tends to relax the senses, large doses of it in interior design can feel heavy and somber. To combat this, pair brown with vibrant hues, such as green, and neutrals.