The Science Behind Color and Emotions
Ever wonder why walking into a certain room instantly makes you feel relaxed or energized? It’s not magic – it’s color psychology at work. Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Given that 90% of snap judgments are influenced by the psychological effects of color alone, it’s important to know what colors mean and what responses they can elicit. Humans seem to systematically and reliably associate colours with emotions, such as yellow with joy, black with sadness, light colours with positive and dark colours with negative emotions. Colors indeed have an effect on whether people feel warm, cool, calm, invited, relaxed, or uninvited. Recent studies using virtual reality and eye-tracking tools found that colors can lift our mood and lower anxiety and depression. This works by changing how we view our environment.
Blues for Peace and Productivity
Different tints of blue evoke a wide spectrum of emotions, from serene to distant. Light shades of blue have a calming effect and also signal dependability. Health care offices often paint their walls light blue to soothe anxious patients. Blues and greens are ideal for bedrooms due to their calming effect derived from their biophilic qualities. These colors are soft and muted and can create a relaxing ambiance for the bedroom. It has been proven that different shades of blue can improve concentration, stimulate thinking, and provide mental clarity. It also improves productivity, making it a great color to surround yourself with when studying and working. For the ultimate peaceful bedroom, Mapped Blue is Dutch Boy Paints’ 2025 Color of the Year and a great pick if you want to add personality to a bedroom. It’s a versatile medium-tone blue with subtle yellow undertones that provides a dependable foundation for homeowners’ evolving personal styles.
Greens for Balance and Focus
The color green has associations with the natural world, generating tranquil and rejuvenating moods. Sage green is excellent for helping you concentrate, providing a tranquil environment that encourages focus and clarity. A lighter olive green adds a bit more energy to your space, making it feel lively yet still grounded. A soft green or sage color can create a peaceful environment in your home office, making it easier to focus and stay productive. Green also pairs well with natural wood tones and earthy accents. Green communicates calmness, comfort, and peacefulness. Green is a soothing color that doesn’t cause eye fatigue and helps balance the mind, body, and emotions, which helps boost creativity. Voted the most popular wall colour on Instagram, green has been praised for its ‘refreshing quality’ which can help to clear the mind. Green can be particularly stimulating to those who are striving for personal growth as it subconsciously reminds us of the natural world.
Yellow for Energy and Happiness
As a light and bright shade, yellow is an energizing color that provokes feelings of happiness and optimism. The intensity and brightness of yellow catch the eye, producing both positive and negative effects. Yellow can stimulate mental activity, boost confidence and enhance memory. Moreover, it’s the colour of sunshine and represents joy and optimism! As such, adding a splash of yellow might help you become more productive and positive. Yellows: Stimulate optimism, energy, and creativity. However, too much yellow (especially shades with a deep saturation) can cause eyestrain and feelings of frustration. Many people use yellow to create a warm, friendly, positive feeling in the kitchen, the heart of the home. It’s especially good to use in rooms that don’t naturally get a lot of light. Kitchens are great rooms to paint yellow as it brightens your mood and increases your energy—something we usually all need in the morning as we make our way to the kettle. A soft, subtle yellow is the mood-booster night owls will need in the morning.
Pink for Comfort and Sophistication
Warm and vibrant pinks bring a happy, uplifting feel to any space. They are hopeful and empowering even in their most delicate shade, like C2 Paint’s gentle Pillow Talk C2-514. Warmer pinks are said to increase energy and motivation, while pastels (like Foxglove C2-512, a sorbet shade that leans towards a rosy peach) bring a relaxing feel to a space. Pink is one of the most recognizable colors that makes people happy and is culturally tied to ideas like love, innocence, optimism, and femininity. While pink is thought of as a happy color, the deeper the pink, the more energy it gives you. Warm pink shades like Rosé Season evoke a sense of optimism and have a joyful, happy feel. Crisp, bright, and a little bit sweet, this fresh shade of pink reminds us of full glasses with great friends. Creamy Freesia #M130-2 is a light pink, which is known to help concentration for creative jobs and visual design. The energy of the shade brings inspiration without becoming distracting, which is helpful for home offices.
Red for Power and Passion
The primary color red evokes some of the most intense moods and emotions. With connections to love, passion, anger, and danger, red has a powerful impact on the human body. It generates a stimulating effect, increasing a person’s heart rate and energy levels. Exposure to this colour may boost your energy levels and help combat feelings of tiredness or fatigue. As red also represents power and strength, it can increase your motivation and confidence levels. Red evokes passion, adventure and optimism. It elevates the energy in the room and creates a sense of excitement. However, Red may increase blood pressure, respiration and heart rate, so use it with caution if you want to avoid this type of stimulation. Red causes people to react with greater speed and force, something that might be helpful during athletic activities according to researchers. For bedroom use, consider muted reds like Ruby Dusk by Benjamin Moore is a muted red shade that can work great in your bedroom. While red is usually considered to be loud, with the right undertones, you can make red feel peaceful. Ruby Dusk, for example, has subtle brown undertones that give it extra depth but make it feel more neutral at the same time.
Orange for Creativity and Warmth
Orange is a bright and cheerful hue that sparks feelings of happiness. A combination of yellow and red, this colour signifies creativity, optimism and enthusiasm. Orange is a bold and energetic color that can boost your mood and motivation. It’s known to stimulate creativity and enthusiasm, making it an excellent choice for a creative workspace. Orange creates an energetic vibe. It can spark your sense of enthusiasm and make you excited while stimulating your creativity. Orange also offers a sense of warmth and can make your space feel cozy. Peach is a warm and inviting color of comfort, giving you a variety of similar orange tones to create a happy home environment. No matter if it’s a pastel peach or a bright apricot, this color of happiness has been shown to stir a variety of feelings like friendliness, vitality, and encouragement. As a shade of orange, terra cotta is one of the best colors for the kitchen and is linked to whipping up creativity while also remaining grounded. During your next kitchen remodel, consider adding terra cotta for a splash of color that will warm up the room and get your creative juices flowing.
Purple for Wisdom and Creativity
If you need to get some work (or deep thinking) done, turn to purple, which is associated with wisdom and spirituality. Purple is the color of creativity. It is commonly associated with imagination and wisdom. The color of royalty and majesty, a deep, rich purple is a great interior paint color to use if you’re looking to spark creativity. Deep plums and violets can also bring a sense of balance into your space. Purple can be incredibly regal and chic but also relaxing thanks to its calm blue undertones. Although lavender is usually associated with peace and serenity, choosing a subdued variant of this colour will help it transition from too sweet to elegant. Muted lavender—a delicate pastel with a tinge of gray—is perfect for bedrooms that want to mix a color with peace. This soft purple colour is linked with relaxation. Hence, it is ideal for calm sleeping surroundings. Ahh, lavender. One look at this tranquil hue and you can envision a sea of the fragrant blooms that it’s named for. This is one of our absolute favorites for the bedroom and is as sophisticated, feminine and romantic as it is calming.
Neutral Colors for Versatility and Calm
If white doesn’t excite you, you may want to consider a light neutral like gray, which still offers a sense of cleanliness and brightness but with added depth and warmth. Light neutrals appear airy and soft, which helps create the calming and comforting environment people seek in their bedroom. Warm neutrals are another ever-popular option, known for their calming effects. Think of a soft champagne with just enough shimmer to put you in a great mood. The tint of warmth makes the room feel welcoming. Its neutral tone provides a flexible canvas that can accommodate various activities, from work to relaxation. Pairing warm beige with natural elements like wood and greenery can enhance the cozy, welcoming feel of your office. Moreover, beige has a calming effect, making it easier to maintain a relaxed and focused state of mind. If stark white feels too harsh, or you’re simply interested in something a bit softer, look to creams and soothing beiges. These earthy-meet-upscale neutrals are the perfect slate for a minimalist bedroom, while exuding a warm, cozy feeling on their own. Grey stands as the second most popular wall colour – and is a timeless choice for many homes around the UK. According to Lee, it ‘provides a crisp and refreshing atmosphere’ which is known to ‘increase productivity’.
White for Clarity and Freshness
A classic cool white creates a relaxing, serene atmosphere that enhances natural light and promotes restful sleep. Its versatility allows for easy coordination with various decor styles, while its clean, minimalist look reduces visual clutter and fosters a sense of calm in the room. White is particularly beneficial for small home offices or those with limited natural light. By maximizing light reflection, white walls can make the space feel more open and inviting. Pairing white with minimalist decor and sleek furniture can create a modern, clutter-free environment that enhances productivity. Furthermore, white symbolizes purity and simplicity, which can help in maintaining a clear and focused mind, free from distractions. Nothing gives a clean, crisp vibe better than the color white—especially Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. It sets the tone for my whole morning. White symbolises purity and harmony. Injecting this colour into your home may clear your mind of negative thoughts that are weighing you down.
Dark Colors for Sophistication and Grounding
If you want to go bold, navy is a great choice: It’s a deep and dramatic color that adds instant sophistication and depth to any space while still maintaining its neutrality. Some studies even say deeper shades enhance sleeping environments and can help people fall asleep quicker due to their deep relaxing tones that are reminiscent of a dreamy night sky. Navy blue is a timeless choice for a polished, professional home office. This deep shade promotes focus and confidence, making it ideal for work that requires concentration. It brings a sense of sophistication and style. Like a cozy cup of coffee or a quiet forest stroll, deep brown is steeped in tranquility. Rich brown paint colors evoke earthy hues found in nature and truly envelop a room, allowing you to relax and recharge. Choose a shade that veers toward gray for a versatile neutral calm bedroom paint color that complements both warm and cool tones. Benjamin Moore’s New Providence Navy is a great calming paint color for grounding a space in sophistication. Dark colors are often thought of as dreary or overbearing, but when used with plenty of natural light and lighter accents, they can help to cocoon a space in calm.
Teal and Turquoise for Balance and Creativity
Teal combines the calming qualities of blue with the rejuvenating energy of green. This versatile color can create a serene and productive environment in your home office. Teal is an excellent choice for those seeking a color that promotes both focus and relaxation. Its unique blend of blue and green can create a balanced atmosphere that supports a variety of work activities. Additionally, teal has been found to foster clear thinking and open communication, which are crucial for productivity and effective decision-making. From aquamarine to cerulean blue, turquoise is the go-to palette for vibrant, spiritual connotations, and strong statements. Paradise Landscape #P460-6 is a deep teal that adds a relaxing atmosphere for teams and solo workers alike. This shade can help soften ambient lights that may otherwise seem harsh when working at a desk for hours. Sheila Bridge’s office nook is painted in a cheerful shade of teal that is sure to spark creativity.
Think about how each morning you’ll wake up surrounded by colors that either lift your spirits or drain your energy. These aren’t just aesthetic choices – they’re decisions that shape your daily emotional landscape. Whether you need the calming embrace of sage green for better focus, the energizing boost of sunny yellow for productivity, or the sophisticated grounding of navy blue for confidence, your paint color becomes your daily companion in creating the mood you desire. What color will transform your
A visionary in modern design, Nate Berkman is known for his ability to blend timeless elegance with personal storytelling. With years of experience in high-end interiors, his book Living with Style explores how to create meaningful spaces that reflect individuality.