Have you ever thought about how colors impact your mood? Some colors can make you feel warm and cozy, others are soothing, and some are invigorating. Businesses use color psychology to sway you in one direction or the other, but how are you using it in your home? When you’re decorating your home, you can define different spaces and create a unique ambiance in each one based on the colors you choose.

The first step is to consider how you want each room to feel. The bedrooms, for instance, should be soothing and relaxing, peaceful, and calm. In the living room, you want people to feel relaxed, but you also want to promote camaraderie and lively conversation. A bathroom should feel calming and spa-like, while a kitchen should feel cheerful, energetic, and cozy. In the dining room, it’s good to use colors that stimulate appetite, while avoiding those that supress it.

So, which colors fall into these different categories? Bright, warm colors create a cheerful energy, while cool colors are soothing and peaceful. Neutrals can be cozy and comforting, and dramatic shades can create a dreamy mood. Let’s take a look at some specific colors and how they’re best used.

• Blue is an important color in home design. Subtle blues can be soothing, cool, and calm, with a zen-like aura. Dark blues, on the other hand, can make some people melancholy. A warm shade of blue is good for a gathering space because it can make the room feel engaging, while cool blues make rooms feel larger. Because blues are calming and have been shown to lower respiration and heart rate, they’re perfect for bedrooms, though it’s best to avoid going too pastel, which can make a room feel too cold. In fact, there are so many different shades of blue that they can be used in just about every room, except the dining room. Blue in a dining room tends to make people sleepier and less hungry.
• Green is a lively color, with a wide range of shades that play well with others. It signifies luck, hope, abundance, and eco-consciousness. It can be crisp, green, and elegant or create a restful, cool environment. Because it’s believed to reduce stress and promote fertility, it’s a great choice for a bedroom. It’s also perfect for a cozy kitchen or restful living room, but this is another shade best left out of the dining room.
• Purple can be dramatic or calming, depending on the shade. Purples always make a big impression, whether you’re going for bright violet, soft lavender, deep eggplant, or anything in between. It looks great with jewel tones and lighter colors, and works well in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms.
• Neutral colors include beige, brown, gray, black, and white. Beige can take on the personalities of other colors in the room, making it a great option for a background color. It can be warm or cool and goes well with red, gray, brown, and black, and can be calming. Brown is similarly soothing and versatile, and it can feel cozy and welcoming, making people feel grounded and secure. It can have a rustic appeal or create a sophisticated environment. Gray used to be considered formal, but is now popular for just about all styles of décor. It can be warm or cool, can create an atmosphere of focus and calm, and goes well with black and white. White is timeless and calming, and it makes rooms feel more spacious and open. Black, in the right circumstances, can be dramatic and stunning. While it can create an interesting look used as a whole room color, it is typically best used as an accent. Neutrals can be used in almost any room, though black is not good for dining rooms.
• Red is the most exciting color. It’s visually and mentally stimulating, giving a boost of adrenaline and stirring up excitement. It can make people hungry, which is why restaurants use it, so it works well in a dining room. It’s too much for a bedroom, though warmer shades like cinnabar can be warm and welcoming. Red accents attract without overwhelming, so if you’re not ready to paint an entire room, consider putting in some pops of red to draw the eye.
• Orange is a bright and energetic color. Not ready for red? Maybe orange is more your speed. A happy color, orange works just about anywhere, making people feel sociable and lively. It’s perfect for brightening up drab spaces and can be traditional, contemporary, old world, or rustic. It brings too much energy for a bathroom or living room, but is great in spaces like playrooms and workout rooms.
• Yellow is uplifting and energetic. It works well in kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and playrooms, creating a cheery, inviting atmosphere. Yellow is perfect for a living room flooded with natural light, and it works beautifully with traditional and rustic furniture, but can also slide right into contemporary décor. Steer clear of yellow in the bedroom, though, because it’s not very restful.
• Pink is not just for a little girl’s room. It actually a calming color, strongly connected to the feminine attributes of compassion, gentleness, and nurturing. Mix it with hues like teal, gray and orange to give it depth and keep it from looking too childish, and it’s perfect for an office or a bedroom.

Whether you need a paint job or a larger renovation, Capitol Design Build can help. We’ve been performing custom remodeling since 1989 and building custom, high-end homes in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area for 29 years. We serve businesses and individuals in Virginia, Washington D.C, and Maryland, meeting every need from kitchen renovation and bathroom remodeling to custom home design and building. With experience spanning many disciplines, including engineering, design, remodeling, construction, and customer service, we look forward to working with you. Feel free to shop our website, call us at (703) 436-6919, or contact us online for a free, no-obligation estimate.