Your neutral paint scheme may go with everything, but all that beige and grey can really get you down. Lift your mood and colour your life, with our tips on selecting colours to suit every mood.
Whether we realise it or not, different colours cause us to react differently, everyday. On a bright, sunny day, for instance, we feel energised and optimistic, and on a dark, rainy day we just want to hide under the covers and until the rain stops.
We know that the colours of the weather can affect our mood, so why not bring those colours indoors, so it’s sunny everyday. Try these tips:
Happy: Greens and Yellows
Nothing beats joyful rays of sunshine in the kitchen than a splash of yellow, but the kitchen isn’t the only place you can splash a little upbeat colour. A light shade of orange, like apricot, in the living room will help lift your mood, but is also balancing and grounding. Or if you’re looking for something more neutral, try a pale green. Green is nature’s neutral—in the garden it sets off all the other colours competing for attention—and it’s also right in the middle of the colour spectrum, forming a bridge between cool and warm colours.
Calm: Cool Blues
Is your job stressful? Then calm the home-office down with a nice shade of vibrant blue. Or if an entire room of blue would leave you feeling seasick, try using a smaller dose—use a blue colour to accent one or two walls, and finish off with a white or cream colour, which will help create a soothing focal point in your otherwise stressful work-life.
Energy: Reds and Violets
Conventional wisdom says to use red as an accent because it’s too intense and attention-grabbing in large amounts. But, if you choose a softer hue, it’s great for spaces where the family gathers, and if you offset the red with a light green hue—on the opposite side of the colour spectrum—it will reduce the intensity and create a friendly, cheerful space to gather. In the bedroom, a nice shade of violet works as a great alternative to blue and also adds a kick of energy, too. Try paler shades on the walls and offset that with deeper shade on the ceiling.
Give your mood and much-needed boost and bring the outdoors in!
