Choosing Colour Combinations for Your Home That Will Positively Affect Your Mood on a Daily Basis

Your environment has a huge impact on your day to day mood. If your home is a mess or falling apart then that has psychological implications. They say ‘tidy space, tidy mind.’ Well I am hopeless with house keeping. I love a good clear out but I have a child and two jobs so yes my house is messy and I’m no Mrs Hinch (I’ve only just learned who she is).

So how do I make my home a feel good space? I add colour.

My house is a colourful place. I used to live in a magnolia flat and it was so dull. I was the first place I ever had with my husband and we loved it but there wasn’t much light so we needed colour. Vibrant colours work for me but they’re not for everyone. Bright colours make me feel happy - purples, pinks and oranges bring to mind summer flowers and warmth - but why is that?

How Colour Affects Mood

This is a colour wheel - something that artists and interior designers refer to on a regular basis.

Hand Painted Colour Wheel Showing How Primary Colours Combine to Make Secondary Colours

A colour wheel can help you choose colours that work well together - where you want vibrant of calming, invigorating or relaxing.

Complimentary Colours

Complimentary colours are the ones that sit opposite on the wheel, e.g yellow and purple. Complimentary colours make each other look better because they contrast.

These are great if you want a main colour with an accent that pops. For example, we have recently done up our dining room in a deep wine purple with mustard accents. Previously, it was a cool lilac that felt juvenile and cold - the room doesn’t get a lot of light and I wanted it to feel cosy.

Complimentary Colour Pairings Created in Watercolour

You will have heard the saying ‘red and green should never be seen’ but I believe this to be nonsense - they are complimentary colours so they make each other pop. You probably don’t want a room filled with Scarlett red and grass green but accents of the two (or versions of the two colours in deeper hues) can look fabulous. Let’s face it - poppies and a combination of red and green and they’re beautiful.

The final combination is blue and orange. Again, the hue that you choose matters.

These combinations can be subtle. A baby blue and peach combination can be very relaxing but for a zestier look then pairing the baby blue with a bright orange accent can energise a room.

A coral orange is always going to be a bold choice but will bring a warmth to the area and have a lot of punch against a royal blue.

For softer looks, try grey blues. Grey hues can ease you into colour if it’s something that scares you. Then you can add more vibrant touches gradually with artwork and accessories.

Harmonious Colours

Choosing a colour family in the harmony variety is often more calming as they sit comfortably together and there is no jarring. Harmonious colours are the ones that sit together in the colour wheel.

Harmonious Colour Families

Again, how light or dark the colour is has an impact on the mood but as a general rule the three closest colours to each other work in harmony and create a calm environment.

Warm & Cool Colours

Warm & cool colours are probably the most important to pay attention to when creating a mood in a room. Cool colours will create a refreshing and relaxing environment such as you might want for laying in a bubble bath and washing away your worries. On the other hand, warm colours create a cosy atmosphere that’s ideal for curling up with a book and a glass of wine/cup of tea.

Warm Colours Versus Cool Colours Watercolour Illustration

Workspace Colouring

In business, you build upon your values in order to gain the trust of your ideal customer. Colour can have a subtle but important impact on this. Equally, when creating a home office, you want to ensure that the space encourages you to be creative and productive. If you work in the healing sector then green could work for you. If you want to be ambitious then purple is your go to. Take a look at this illustration from the London Image Institute to learn more.

How Different Rooms Need to Make us Feel

Now that you have a grasp on colour theory, it’s time to zone the moods. How do you want each room to make you feel? Use this table to jot down your ideas.

Taking Inspiration From Your Favourite Things

If starting from a colour is still too much then there’s another way to get started. Start with one room and choose one item that you love and want to keep. Pick out a key colour from that item and then build a mood from there. Do you want the room to pop? If so choose a complimentary colour. Do you want a relaxed mood? Go for colours that work in harmony. Here are two mood boards to show the two directions you could go in.

Harmony

Yellow, Green and Blue Harmony Dining Room Mood Board

Complimentary

Deep Purple and Mustard Complimentary Colours Dining Room Mood Board

Final Tips

Deep tones and metallics create a luxury feel - a little bit of metallic sprinkled through a room can make a big impact. Too much can send a room the other way. Placing metallics against a deep jewel colour makes the reflection of the light all the more special.

Go with your gut - the room needs to work for you. Its not about selling your home so choose accessories and colours that make you feel good.

Try it on for size - using paint tester pots or coloured papers and fabrics, you can see how the colours work in the room. All colours change in different lights

How will you choose colours for your next room update? Let me know in the comments.