I’m back with more advice about using color to craft the perfect mood for each unique space in your house. If you haven’t seen part one yet, check it out here. Non-traditional colors are a risk that’s well worth the pay off, and you may be surprising to find how much a few well-placed vibrant walls boost the sophistication and beauty of your home. Most of all, though, remember that you are crafting the spaces where you will live your life. Make sure that everything about your home is designed to support your happiness by creating just the right feel to each room.
We’ve talked about how the colors in each room should align with what you want to accomplish there and what kinds of activities are most likely to take place. One thing you might not think about, however, is that you see yourself most in your own home. This comes into play especially in the bedroom and bathroom.
Think about it, this is where you see yourself most often, whether you’re standing in front of the bedroom mirror or catching a brief glimpse of your own reflection over the sink throughout the day. Your home should make you feel great about yourself, and so should the colors. Never paint the bathroom a color that you wouldn’t wear! If yellow washes you out, don’t surround yourself with it in the one place where you’re most likely to form your own personal impression of your looks. Here are a few colors that tend to flatter as well as creating the right mood.
Blue captures a calm, restful mood perfect for bedrooms. It’s even said to have an effect on the body, slowing heart rate and bringing down blood pressure. Blue is also a good choice for a home office, as it’s the most productive color. Pick your shade carefully, though. Some shades of blue that look great on the paint chip can turn out surprisingly chilly instead of relaxingly cool when applied to a whole wall, while going too dark can bring the mood past serene and into sad. Stay with fresh, soft blues and you’ll create a perfect oasis of calm.
Purple is the color of opulence, long associated with royalty. Painting a wall a rich, layered purple can be an easy way to up the elegance factor and create a sense of luxury — a room that will feel like you are always treating yourself. The risk is that it can look overblown, an overt display of wealth and drama, but if you find the right balance with accents it can be a bold and sophisticated move that won’t easily be forgotten. Lighter shades of purple like lilac and lavender feel more relaxed and help to stimulate creativity and inspiration, making it a good option for the home office. The right shade of light purple can also provide a smoothed out and warmed up version of blue, with the same restful effects so desirable for the bedroom without the risk of being cold or melancholy.
Brown might seem like an odd choice, but it can actually be an incredibly welcoming color. Think warm shades of cocoa in the spaces where you’ll be cuddling up. A rich, warm brown feels wonderfully cozy and safe and is perfect for helping people feel comfortable and snug as they connect and unwind together. Invoke intimacy in a family den, or cocoon yourself in your favorite nook where you can curl up with a good book and lots of pillows.
Jutta Curatolo is an interior design enthusiast and lover of beautiful things.