5 Ways Color Can Make You Happier and Healthier at Home
After more than a year spent in quarantine, our attention is hyper focused on our living spaces. And depending on how content you are with your indoor environment, this added awareness can either be good or bad for your mental health and overall well-being. We know there are myriad ways to feel happier and healthier at home, from improving fresh air ventilation to maximizing natural light, but did you know that incorporating pleasing hues into your home can also improve your overall well-being? Here are five ways to think about adding color in your home.
Choosing the right color for the right room is one way to boost the mood you want to feel in each space. Ask yourself how you want to feel when you’re curled up in your favorite reading nook or gathered in a living room.
The overall mood you identify for a room can be cultivated and enhanced through swaths or pops of color. Color can infuse spaces with a sense of energy, so consider calm and cooling tones for private spaces where you seek peace and quiet, or bold and energetic bolts of color in gathering spaces, like the dining room or patio.
The question to ask yourself is: What do I want to feel in this space, and what color will help foster that mood? Beyond the colors on the walls, consider how window frame color further accentuates a mood. Black windows, for example, can add a sense of attention and gravity to a space, while white window frames blend into light-saturated rooms.
Permission to Embrace Your Personality through Color
It can be daunting and sometimes intimidating to bring color into your home, especially if it’s a color that lies outside your comfort zone. While turning to neutrals when painting your walls can feel like the safest choice, know that interior designers give enthusiastic permission for their clients to embrace their personalities through color.
In other words, homogenous design is out and personality is in. So, ask yourself what brings you joy, what your story is, and how can color reflect that?
Perhaps you love traveling and want to see traces of your travels through color, or maybe you’re an avid theatergoer and seeing shades from your favorite productions shows off a side of your personality. Or maybe cerulean blue simply puts a smile on your face.
Whatever it is that makes your personality bloom, don’t be afraid to embrace it in your home through color. Harmonious integration of your personality at home boosts positive emotions, which in turn promotes happier, healthier living.
Repetition and pattern are pleasing to the senses. This is why a piece of music is written with a repeating chorus or phrasing, or a geometric pattern woven into a tapestry mesmerizes the eye.
When you think about the visual appeal of a space, repetition can be a clever tool for instilling a sense of pleasing order and expectation. Interior Stylist Jay Nuhring says color can be a way the eye scans a room. If you employ color as a theme that repeats itself within a space, you can create an immersive experience that stirs emotion or sparks joy. Repetition of a window element can frame the colors of a landscape in an aesthetically pleasing way, too.
“Listen to the architecture,” Nuhring says. “Have a conversation with the house and take your cues from what’s in the home.”
Photo by Andrea Rugg Pay Attention to Natural Light’s Interplay with Color
The amount of natural light a room receives can have a dramatic effect on the colors you choose for your space. Whether it’s a paint color for your walls or the colors of decorative items like throw pillows or a vase, the amount of natural light can shift the vibrancy of the colors in a powerful way.
So, pay attention to the position of your windows, note the direction they face, and play to the shifting sunlight over the course of the day. A room that maximizes natural light, air, and views can be further enhanced by complex colors that complement the vibe and subtly shift as the daytime hours pass.
As you consider your windows, you might ask, “What color window is best?” The answer will vary, depending on the room, so it’s nice when you have access to a variety of window color and design options. A soft-hued wood stain for your window interior can play off a delicate color palette, while a Designer Black painted window interior can make a statement. Pay attention to how natural light enters the room and let that influence your decision when customizing window options.
Use Color to Improve Your Bedroom Sanctuary
Your bedroom should be a retreat where the Zzzs come easy and relaxation washes over you. The colors you choose for your bedroom sanctuary can accentuate the effect of the room, bolstering your well-being by improving your sleep experience.
With that in mind, consider painting your ceiling a color that grounds you. This can make your bedroom feel like a stylish cocoon where you can curl up and snooze. Avoid drastic contrasting colors in the bedroom in order to encourage restful vibes and soothing, easy-on-the-eye transitions of color. Anything you can do to enhance a full night's sleep will improve your well-being.