Paint Color Psychology: How Different Colors Affect Our Mood and Behavior

Choosing the paint color for your property does more than just impact its appearance. It also affects your mood and that of other occupants. This phenomenon is known as color psychology.

Homeowners can use this to their advantage and use paint color psychology to create a relaxing space. Meanwhile, business owners can choose paint colors that boost your mood and encourage purchases.

If you want to maximize paint color to positively affect mood, you are in luck, as this guide summarizes the relationship between colors and mood.

Color Psychology Is Somewhat Subjective

Before exploring color psychology, remember that everyone is different. You might ask, “Do colors affect our behavior?” The answer is a definite yes, though it will still vary for each person. All the information about paint colors and moods is based on what affects most people, but there will be outliers. Scientists still want to do much more research in this field, considering there is also plenty of cultural variation.

That said, the current research is more than enough for many businesses and residential interior designers to use paint color psychology when selecting colors. In the best-case scenario, you get the desired effects and a pretty color in a fresh coat of paint. In the worst-case scenario, you still have freshly painted walls in the color of your choice.

Black

Black delivers a little bit of an edge. It gives depth and can help you ground your color scheme. However, it is best to use black in smaller doses, such as applying it to accent walls or compartments.

Blue

Blue is very calming and soothing. It can lower blood pressure and slow heart rate and respiration. But you should be careful with using too much blue, as it is also connected to isolation and sadness.

Bathrooms or bedrooms are where blue is most commonly used.

Brown

Brown is a traditional color of comfort. This neutral color adds warmth and works well with traditional décor. It also delivers a feeling of sophistication and elegance. Brown is also versatile enough to work in any space of your home or business.

Gray

Gray is another versatile color that brings comfort and warmth. Choosing a lighter shade will give you a timeless, classic option. If you choose a darker shade, it will be more modern and edgy.

Like brown, gray will give you the versatility to be used in any kind of space.

Green

Green is connected to aspirational thinking, innovation, and creativity. It is also restful and calming, relieving stress. Some people even associate it with fertility.

Green is a popular choice for living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.

Orange

Using orange will lead to an energetic, excited, or enthusiastic response. It can also stimulate your appetite and activity, giving off sweetness and warmth.

Orange is a popular choice for rooms with a lot of activity, such as exercise and playrooms in the home. Gyms also commonly use this color.

Red

Keeping the caveat about personal differences in mind, red tends to draw attention. It can increase the heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure, as well as boost energy. It can also stimulate passionate, loving, or angry responses and may even induce attraction.

Red is a common option for living rooms, dining rooms, and entryways.

Pink

Pink is frequently thought of as the color of love. It is connected to care and kindness, as well as a boost in creativity. It is also very calming.

You will commonly find pink walls in offices, bedrooms, and nurseries.

Purple

Purple is associated with a higher status or sophisticated drama. It delivers feelings of tranquility and softness. Darker purples, in particular, give your space an air of sophistication. Using a lighter purple will create a more relaxing space.

Consider adding purple to your living room, office, or bedroom.

White

White is another timeless classic. It delivers feelings of calm and makes the room feel open and spacious. You can use white in any room of your commercial or residential building because of its neutrality and versatility.

Yellow

Yellow is an excellent shade for drawing attention. It tends to be linked to feelings of warmth, happiness, and joy, as it is reminiscent of sunshine. That said, you don’t want to use too much yellow because brighter or highly saturated shades can be overstimulating and irritating.

Yellow is a popular choice in dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms.

Bonus: Metallics

Metallic colors sparkle and present a more modern option. They tend to promote creativity and excitement, adding durability and delivering instant style.

Metallics are another option that works in nearly any space.

The Role of Brightness

In addition to specific paint colors that boost your mood, the brightness of the paint is also a significant factor in psychology.

For example, lighter shades tend to make your space feel larger. In these seemingly larger spaces, occupants instantly have a feeling of freedom and openness. However, the extra space can make others feel anxious and small. On a similar note, darker shades make a space feel smaller. This can either make you feel cozy (positive) or closed in (negative).

The Role of Saturation

The level of saturation in your chosen paint color also affects mood in varying ways, depending on the person.

Highly saturated colors will almost always be eye-catching, which can result in irritation or feeling energized. Meanwhile, more muted colors almost fade into the background. This may seem boring or calming, depending on your personality.

How Homeowners Can Benefit From This Knowledge

If you consider color psychology, house painting projects can be fun and intriguing. You can maximize color psychology to make your home feel comfortable as well as welcoming. You can choose colors that fit your personal preferences while encouraging the moods that you want to cultivate in your space.

For example, you can use green in your bedroom to reduce stress. You can also paint your bedroom blue to reduce blood pressure and slow your heart rate and respiration, making it perfect for sleep and relaxation. You may even opt for a light purple to make your bedroom relaxing with added warmth.

By contrast, you wouldn’t want to use orange in your bedroom because its energizing effect will make your space anything but relaxing.

How Businesses Can Use This Knowledge

Businesses can use their knowledge of paint colors and moods to create a space that fits the organization’s goals. If you are a retail store, you can choose neutral colors that relax your customers, encouraging stress-free purchases. You may even highlight a specific product by painting the wall of your featured brands a bright, energizing red.

If you are painting an office, warehouse, or another type of workspace, you can choose colors to encourage creativity and productivity. For example, you can use an accent wall of orange to spark energy and diligence in your employees.

Let Professionals Help You Choose the Appropriate Color for Your Goals

Make the most of how colors impact mood and behavior as you paint your space. But do so with the right team. After all, knowing the answer to “how does paint color affect mood?” is one thing, but applying it is another matter.

Luckily, as professional painters, we are familiar with color psychology and all the current painting trends. We can use our expertise to help you choose a color that achieves your goals, whether you want a relaxing space or a color that will boost employee productivity.

Upgrade your property with paint and choose our team to execute the entire process for you. You can even get the necessary carpentry services before a new paint job with us. Contact us and ask for a quote from Anderson Painting today.