Color Psychology Can Help You Choose the Best Colors for a Happy You at Home

You know color has the power to improve a room. But did you know certain colors also help you feel good? Seeing colors produces a physiological response resulting in a psychological reaction and surprisingly, the colors that will make you feel good, aren’t necessarily the same as your favorite colors.

Here, color expert Lori Weitzner spotlights a few feel-good palettes, starting with blues. “Blues feel comfortable, familiar, and protective,” she says. Read on for how to use blues, plus three more palettes she says promote balance and harmony at home.

Tranquil and Reassuring Colors

Blues surround us in the day and night skies, in lakes and oceans. Weitzner calls this palette Waterside, and it spans from light misty hues to inky sapphire and indigo. Blues are great for wellness because “there’s comfort in familiarity,” she says, adding “if you’re feeling comfortable, it means you’re not nervous or stressed, and that’s better for your immune system.” A Waterside palette is ideal for people who might be in the middle of a lot of changes and desire a sanctuary where they feel secure.

How to Decorate with Blues

Dark shades ground, so use them on or close to the floor or for major pieces anchoring a room. Light shades on walls look and feel uplifting. You can also try painting window trim dark blue to frame a view of water or an expanse of sky, pulling it into the decor.

Natural and Nurturing Colors

Weitzner’s Fragrant Woods palette evokes the restorative power of nature by mixing leafy and mossy greens with earthy browns. “These colors are about connecting to nature, and nature’s ability to nurture and heal is quite strong,” she says. This color combo is ideal for urban dwellers lacking green space and anyone with a desire to feel rooted in their surroundings.

How to Decorate with Nature-Inspired Hues

Getting the right balance of greens and browns can be difficult. So Weitzner suggests 70% greens and 30% browns, with the latter coming from wood furnishings and flooring or a natural textured rug like a jute carpet. Also consider adding aromatic plants, like rosemary and eucalyptus, which bring in life and refreshing scent—both of which can be therapeutic.

Quiet and Calming Colors

The Whisper palette pairs whites that have subtle undertones to create nuance; think creamy vanilla and smoky dove. These are meditative colors. “The lack of visual distraction makes it easier to go inward and focus,” Weitzner says. So a Whisper palette is ideal in spaces for rest and relaxation. “For those who have a need to be still or who may have a hard time being still, this is the pause button. It is visual peace of mind,” she says.

How to Decorate with Whites

Layering textures like linen, marble, and paper, as seen in the upholstery, side table, and pendant light of this living room keeps the palette from looking flat. “It’s calm and tranquil but in a tactile way,” Weitzner says. Performance fabrics up the calm by taking the fear factor out of white tones.

Radiant and Inspiring Colors

Warm metallics like brass, copper, and gold fill Weitzner’s Alchemy palette. “They’re colors that draw out creativity,” she says. “Metallics are illuminating and reflect natural light, which can inspire us to act and follow through.” Creativity, she adds, can help fend off apprehension, making a palette peppered with metallics best for people who feel stuck or in need of motivation to overcome a persistent roadblock.

How to Decorate with Metallics

Metallic finishes are best in small doses—think framed mirrors, decorative trays, and light fixtures. But you can pull in metallic colors in larger expanses on accent pieces, like the counter stools in this kitchen and even in textiles like the rug. Matte finishes are less flashy but just as effective.