You may have noticed that certain colors affect your mood in certain ways, and that’s the basis for applying color psychology in interior design. The field of color psychology looks at each hue as a prompt for emotions and perception and uses that knowledge to craft a color scheme that meshes beautifully with the purpose of certain spaces. But just what is the meaning behind the shades on the color wheel, and how can you use them in interior design color psychology? Keep reading to understand how various shades of paint colors affect not just your mood but the ambiance of the space you’re decorating as well.

The Importance of Color Psychology in Interior Design

man enjoy painting wall with real milk paintInterior designers look at how different shades fit within the room color psychology they wish to achieve. For example, blue tones are known for creating calming effects and work well in bedrooms, while brighter shades tend to boost energy levels, making them a great choice for rec rooms and other shared spaces. Keep in mind, however, that color meaning may change based on cultural differences. For instance, Westerners typically see red as an aggressive hue, whereas Easterners view the color as a harbinger of good fortune. To take advantage of the psychological effects of how paint colors affect the room feel in interior design, it helps to understand common color associations and how they evoke specific moods.

How Colors Impact Emotions and Behavior

Though we all have different color preferences, color theory generally applies to everyone. You can leverage color perception and room color psychology when decorating your home by choosing Real Milk Paint hues in complementary colors for your design scheme.

Reds Boost Passion, Excitement and Appetite

With its bold and daring color associations, red offers a provocative look in your space and often works best as an accent color. If you want to enliven a room and create a sense of power and purpose, our red milk paints may be just what you’re looking for when you don’t mind a shade that raises blood pressure. Choose deeper color combinations with red as a focal point for areas where power is a plus, including home gyms and offices.

Oranges Evoke Feelings of Joy and Happiness

Orange Real Milk Paint great choice for painting your kitchen and dining roomWhen you want to bring enthusiasm to the room, orange milk paints offer the perfect solution. More vivid hues on the color spectrum can be a little much when used alone, but lighter-toned warm colors like apricot and peach can balance out this breezy hue to create an atmosphere of confidence and creativity. Orange makes a great choice for painting your kitchen and dining room due to its ability to increase sociability and appetite.

Yellows Add Optimism and Energy to Spaces

Considered one of the happiest colors, yellow brings dynamic appeal and a feeling of movement to spaces. This stimulating effect means that yellow milk paints work best in social spaces like your living room or den where you want to cultivate an uplifting ambiance. Keep in mind, however, that a little yellow goes a long way, unless you choose lighter colors of yellow in your color scheme.

Greens Lend Balance and Reduce Anxiety

The organic appeal of green comes from its association with earthiness, the great outdoors and fertility. Perfect for pairing with various shades in your room colors, green milk paints run the gamut from soft sages that soothe the soul to vibrant teals that create a sense of optimism and goodwill. Green shades also layer well together when you select complementary colors for an elegant color scheme that doesn’t overwhelm.

Blues Bring Calmness and Clarity to Homes

Associated with feelings of tranquility and serenity and the ability to lower blood pressure, the color blue makes your space feel calm and composed. A blue room may veer toward dark colors like navy when you want to evoke a masculine aura or light colors like turquoise for a more feminine feel. No matter if you choose the shade in warm or cool colors, blue milk paints help you integrate a relaxing atmosphere into bedrooms and bathrooms.

Purples Create a Sense of Mystery and Intrigue

room painted with purple milk paint to create a sense of mystery and intrigueWhen you want to lend an otherworldly feel to your space, look to purple milk paints to find shades that suit your color preference. Deeper hues of purple make a great choice for accent pieces in bedrooms with lots of natural light but don’t work as well on entire walls, since the shade tends to keep people up at night. This means you may want to keep purple in the living room or other social spaces.

Pinks Project Nurturing and Uplifting Vibes

While you may think of little girls and princesses when the topic of pink arises, this shade offers a simple (and beautiful!) way to lend softness to a living room or dining room with bolder color schemes. Pink milk paints come in shades ranging from pale to vibrant, giving you decorative options from unapologetically feminine to nearly neutral when you want to add a romantic vibe to your interior design.

Whites Promote Peace, Purity and Wholeness

Whites go with virtually any hue on the color wheel, making them a versatile choice for interior designers. Lovers of minimalist interior design utilize white a lot in their palettes due to the crisp freshness of the color, and its feeling of purity helps it blend beautifully in spaces like bathrooms and kitchens where cleanliness is imperative. Use white milk paints as a primary wall color or accent hue to leverage natural light and complement most color schemes.

Blacks Introduce Sophistication and Drama

Basic black goes with everything, and even though the hue has a reputation for darkness within pop culture, its use in interior design color psychology is much different. In interior design, black is often used to lend an urban or industrial feel to a space and to accent lighter color combinations. Black milk paints also offer a simple way to add depth to spaces, but be careful to balance it out with other colors to prevent it from overwhelming your room.

Browns Invoke Earthiness and Warmth

Brown Real Milk Paint color invoke earthiness and warmthWhen you want to lend organic appeal to your room, browns offer a great option with their warm color and earthy ambiance. Deeper hues of dark brown provide a base for other shades on the color wheel you wish to highlight and pair beautifully with warmer colors like orange, red and yellow to create a dynamic room design. This natural shade also lends a feeling of wholesomeness and comes in numerous brown milk paint hues for easy decorating.

So Which Paint Colors Should You Choose?

Since different hues affect your mood in different ways, the right shade for your room will often depend on your color preference. Room color psychology helps you pick different colors to evoke different moods, providing a great basis when choosing Real Milk Paint shades for entire walls, as a primary color for accent pieces or as a secondary color in spaces like dining rooms.