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Color and Mood

The color and mood of your home can have a dramatic effect on your emotions and your wellbeing.

Color and Mood in Your Home

Mood is the atmosphere, vibe or feeling impressed on you when you are in your home.

You may have the same mood throughout your home or each room may have a different feeling.

Identifying the Color and Mood of Your Home

Go to each room in your home and quickly look around to see how it makes you feel. Just identify the color and mood. Don't worry about the details; we are just looking for an overall impression.

What is the overall mood or depth of colour? Is it neutral, pastel, medium, bright or dark? Is it warm or cool?

Move to other rooms in your home and look at the overall mood or depth of color there. Look at what is the most predominant impression or feeling

Is it the same throughout your home or different in each room?

Use the following list to identify the overall mood/s of each room in your home:

Neutral Mood

includes colors such as beige, cream, ivory, white, grey and natural wood

The mood that neutrals create is impersonal, natural, conservative, non-emotional, unadventurous, safe and lacking any passion. However, neutrals are a great base for decorating any room in your home and you can change their energy by accessorising with other colors.

Dark neutrals such as dark gray or charcoal, create a heavy, controlling and sometimes oppressive mood.

Light neutrals such as white, pale gray, and cream, create a softer, calmer and lighter atmosphere.

More on the meanings of a neutral mood......

Pastel Mood

includes pale pink, light blue, pale green, light lemon, pale lilac, pale mauve, light apricot, light peach, pale aqua or white.

The color and mood is: soft, light, open, friendly and inviting, romantic, tranquil and composed.

Medium Mood

these are mid-tone colours that fall into the colour range between light and dark. They are run-of-the-mill colors, not light, not dark and not bright.

The mood is middle-of-the-road, easy to live with, no extremes, no extravagance, fairly safe, pleasant, comfortable and assured.

More on meanings of a medium mood......

Bright Mood

bright cobalt blue, bright yellow, orange, red, hot pink, lime green, bright purple and anything else bright you can think of

The color and mood is vibrant, uplifting, fun, youthful, contemporary, casual, cheerful and spontaneous. Bright colors can be used to uplift a neutral, pastel or medium palette.

More on meanings of a bright mood......

Dark Mood

dark blue, navy, dark green, deep red, burgundy, dark brown, deep purple, deep russet, black and charcoal

The mood is controlling, steady, serious, subdued yet intense, conservative, dignified and dramatic. The mood can be changed by accessorising with bright, pastel or neutral colors.

More on the meanings of a dark mood......

Creating Mood with Warm and Cool Colors

All of the above moods can also be defined by whether they are warm or cool

Warm colors fall together on one side of the color wheel, while cool colors are together on the opposite side. Warm colors span from red, through orange to yellow on the color wheel. They tend to be strong, active, stimulating colors that also make us feel warm and cosy.

All warm colors contain some red, orange or yellow within them. As well as the obvious reds, oranges and yellows, you can get a warm gray that has a little yellow or orange or pink in it. Or the same with brown or beige. The warmth may be very subtle, or it may be very strong and obvious.

Warm colors are those you would see in the flames of a fire and psychologically they make us feel warm. They are happy and energetic colors.

Cool colors are on the other side of the color wheel to warm colors and span from green through blue to purple. Cool colors give a feeling of calm and relaxation. They tend to be passive, soothing and restful, creating a feeling of harmony in the home.

All cool colors contain elements of green, blue or purple in them. You could have a gray which has a touch of green or blue or purple in it that will be defined as a cool gray. Similarly, with brown or beige.

Cool colors are evident in ocean and water scenes, in country landscapes and the night sky. Psychologically they make us feel calm, relaxed and peaceful.

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