The Best Paint Colors for Each Room in the Home

Guest post by Lisa Smalls

Repainting, whether due to renovations or simply for a change of pace, is an exciting time. There is plenty of work to do, sure, but there’s something irresistible about sifting through 300 paint cards in a home improvement store. We’re naturally excited about the many color options that we have to choose from. That’s the problem, however – there are just so many options. You may know you want green for the living room, for example, but what shade of green? Mint? Sage? Forest? 

The options are endless and can lead to ‘analysis paralysis’. That, in turn, leads to no room getting painted because there are too many options at hand to be able to make a decision. So where do we begin? Understanding color psychology may be able to help you pick the colors for the primary rooms in your home. 

Color psychology is the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior. Color can lift moods, increase appetite, elevate and decrease stress levels and give the illusion of a larger space. When choosing a color for the primary rooms in your home like the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room, some colors are better than others. The shades you choose for these rooms will have emotional and cognitive effects, so choose wisely. 

Kitchen 

Besides your bedroom, the kitchen is probably where you spend a good chunk of your time preparing meals, entertaining and sometimes just relaxing with a cup of coffee. It’s essential that the color you choose for the kitchen promotes the ideal use of the room: food preparation and consumption. Warm colors like red can increase appetites and provide that boost of energy you need in the mornings. Don’t go too crazy, though, as too much red can make a space feel hostile. 

Living Room 

Your living room is a hotspot in your home. This is where family and friends spend time together in conversation, enjoying movie nights, reading, or just hanging out. When choosing a color for the living room, it’s vital that it is inviting and brings a sense of warmth into the space to encourage feelings of sharing and camaraderie. When deciding on colors for the living room, then, you should choose colors that are neutral like beige, white or tan. In selecting these colors, you have the chance to add in accessories that are darker to make the space pop. 

Bedroom

The bedroom is another relaxing room in your home. It should promote calm and rest. The color of everything, from the bedding to the furniture to the paint color on the walls, should work in unison to help you fall asleep. Aim to use cool blues and neutral colors, both of which encourage calmness and tranquility – precisely what you need after a long, stressful day at work. If you want to spice up the color a bit, add shades of indigo or midnight blue. 

Bathroom

Is your bathroom a room that makes you cringe or one that fills you with excitement the moment you step inside? Your bathroom is where you spend some of the most intimate moments of your life, so it should be a room where you feel immensely comfortable. Think about the last time you’ve been to a hotel. What was the color of the walls? More than likely they were white. The color white symbolizes purity and cleanliness which is why most hotels choose it. Painting the walls bright also allow the room to appear brighter, something that is especially helpful for early mornings. A white-walled bathroom is also an excellent opportunity to experiment with more vivid colors for towels.