Making the decision to decorate the home is technically easy. In fact, it’s probably the easiest stage in the process…if not the only easy stage. It’s one thing to make the decision to revamp your interiors, but it’s something else entirely to know where to start. Or if you do know where to start, what exactly you can and should be doing to make improvements and enhancements.

These days, it is considerably more common for households to use paints of various kinds to decorate their interiors than wallpaper, patterned plaster and so on. In such instances, there is of course one extremely important decision that must be made before any progress can be achieved. And that decision is what color to paint any given room.

Now, one of the best things about painting interiors around the home is the way in which it opens the door to experimentation. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with adopting a trial and error approach, experimenting with a few different colors and eventually finding one that ticks all the right boxes. But at the same time, experience and the wisdom of many painting professionals has taught us that there are certain rules to follow when it comes to specific colors. For example, it is often said that the color of ‘sage’ has the potential to be intellectually engaging and create a sense of tranquility.

But as far as painting experts and psychologists alike are concerned, what rules should we be bearing in mind when it comes to choosing colors for any given room of the home?

Bedrooms

Make no mistake about it – the fact that the bedroom is such a private and intimate room means that you can get away with absolutely any kind of color and décor you want. Let your imagination run wild and go for it! But at the same time, evidence seems to suggest that when it comes to nurturing the best possible sleep habits, pastel blue is just about the best color for the bedroom.

Office or Study

For any rooms of the home that are all about business, you should be focusing on the kind of colors that promote creative thinking and broader thought. Is this something that a simple lick of paint can really influence? Indeed it is – pastel green and pale greens in general are known to do exactly that. Some believe it is something to do with the way in which these colors have a natural feel to them, but the truth of the matter is that even psychologists do not know for sure!

Practical Spaces

When it comes to laundry rooms, utility rooms, storage rooms and basically any other area used for purely practical purposes, this is where white comes into its own. Though potentially a little cold and clinical in other rooms of the home, white can make practical spaces look and feel larger, more orderly and indeed more practical in general! White also means the benefit of brightness, which adds a further note of practicality into the equation.

Dining Rooms

Interestingly, a recent study by a leading estate agent found that dining rooms painted in purple hues added the most perceived value to their respective properties. In second place came the strategic use of red, which likewise seemed to add value to the home in the eyes of possible buyers. From a psychological standpoint, these are the colors that are most notable for creating a social and energetic yet wonderfully relaxed ambience, while at the same time stimulating appetite.

Kitchens

There are two ways of taking things when it comes to kitchens – the choice being entirely up to you. Some will tell you that for lively family kitchens, nothing works better than something nice and bright – yellow, green, blue etc. However, others will tell you that if you want to produce a gorgeously elegant kitchen, you should be looking at something like grey or slate. Once again, it’s the way in which the color contributes to the mood of the kitchen that you need to be thinking about.

Living Rooms

Would you really be up for the idea of painting your living room orange? It sounds a little on the outlandish side, but research has nonetheless shown that certain orange hues – probably more toward the ginger side of the spectrum – make for wonderfully calming environments that stimulate conversation. Just be careful not to go for anything a little too bright or bold!

Hallways

Last but not least, hallways are important parts of the home and yet go so often overlooked. Hallways set the tone for the entire home by giving you and your guests the very first mood and impression of what’s to come. As such, something like a gentle mocha represents a good choice to go with, which is known to have a soothing and welcoming effect.