Do most of us spend plenty of time thinking about the color our walls are painted in? Honestly, I don’t think so. That’s because most of us pick a color just because it was on sale, or simply because our landlord picked it. Or, I don’t know, maybe because it was neutral enough not to be an eyesore.
However, once the furniture is moved and the boxes are unpacked, the wall color is no longer just a designer choice but the background noise of our lives. We become so accustomed to our surrounding, that we no longer even see it, even though we can always feel it.
When you think about it, our place of living is in a way a sensory map. It is a set of tiny stimuli such as light, texture, but especially color, that we navigate through every time we enter our home. And while we want to think about ourselves as above the aesthetic of our home, the truth is that our environment is always working on our nervous system – it can be the difference between finally being able to relax after a long day of work or feeling like the walls are closing in on us.
Why color matters more than you think
It’s an interesting thing that you don’t need to be an interior designer to feel the difference as long as you step foot inside a room.
Colors are one of those things that affect us in a way we don’t really take the time to think about. A light blue color can be the breath of fresh air you needed all day long. A dark room can leave you feeling drained without any logical explanation as to why.
We all fall victim to choosing colors based on what’s “in” or what looked good in a showroom or magazine. What we don’t take the time to consider is how those colors will affect us six months down the road. Six months from now, those colors are not just a part of the walls in your house, they are the actual emotional space of your life. If you’re spending more time than not inside a room, it’s your mental space, and it’s more powerful than you could ever imagine.
So, maybe instead of scrolling through Pinterest asking “Does this look cool?” just ask yourself “How does this actually make me feel?”
Green: The feeling of life moving again
When we step into the woods, there is a reason why we feel a collective exhale. Green is the color of growth, renewal, and resilience. It is the color that we associate with moving forward, maybe because it’s the color we first see after the long winter.
When we bring the green color into our home, whether through a velvet armchair, a linen throw, or a few plants, we create a sense of movement. So, whenever you feel like your life has been a little stagnant lately, or as though you’ve been stuck in a loop of same old, same old, bring something green into your home and welcome the energy back.
And let me tell you, plants do a lot more than just sit there and look pretty. They bring a living element into your living space. Even the smallest of plants have the power to change the “frequency” in the room. It seems subtle, but trust me, you’l definitely feel it.
Gold: Just a reminder that you deserve more
Gold is a bit of a divisive design element. Many of us tend to steer clear of the stuff because we associate it with the word “luxury” or with trying too hard. But when you use the right amount of gold, you aren’t trying to show off so much as you are declaring your worth.
A small pop of gold—maybe a lamp base, a picture frame, or a small tray—changes the way you look at the space around you. Yes, it adds warmth and light to the room, but it also adds the idea of a space that is cared for.
I think there is a tremendous psychological play here. When you surround yourself with the idea of intention and care, you can’t help but believe you deserve a life that is full and rich, not just “functional.” And you don’t even need a lot of it to do the trick. In fact, the best way to use gold is to use just enough to catch the light and remind you that the space you’re sleeping in is a place where you matter.
Red: The energy you didn’t know you were missing
Many people try to avoid the red color when it comes to their home, because honestly, it does feel too much when you think about it. However, sometimes “too much” is exactly what we need, especially when we find ourselves in a place that feel dull.
Red is action, the spark that breaks you out of a rut. Whenever you feel like your days resemble one another way too much, that the color red might be exactly what you need. This doesn’t mean you should give the color an entire wall, because that’s too much for any person to handle, I guess. It’s enough to just have a “moment” of red. Maybe a cushion, a vase, or a piece of art.
This color is like a spark plug. You won’t even know it’s there, yet it will give a sense of urgency to a room that is otherwise boring.
Blue: The space to breathe again
Blue is the color of clarity and silence. In a world that’s screaming to your attention and energy from the top of its lungs, the blue provides the type of sanctuary that allows the mind to relax. This is one of the reasons why many opt for it wen it comes to their bedroom. Have you ever walked into a room and you felt like your shoulders dropped an inch? Chances are there was some blue color there.
Blue doesn’t ask anything from you nor it pushes you to do anything, and in today’s world, the greatest luxury is a place where nothing is expected from you, at least for a while.
White: Fresh Start
While many people opt to have their walls painted in white, there are also those who believe this color is boring and somehow unfinished. But white is the color that “creates” space, both visually and emotionally. If you have recently gone through a stressful situation or you simply feel “off” for no reason, including some white in your living space can definitely give you that feeling of opening a window in a stuffy room.
Just a white bedsheet or a fresh coat of paint over a dark shelf can give you the feeling of starting over, even if nothing really changed in your life and daily routine. Think of it as of a reset button for your eyes.
The color that can quietly drain you
And now here’s the color you probably didn’t see coming: Dark Gray!
Dark gray seems to be everywhere nowadays since it’s rather modern and sort of “safe.” While this color is sleek and sophisticated in small doses, as a room-filling color, dark gray changes the vibe.
It doesn’t energize like white, and it doesn’t make you calm like a deep wood or a soft, earthy color. It just… exists. It’s a dense, emotionally neutral color that can, over time, start to feel draining. It’s like living under a gray sky. You don’t really notice it at first, but over time, the conversations feel a little more serious, the energy a little more flat, and the room a little colder.
You don’t need to start over
The good thing is that you don’t need to spend wealth on contractors or replace everything there is in your home just to get that “vibe” right.
So, if you are currently living in a gray-scale world, there’s no room for panic. No one says you should replace all your furniture or repaint all of your walls. All you need to do is add some color. Whether it is a red cushion, some greenery in the form of plants, or some gold pieces, it would be enough to get some life back in there.
At the end of the day, your home should have your back. It should give you energy when you’re tapped out, calm you down when the world is just too much, and be a reflection of your life that feels thoughtful.
You don’t need perfect. You just need to be aware. Listen to your gut – if the room feels “off,” it probably is. And if the color makes you feel happy, there’s a reason for that too.
Your home is always speaking to you. Maybe it’s time to listen.
