Your environment has a powerful effect on your day-to-day mood. It’s easy to get accustomed to your home’s interior to the point that you think you don’t notice your decor — but that doesn’t mean it has no subconscious effect on how you feel.
If you’ve been feeling a little down, uninspired, or just eager for a change, take a look at these ten mood-boosting colors that can transform your state of mind completely.
1. Verdant, Nature-Inspired Green
It’s no secret that being outdoors can offer incredible benefits for your mental and emotional well-being. And if you can’t get outdoors as much as you’d like to, you can bring the outdoors to you. Green is a wonderfully versatile shade, and you might choose to bring in a single green shade or a whole collection. Incorporating green plants and natural-looking textures like the example above can make every day feel like a stroll through a peaceful forest.
If you’re thinking about bringing some green into your living space, check out some of the colors that go with emerald green and sage green — two of the most popular nature-inspired green shades in the world of interior design.
2. Deep, Oceanic Teal
Plenty of people mix up teal and turquoise. Turquoise is a lighter, brighter blue with green and yellow undertones, and teal is a deeper, jewel-toned blue-green. Teal might remind you of the color of the ocean, and it goes especially well with bright white — the color of whitecaps. Even though it’s bold, teal delivers a sense of serenity that few other colors can. Try incorporating a few teal accents, or do a real overhaul with an entirely teal wall like the one above.
If you’re hoping to bring some of this sea-inspired shade into your own living space, take a look at some of the colors that go with teal to help you get started.
3. Light, Floral Pink
It’s no coincidence that many of the colors that have a beneficial effect on your mood are colors you’ll find in nature. Pink is a color reminiscent of new spring flowers, and if you want to bring home some of the quiet optimism of new spring blooms, you might consider incorporating it into your living space.
Many designers prefer to stay away from overly bright or saturated pinks because these shades can end up looking juvenile, overpowering, or both. However, softer pinks can add a delicate touch, and if the pink you choose is sufficiently pale, it can even function much like a neutral.
If you’re ready to bring springlike shades of floral pink into your living space year-round, check out these color palettes that go beautifully with pink.
4. Bright, Sunny Yellow
Yellow is a color that radiates positive energy. However, like many warm colors, it can overwhelm a color scheme if not used carefully. The example office above incorporates it well — cool white and light natural wood create a serene backdrop that really lets the golden yellow accent wall shine.
Yellow can create a variety of different moods depending on the colors you pair it with. Need some inspiration? Check out some of the many colors that look great with yellow.
5. Soothing Lavender
Colors don’t have to be bright and energetic to boost your mood. Sometimes, being surrounded by quiet, cool colors is enough to make you feel uplifted. Lavender (the plant) has a reputation for being incredibly relaxing, and lavender (the color) often works in much the same way. Try incorporating little touches of it into a mostly neutral room, or create a wonderfully soft enclave with lavender as the main attraction.
Ready to enjoy the soothing ambiance only lavender can create? Check out some lavender color palettes to start planning your new interior.
6. Warm, Earthy Red
Red can be energizing, but too much of it might make you angry and agitated — not something you want when you’re trying to boost your mood! If you want to harness red’s energizing power while still maintaining the serenity of your space, consider slightly muted shades like farmhouse red or brick red.
Even when you choose quieter shades, it can still be a challenge to bring red into an interior without letting it completely take over the mood. However, when you understand what colors go best with red, it gets a little easier. Check out this collection of red color palettes to help you get started.
7. Refreshing, Citrusy Orange
Nothing uplifts, energizes, and refreshes quite like a spritz of citrus, and oranges are probably the best-known citrus fruit of all. However, the orange you choose to incorporate doesn’t have to be the same color as the fruit to give you a much-needed boost. You might choose a soft sherbet shade, an autumnal burnt orange, or anything in between. Orange may be bold, but it’s a lot more versatile than most people give it credit for.
Like red, orange can start to take over a color scheme if you aren’t careful, but little bursts of it can have a beautifully uplifting effect on your mood. Orange often does well when paired with darker, cooler shades that can ground it. You can find some suggestions on this list of orange color palettes.
8. Invigorating Cobalt
Many people extol the virtues of blue as an interior color. It can offer a calming influence and promote focus, and if it’s dark enough, it can even exert a grounding influence on a space. However, there are seemingly endless shades of blue to choose from, and unless you have a particular one in mind, selecting one can start to feel next to impossible.
If you want a shade of blue that manages to both invigorate and center you, look no further than the beautifully unique cobalt blue! It’s deeper than royal blue but lighter than navy, and it can bring a distinctly Mediterranean flair to any room. If you want to feel like you’re taking a breath of fresh air every time you see it, try pairing cobalt with crisp, cool white.
9. Summery Salmon Pink
You might already know that eating salmon can have a beneficial effect on your overall well-being. But did you know being surrounded by the color can lift your mood, too? Salmon pink is more than just an appetizing color — it combines the good vibes of pink and orange, and it’s often easier to integrate into a color scheme than either of those colors. Pink can run the risk of seeming too juvenile, and orange’s vibrance can overpower a space if you aren’t careful. Salmon brings together the benefits of both, and if you prefer, you can select a shade that leans a little more orange or a little more pink.
As you can see above, this shade is especially energizing if you pair it with cool white. However, if you want to cool down the room even more, try pairing it with a deep emerald or forest green. For example, you might try placing a dark green velvet couch against a salmon-pink wall.
10. Tranquil Cool Gray
If you’re the type of person who feels better around cooler, more demure colors, you might be interested in light, cooler-leaning neutrals. Heavier cool neutrals like dark charcoal gray can sometimes have a negative effect on your mood, but lighter colors — like the soft gray-blue above — create the perfect balance between soothing and grounding.
Bluish gray is an excellent cool neutral to choose from because it brings in the beauty of blue, but it’s still neutral enough to work in a wide range of different color schemes. If the exact shade above isn’t quite right for you, remember that there are practically infinite shades of gray and other neutrals to choose from!
What Shade Will You Choose to Revolutionize Your Space?
Whether you’re looking to overhaul one room or give your entire home a facelift, few decisions are as important as your choice of color. The above list will hopefully give you some inspiration, but don’t feel limited — you might end up discovering an entirely different color that perfectly suits your needs. Whatever color you choose, you’ll almost certainly find that it makes an immediate, positive difference in your day-to-day life.
