How To Harness the Power of Colour Psychology to Create Harmony in Your Home

Colour psychology is employed by everyone from advertisers to restaurant designers to influence decisions and shift moods. It's no coincidence that many fast food chains are red, which is said to increase hunger; while tech brand's logos are blue, which is believed to create a sense of calm and increase trust. But what about the power of colour to influence how you feel in your home — and how can you get creative with those calming blues to get a better night's sleep?

We asked Alexandra Tanya Weller, Co-founder and Creative Director of premium rug brand Miss Amara, to share her top tips on using colour psychology in your home. From stress-reducing greens in the office to soothing blues in the bedroom, here's how to turn every room in your house into a calming haven.

The Bedroom

Struggling to get a good night's sleep? This one's for you. When it comes to the bedroom, it's all about enhancing feelings of tranquility, creating calm and reducing the use of big, bold, overstimulating tones. You don't need to pick up the paintbrush to transform your bedroom into a harmonious space. Stick with a base colour of blue for your bedspread and rug. "A darker palette like a rich navy or charcoal is great for creating a style statement and an intimate mood," shares Alexandra. "The nice thing about a rug is that it acts as a blanket and a canvas, anchoring your room — so the colour selection here has an immediate impact on the feelings you would like to evoke," she adds. 

Introduce colour to your navy base with pops of blush and green. A devil's ivy, which doesn't require a lot of sunlight, some dried flowers, or a bunch of natives are a cheap and effective way of introducing stress relieving shades of green to your sleeping quarters. And, who doesn't want to wake up to a beautiful bunch of blooms?

The Living Room

Life is hectic, your living room shouldn't be. There are no hard and fast rules for colour when it comes to your own personal sanctuary. If you're a lover of big and bold colours, don't hold back — it's your home after all. But to make your living room feel more spacious, bright and inviting, we recommend a crisp white palette. "White can open up an awkward or small space giving the illusion that it is larger," shares Alexandra. "Personally I always keep the textures neutral and light in the living room as it's the space I come to relax," she adds. To avoid the room feeling clinical, Alexandra suggests balancing your creamy white palette with pops of colour through art on the walls. Not sure how to get the balance right? Try before you buy with Miss Amara's AR interior design tool.

The Kitchen

Whether you fancy yourself a foodie or hate the prospect of deciding what's for dinner, the kitchen is a space for creativity. The optimal colour for your kitchen will depend on a few factors — the size of the space, the style of your home, and of course personal taste. This year, many of us are choosing to turn our kitchens pastel pink, while those looking for a more timeless palette are picking emerald green with whites or classic neutral tones. Whatever colour scheme you pick, adding a fresh coat of paint to cabinetry or investing in coloured kitchenware (hello Smeg!) is an easy way to introduce colour without going overboard. You can leave the rainbow to what you have on your plate!

The Nursery

Styling a kid's bedroom is one of the most imaginative and creative projects you'll undertake in your home — but importantly, it can also be a practical one. "When scrolling through Pinterest, I couldn't help but notice that I was drawn to pastel yellow," shares Alexandra. "This is not an accident as yellows often evoke feelings of happiness and hopefulness — a sunny disposition if you will. This translates into a kid or bub nursery and play space. If there's one room in the home you want to have fun with, this would be it!" she adds. While we certainly can't make any promises, harnessing the power of happy yellows to cheer up your bub is definitely worth a try.

The Home Office

Working from home has become the new normal, and many of us who are lucky enough to have a spare room have transformed it into an office. But who said home offices have to be dull and dreary? When to comes to focus and stress reduction, green is a great colour choice. While a zany neon green might scream '80s, an olive or emerald shade will give your home office a sophisticated edge. Introduce plenty of plants and reduce clutter to keep your Zoom background as professional as possible.

Loved learning about the power of colour psychology to transform your home? Keep the home design inspiration going with our guides to styling your kitchen like a pro, kid's bedroom decor, and home office setup ideas for maximised productivity.