How Color Affects Mood in Interior Design, Room by Room

I think I started when I was about eight or nine when I painted my bedroom wall gold. A gold metallic paint. Which, by the way, in the fifties was not easy to find. I could not go to Amazon. I could not go on the internet and find it. I had to really search and get somebody to take me to a hardware store. And everyone thought I was very strange.

I was actually probably eleven or twelve. I did it when my mother did not know. I had the paint and everything, and I painted a little bit at a time. She came in my room, and I would distract her. Let me tell you something: it is not easy to cover gold metallic paint. When somebody moves in and you sell, it is not easy.

When you’re picking out wall colors, your surroundings play a large part in how they’ll appear. The sun and natural light play a big role.

Living in Florida for 40 years, I’ve learned that the sun plays a huge role in determining the perfect color for your walls. Florida has bright sunshine, but it’s not consistent throughout the day. Depending on the time of day, colors can appear dramatically different. This is why choosing the right wall color is so important. It’s not just about picking a color you like, it’s about understanding how it will function day in and day out in your home.

Color has a way of bringing a room to life, calming it down, warming it up, or making it appear smaller than its actual square footage. Your home should make you happy, even if certain design choices may not be subtle or resale friendly (looking at you, gold walls).

The rule underneath all of it: start with the light

I like bright. I like natural light. That is a must. My mood changes when I am in a dark space. Now, when I say dark space, if I am in a cute little quaint pub, a restaurant that has great chandeliers and candles, I am fine with that. But I like lots of windows, lots of light. I do not want to be in a space that does not seem bright.

I am not a beige girl. Now, if you are beige and you have fantastic artwork and fantastic accessories, then that is a whole different thing. That is a clean look, and I am talking amazing artwork and a major theme, introducing some black and whites and fresh flowers with color. I am fine with that, but it has got to be done in the right way.

Paint a sample on at least two walls and live with it for at least two days.

Light changes colors dramatically. A north-facing room will make colors seem cooler, while strong western sun can make the very same color seem warmer. Add in artificial light and the colors will change yet again. That’s why it’s so important to view your potential wall color in every light. Watch the way the sun illuminates different parts of the floor as it moves across the room.

Never decide on a paint color by looking at paint chips or large sample boards. Store lighting is deceptive. Paint a large sample on your wall and view it in morning, afternoon and evening light.

Red, orange, and yellow bring energy

Brick, clay, rust and terracotta are all great options that are more livable than their brighter counterparts. Red and orange draw the eye and are best used as an accent in a powder room, entry or dining room or on a single piece of furniture. Using these energetic, social colors on all four walls of a bedroom may be too stimulating. Yellow also can be challenging, but this bright color can enliven a breakfast area or kitchen if you choose a softer shade.

If you want to try a zingy lemon yellow, start with an accent piece, such as a bowl, chair, work of art or flowers, so it’s easy to change your mind.

Blue and green make room for calm

I find green to be a quiet color, almost neutral, since we’re surrounded by it outside. Blue can also be a quiet color, and is often used for bedrooms and bathrooms for that reason.

Florida light is strong. It will reveal what you have chosen. Pick your color carefully before you head to the paint store. A blue with a cold cast may look grey in a darker room. A green with lots of yellow in it may be much brighter than you expected. The sun moves around the room during the day and the light hits the walls differently at different times. This affects the colors on your walls and can make colors look harsh or drab. Consider how light moves through your space.

Try blue-green, sage, olive or dusty blue to add color without shouting.

White and beige need something to say

Don’t be afraid to use white and beige, but do find ways to liven up these neutral color palettes. Use wood and texture, art, black-and-white details, houseplants, books, and patterns to add visual interest. Choose one accent color to add some pizzazz.

Paint is one of the easiest design elements to change later on. So even if you make the investment in other long-lasting decor, you don’t want your home to feel cold or empty. Use these tips to add a personal touch to your neutral rooms without feeling like you have to make drastic changes.

Testing a color in Florida light

Try it on before you buy it. Testing paint colors is critical when you live in Florida. Florida’s strong white light will make your soft gray look blue at noon and green at sunset in that west-facing room. Paint at least a two foot square of the color on two different walls, one near a window and one across from a window. Live with it for at least two days.

Watch it in the morning, mid-day, evening and at night with lamps on. If you still like it at all times of the day, that’s your color. Bring home lots of samples, or better yet peel-and-stick samples that you can stick all over the place. Move them around and look at them next to other colors. Think about sheen. The higher the sheen the more light it reflects, and the more flaws it shows.

That bumpy drywall job will sing in Florida light with a high gloss sheen. Go flat if you want to hide flaws. Lastly, colors almost always look lighter and less rich on the wall than on the paint chip. So that dull paint chip might actually pop on your wall. Bring lots of samples home, but remember the best paint chip is the one on your wall.

Ceilings, trim and the color you forget about

For ceilings, go with a color that’s lighter than the walls to make the room appear taller and give it a finished look.

Don’t forget to paint your doors. A nice way to add a little interest to a room with neutral walls is to paint the doors a color darker than the walls. If you’re not wild about it, it’s easy to repaint them back.

For trim, a crisp white is always in style. White trim really defines a room and looks especially nice with muted colors.

You can also try painting the trim the same color as the walls to make a room look bigger and more serene.

Before deciding on a color for your trim, hold the chip up against the walls in the room to see how the color looks in the room’s particular lighting.

Don’t make the common mistake of letting your painter choose his or her own colors for the trim and ceiling.

South Florida homes are known for their textured ceilings. Use a flat paint for textured ceilings, never gloss, to minimize flaws.

Choose color room by room

Help people visualize the finished room

Even though it’s only a suggestion, I wouldn’t skip this step. Paint swatches are just that, swatches. They aren’t going to give you an exact idea of how the color is going to look in your own home in Florida light. Paint color swatches can only take you so far. You’ll still want to take a small sample of the color and paint it on your wall before you go out and buy gallons and gallons of it. It may look one way in a staged photograph and a completely different way in your living room at three pm. You’ve been warned.

Color in a condo with one exposure

If you’re trying to determine which color to choose in your condo, it’s important to first take into consideration what kind of natural light the space gets.

Many condos on Miami Beach are single exposure, meaning that all of the windows face in the same direction. This means that the light comes from the same side all day. Sometimes buyers shy away from single exposure condos because they assume that they don’t get as much natural light.

If you’re trying to choose a color for a space that gets a lot of natural light, it’s helpful to determine which direction the windows face. For condos with north windows, the light is soft and cool, so warmer colors and warm whites can help take the chill off. Spaces with south (and in the afternoon, west) windows get the harshest light. Crisper whites and cooler colors work well in these spaces. Under this strong light, even bright yellows and oranges can take on intensity. Adding a bit of cool color in a very sunny space can have a calming effect.

Start with the darkest space in the condo, perhaps an inside bath or hallway that does not get any natural light at all. Choose a color for this space first and then work your way into the brighter spaces.

This will help you avoid clashing colors as you move from space to space and will help create a cohesive feel from room to room.

Visit the condo at different times of the day to see the effect of natural light on the colors. This will help you determine how the colors look in both direct light and in shade.

Choosing paint when you’ll sell within a few years

If you’re not planning on selling any time soon, don’t worry about this one. But if you are, resist the urge to cover every inch of your home with a statement color. You can still go for dramatic flair by using a vibrant hue on the doors, in small rooms, or through artwork and throw pillows.

Painting just one accent wall? This is another project you should save for when you’re getting ready to put your house on the market. The process is pretty simple: all you need is a can of primer and a weekend.

This is probably the biggest mistake I see homeowners make when preparing their house for sale. If you want to repaint, choose a soft, warm white, as it photographs nicely and helps potential buyers envision their belongings in your space.

Paint is one of the first things buyers ask about, so it’s helpful to jot down what colors and finishes you used in each room. This will make it easier for you to handle any touch-ups down the road.

Before you run out and purchase new paint, consider patching up any picture holes and scuffs first. Chances are, you won’t need to repaint after all.

Color also affects how a home shows

The key is not to personalize the space, but to de-clutter it. This will allow buyers to envision the look they’d like to create when they move in. It’s okay to leave in items that you love and see yourself still using, just make sure that there aren’t too many competing items pulling color in different directions. Think of one color that you want to convey a certain emotion or mood and test it in the space. Take into consideration the actual lighting that the space receives throughout the day and at night.