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Wanna know how to choose room colour? Find out here.

Have you ever really noticed the patterns of your daily routine? Do you know why you make certain choices over others? Why you chose that shade of yellow in your living room or why you knew that lilac wall would make the room seem very welcoming? Colour, being a non-verbal language, depicts emphasis in a profound manner.

The colour you paint your room in signifies the level of comfort you are going to have when you start using it. But colour psychology works on a daily basis, more often that you would realise. So choosing the right colour is just as important as choosing the right room for it. Here, at ApnaComplex, we’ve put together a list of basic colours and the vibe they give away when used as paint. With the guidance rendered in this post, you will now have a well-informed reason to splash your room with the colour of your choice.

PURPLE —

Purple, depending on the shade, evokes varying levels of richness and sophistication. It inspires spirituality and prosperity and adds a dash of adventure to an otherwise mundane room. A stylish choice, purple hues encourage a fresh take on issues that are hard to come to conclusions to. Adding depth to a room, purple evokes compassion and humanity.

PINK —

Pink is a very common colour in a little girl’s room and is accounted for as it represents love and understanding. Hues such as rose, lavender pink and mimi pink are a crowd favourite. Use sophisticated fabrics to avoid a pale and monotonous look in the room. Vivid pinks are also viewed as glamourous and powerful and can be counteracted with blacks and greys. Such hues can be used in entryways as they are transitional spaces in a house and suggest movement, so save brighter pinks for the smaller spaces.

RED —

Red acts as a stimulator; a stimulator of appetite, conversation, etc. So, it is best to save the reds for the kitchen and dining rooms, but to add flair and depth into your bedroom, one wall can be highlighted with a deep red to make it stand out.

ORANGE —

Orange is an edifying color and it promotes happiness, warmth, emotional strength, optimism and spontaneity. The living room could do with a hint of orange as it also a social communication enhancer. The kids’ room could also have some orange walls as it aids in creativity and new ideas. This is one of the most underused colours and will add a touch of quirkiness to any room it is used to paint.

YELLOW/GOLD —

Yellow symbolizes power and vibrancy and also stimulates health, wisdom and patience. It acts as an excellent mood enhancer. In feng shui, yellow and gold are associated with wealth. These colours can be used in smaller spaces around the house and in entryways, making them seem larger and airier. Avoid using bright yellow hues in calmer sections of the home as they stimulate the nerves.

GREEN —

Green is the colour of new starts and growth, healing and freshness. It is the primary colour of nature and it encourages stability and rejuvenation and improves concentration. Green tints would do very well in the bedroom, kitchen and study but can be used to spruce up a living room with minimalistic varying textures. The bathrooms could use a little bit of green to make things less monotonous as well.

AQUA —

A mix of blue and green, aqua, represents youth and helps in inducing a state of relaxation and meditation. Aqua coloured curtains complement white walls and help in reducing sleep difficulties. Aqua ornamentation creates a feel of spirituality.

BLUE —

A blue room projects tranquility. Blue is said to have relaxing effects on people as it lowers blood pressure, reduces respiration rate and heart rate. Deeper blues infuse wisdom and introspection into the room, but overdoing it can make the room give off a dismal vibe. Blue walls are best saved for family rooms, bedrooms, larger kitchens, bathrooms and for a twist, a powder blue ceiling.

BLACK —

Black is a colour that adds an essence of contemplation and reflection to a room. It also creates a mysterious element when paired with metallic ornamentation. As a more formal and elegant but magnetic colour, it should be preferably used as an accent colour (complementary colour).

GREY —

An unknown fact about the colour grey is that it cultivates helpfulness. A harmonious union of black and white, when paired with eye-popping hues of pink, it creates a balance of subtle and bold. Grey is a calming colour with a delicate aura and silver and grey can be used in different tones to create a perception of enchantment and mysticism. It is alluring and charismatic when paired rightly with a red.

WHITE —

White is a crisp colour that invites clarity, precision and communication and is normally used in kitchens and living rooms. White’s cleanliness and contrast to almost every colour works in any room, especially with woodwork. White also looks dainty when it is used along with grey and provides a seamless background for black furniture.

BROWN —

Brown is an earthy tone that offers stability and security. It is generally used to highlight bolder colours like orange or lime green. Brown is the colour of wood and wood can be used to add an elegant and warm feel to a room. Browns combined with hues of green, like sage, discourage tension in the room and create a sophisticated mode of living. Brown can be used in the dining room or as an addition to the bedroom paired with a lighter, more airy colour such as aqua or pink.

How to choose room colour depends on the different hues of these colours that evoke specific emotions. Room colour decisions should always be made keeping in mind the ideal room setting, embellishments and furniture that is used in the room. The colour of paint makes a drastic difference in the perception the room creates about itself since the character of the room is decided by the undertone that the colour projects. A light room with a dark wall can change the perceptive depth of the room, and in addition, the more tranquil / bold your colour is depends on what you would like to see all year long. The ultimate goal is to blend the colours you would like to look at in the most pleasing manner possible.

Quick tips

• Mix and match colours that highlight architectural details and centerpieces in the room.
• Saturated colours like sunshine yellow and lime green add energy to the room.
• Cool colours like blue, green and purple make the room look larger and more spacious.
• Colours on the opposite of a colour wheel normally complement each other, but watch out for overplay.
• Notice how a color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes, and compare the contrasting effects for a good and balanced feel.
• Stick to a maximum of four colours per room to keep things lively, but not too busy.
• Try a few test patches of the colours you’ve chosen to decide what compliments the room best so that it doesn’t tire out your eyes.

…And don’t forget!

Now that we’ve given you a low-down on how to choose room colour, we hope you have an easier decision-making process when it comes to home décor and home improvement. Happy colouring!