Colour psychology – also known as chromotherapy –  is the study of how colour can affect your mood, decisions and behaviour. It’s a diverse topic, with corners of research spanning from colour statistics, an example being how wearing red in sport can make you more likely to win, or to the connection colour has with unlocking memories and emotions. In interiors, colour plays a crucial role in setting the feeling of a particular room or space. You can create environments that are stimulating and energising or relaxing and calming. Naturally, architecture plays an equally important role so don’t expect your windowless box room study to become a fizzing space of productivity by painting it red, but it can contribute. 

Carl Jung theorised colours making changes to perception and our actions, and although the research appears loose, studies do show a correlation. Status of colours which are cemented in our human brains as representing certain things, pink for girls, blue for boys, red for conjuring up hunger. Can these be challenged, there are many arguments to say they should be! That colour is fluid and shouldn’t be put in a box, they are for everyone and that is the joy of opinion and eclectic taste! 

Colour theory in interiors is, in our opinion, very much part of the day to day of what we do as a paint company. Colours to make you FEEL! 

Whites and neutrals  

 Whilst white is an absence of colour, it is considered a calm choice. It is also easy to get wrong; too crisp and bright it can appear cold and clinical, too yellow it might remind you of your deceased Grandmother’s magnolia living room. The undertones of white are important in finding the correct shade. and Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s range of whites vary from bright, yellow, red to black and grey.

Looking at our whites, a cooler white such as ‘Plain White’ or ‘Water Glass’ with strong green and blue undertones would be a great choice for a crisp bathroom or refined kitchen. A warmer white such as ‘Milk White’ would be a good living room choice due to its appealing cosiness. Opting for a white or neutral allows for more colour options to be brought in with fabrics, lampshades, furniture, objects etc, but It’s important to get the correct tonal balance to align with the room’s intention.  

Greens

  Our brain instantly associates green with nature, and nature makes us think of restoration and tranquillity. Green is considered a healing colour for that very reason, it can quite literally soothe the soul. Using green in interiors is becoming more and more popular.

For a bedroom we’d recommend a more muted green such as ‘Eau de Nile’ or ‘Granite Green’ (both available in lighter shades) as the perfect green to relax and be peaceful in. A more intense green like our ‘Royal Grass Green’ or ‘Invisible Green’ can bring a stimulating calmness, perfect for a room where you read or create, such as a study, studio or kitchen. Green is an excellent colour choice for a room you spend a lot of time in especially since it’s known for having healing qualities.  

For softer greens, an example we love to use is Edward and Emma’s living room painted head to toe in ‘Pomona’, the shutters have been left in natural oak to ground the room, which is a lovely touch!

Blues

Like green, blue is also a grounding colour to spend a lot of time in and our range at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint are made from earth pigments meaning they remain warm and grounding.

It is a versatile colour that can invoke a degree of calm and reflection in whichever spaces it’s used. Too much blue in a house can create a level of hostility due to the cooling effect wich is common with other mainstream paint that uses chemical and synthetic dyes, so knowing where and how much blue to use is important.

Similar to how green reminds one of nature, blue is connected to water and the sky. Our popular blues ‘Aerial Tint’ and ‘Ethereal Blue’ are perfect for bringing tranquillity into your home. It is a great colour to receive peace after the hustle and bustle of life.  

Pinks and reds 

On our colour chart, our colours ‘Jonquil’ and ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ (both available in lighter shades) are used time and time again for bedroom walls. Why, you may ask? A soft pink shade can offer composure and repose to your life, which is why it is a popular choice for a bedroom setting.

One only has to read up on the effect of the ‘Baker-Miller Pink’ experiment of 1979, to see the positive calming effect of pink can have on people. Red on the other hand is a colour linked to vivacity. It’s a conversational colour that is often used in a stimulating setting such as a dining room or study.

Our deepest red, ‘Red Ochre‘, has a lovely earthiness which would bring a strong statement to your home. Equally, if red is not for you and you’re looking for an intense but calmer colour, a warm brown is not to be overlooked. We’d suggest ‘Sang de Boeuf’, ‘Mummy’ or ‘Wainscoat’ to bring a chic, sophisticated space to your home. The colour can make a room moody yet cosy – perfect for an evening space especially when set off with warm lamp lights.  

  Yellows and Orange  

Yellows and oranges are citrus colours. Like vitamin C, introducing this type of colour into your home can also inject energy into your day to day.

Although not for everyone, these are bright and happy colours that can feel and vitalising to the soul. Our range of oranges span from a rich earthy ‘Malahide’, close to a burnt tangerine, to lighter terracotta shades: ‘Header’ and ‘Hespan‘, which are reminiscent of southern European tavernas and villas and sunlight. Yellow also reminds one of the sun – incorporating it into your home can be an uplifting choice – especially in transitional spaces and hallways. From our chart, a bright ‘Naples Yellow’ is extremely energetic or our ‘Trumpington’ displays more earthy notes which is perceived as mellow and welcoming.    

Introducing different colours into your house is reflective of the many different emotions of a person. This is why we advise staying away from shades of the same colour throughout your home since humans are constantly undulating with feelings and moods and it’s important for your home to reflect that.

Of course this is a subjective topic, but there are undeniable truths in the power of colour and association: such as green evoking nature and therefore a sense of restoration or orange bringing a zest of energy to a space due to its association with vitamin C and sunlight. Blues are generally calm but too much blue can be cold and hostile, so therefore It’s a question of balance. Pinks can offer a softer calmness, whilst red switches up a space to be invigorating and brown sits somewhere in the middle in terms of feeling. Neutrals allow for colour to be brought in in other ways but tend to be a calming option nonetheless.  

Finding everyday references of colour and looking ‘within’ is a great way to start thinking about how to introduce colour into your home and how you want to feel in those spaces.

Order your colour chart today and explore our unrivalled range of earthy hues and start your decorating project in the knowledge that you are using colours designed by an interior designer, historical, resonant and healthy for your home.