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Bedroom Colour Psychology

Colours have a strong effect on our emotions and colour psychology (or "color psychology" for my American friends) plays an important part in interior design. Knowing which colours to buy for which room is a skill that the best interior designers all possesss.

Exact colour associations vary from person to person however there are certain frequent associations that I'll describe here in relation to decorating the bedroom. It's important to note that these ideas are standard "Western" associatons. Different cultures have very different meanings for colours and require different choices.

Emotional Response

Colour seems to work strongly at the emotional level. It can calm us down, excite us, stimulate us. Exactly which of these we want when decorating depends on which room we are discussing and how we tend to use it.

Black & White

These are probably the most obvious "colours". Black is distinctive and often fits the mood of teenagers. However it does tend to make a room feel smaller, possibly even oppressive. It also makes it more difficult to light.

White has the opposite effect, enlarging and lighting a room. However this lightness can produce too much of a glare for some people and be less than restful.

Blue & Green

These are generally seen as calm, peaceful colours. The associations with nature are obvious - green vegetation, blue skies and seas. They can help some people to relax and forget the tensions of the day. They are often used as sleeping colours for adults.

Some blues can look very "cold" so be careful not to use them to excess.

Reds & Yellows

These are exciting, active colours. They aren't generally seen as conducive to sleep and relaxation and so are probably best avoided in quantity on the bedroom walls.

Of course there are times when you want your bedroom to be an exciting, active place. For this reason some people like to have reds and yellows as "temporary" colours. For instance, red bed linen or furniture throws.



As I said at the beginning, there's no "right" or "wrong" colour for a bedroom. Go with what works for you. Too much of any colour is likely to be overpowering.

Flexibility, if possible, is always an advantage. Bedding, wall hangings etc are useful in this regard. You might want to consider some posters or artwork which is chosen primarily for its colour and can be quickly changed depending on the situation and your mood. If you like abstract art then much of this is colour based - personally I like Rothko .





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