Have you ever been somewhere (or even your own home) and it just didn’t feel comfortable to be in? Paint colours have a lot to answer for and there really are certain colours that can help soothe, whilst others can aggravate and stimulate for the wrong reason.
If you’re also susceptible to migraines, choosing the right colours can become even more important from a functioning point of view. Dulux conducted a very interesting study, surveying over 1,200 migraine-sufferers, to try and find out which colours they deemed to be most soothing. The 4 most popular colours were grey (chosen by 68%), green (52%), teal (47%) and blue (41%). The least popular colour chosen was red, which was picked by just 5% of respondents.
The secret to a peaceful home may just start with choosing the right paint colours, here are 7 approved colours that really will take the edge off (in the best way!).
The Best Paint Colours for a Peaceful Home, 7 Tones That Take the Edge Off
1.Sage Green
Nothing beats a soft, gentle green and it is virtually one of the easiest colours to perceive, as this colour is found in the middle of the spectrum.
Dulux carried out a study in 2019 and green was found to be the most restful bedroom colour for a great night’s sleep.
I always say it, but it’s hard to feel bad in a comfortable green in an interior. Whilst there’s plenty of nuances of green that you can choose to lean into, soft and low-mid greens such as a sage green are considered as the most soothing on the eye.
There are lots of gorgeous sage greens on the market, a few of my favourites worth considering are;
Dulux Willow Tree, Farrow and Ball Mizzle, Farrow and Ball Vert De Terre, COAT Yard Party and Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage.
2. Breezy Blue
In recent years, blues have often been outcast in interior design schemes, deemed as being cold, but the rise of the breezy blue makes so much sense.
Soft, baby blues are just about as versatile as a neutral, they can slot into a design scheme perfectly and they’re definitely on par with how good it feels to sit surrounded by a soft green. Despite their cooler undertone, they actually sit well in north facing spaces too when warmed up with a warm off-white on a ceiling.
A study on the effects of colour in a work environment in 2018 found that blue is often used to decorate offices as research has shown that people are more productive and creative when working in blue rooms.
My signature design style is coastal inspired design, so I might be biased here, but decorating with blue is an integral colour for me. We often wrongly associate the ‘feeling blue’ sentiment with feeling sad or down, but being surrounded by the colour is actually good for us, it’s soothing, soft and not over stimulating in any way.
The living room panelling below is painted in COAT The Good China, Farrow and Ball Parma Gray is another one of my favourite soft, baby blue shades.
3. Quiet Grey
Yes, there’s 50 shades of grey, plus the rest, and whilst most of them can make the lightest of rooms feel dark and depressing, the right shade of a quiet grey is the ticket to creating a soothing, calming space.
A quiet grey is typically a very light to mid tone of grey, consciously muted and may have a green or lilac undertone to bring a touch of warmth to a room.
If you’re not overly a fan of off-whites, leaning into this territory may feel like a safer move, and one that makes you feel more comfortable to be in. It’s also the perfect neutral for a grounding base, virtually working with any colour you choose to pair it with.
Some quiet grey paint shades that I love – Farrow and Ball Ammonite, Dulux Cornflower White, COAT Mindful.
4. Soft, Warm Whites
A knee jerk reaction might have you reaching for a tin of bright white paint because it feels ‘light and bright’, but a bog standard bright white is one of the most stimulating colours because it appears clinical and harsh in sunny south facing rooms, and flat and blue in a north facing space.
Whites aren’t off the cards, but choosing off-whites with the right undertones is key here. If you’re tackling a cold north facing room, look for whites with yellow, red or pink undertones that are going to bring subtle warmth, for south facing rooms choose whites with grey or blue undertones, the coolness is going to help balance the intensity of the sun in rooms like these.
Shown in the kitchen below is Wimborne White by Farrow and Ball, a warm white with a delicate yellow undertone. It’s soft, subtle and a far better alternative than a clinical bright white shade.
5. Blush Pink
If you want something slightly feminine and playful without it being stimulating on the eyes, a muted pink is the perfect choice.
Choosing non stimulating colours for a kids bedroom is really important too, and a soft, blush pink like Lick Pink 03 is a soothing and palatable pink which isn’t stimulating in any way.
Pair with a warm off-white, or even colour drench the entire room for a cosy feel. Some other muted pinks that I love include Farrow and Ball’s most recent shade, Scallop and Dulux Spring Rose.
6. Lilac Hues
Another calming colour for an interior is a soft lilac, it’s not the most popular interior colour of the moment, but if you’re looking to add an accent colour that’s warm and soft, why not get some tester pots and see how it feels in the space?
If you suffer from migraines, it’s definitely worth taking note of this colour. According to Dulux; “Light shades of purple are said to have the ability to calm nerves, ease stress, relieve tension, and are even said to be good for migraines”.
“Pale purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid and lilac violet flowers are delicate and often considered precious”.
Some lilac paint shades worth giving a go: Dulux Scent Bottle, Benjamin Moore African Violet and Farrow and Ball Calluna.
7. Sandy Beige
Coastal shades in general seem to be taking up a good consensus of the top paint colours here, there’s something to be said for how colours can transport us to certain moments in time, or memories, and sandy beiges are definitely one of the most soothing shades for an interior.
A versatile neutral that will lift and add natural warmth, sandy beiges are the perfect antidote to dark, north facing rooms too.
Oxford Stone Farrow and Ball is a neutral I recommend time and time again, I have it in my own north facing bedroom, and it’s one of the most comfortable neutrals that works well with any interior colour scheme you have planned for it.
If you like the feeling of being by the coast, interlink soft blues and reds for accent colours for a really cosy bedroom scheme. Humans have a strong sense of connection to nature, and both earthy and coastal colours tend to be shades that we are most inherently drawn to as well.
These 7 colours might not be the answer to a peaceful life, but they’ll support and cocoon you when you shut your door at the end of the day. Which of these shades are you most drawn to?
Image credit: Benjamin Moore UK, Cream Soda 1082
