When decorating your home, selecting wall colors goes beyond aesthetics—it shapes your emotional environment. Australian paint brand Taubmans collaborated with VR experts at Liminal, alongside psychologists and neurologists from Melbourne's Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, to investigate the profound link between room colors and our mood.
Have you ever entered a room and felt your mood shift instantly? To uncover why, researchers recruited 745 participants who donned VR headsets to explore three room types—a living room, waiting room, and empty space—each virtually painted in five colors. Participants described their emotions after each experience. Dark colors made spaces feel smaller; some felt comforted, others sadness. Pastel tones like lilac, light green, or pale blue delivered a soothing effect. Vibrant shades—yellow, pink, orange—sparked energy.
This impact of colors on emotions matters for well-being at home. Choose light colors for calm zones like bedrooms, bright colors for living rooms, and dark colors for lesser-used spaces. The effect weakens on just one wall or with patterns.
