Photo: Courtesy of HGTV "Gray is not going away," says Jackie Jordan, director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams. Yes, it's been trending as a bedroom color for years, but she notes that people have recently been gravitating to those with opal and violet undertones. Why You'll Love It: It obviously goes well with metallics, but it also pairs nicely with natural elements like driftwood or wool. What to Watch Out For: Gray isn't as neutral as you might think, says Jordan. Warmer tints can be much easier to work with and won't give off that cold, industrial feel. Shades to Try: Sherwin-Williams Mink (pictured) or Special Gray 6 Rules for Choosing the Perfect Paint Color 10 Fresh, New Paint Combos for Your Home The Color Combinations That Will Never Go Out of Style The 2017 Color of the Year (and 8 Ways to Decorate with It) The Fail-Safe Guide to the Perfect Paint Job 5 Small Ways to Give Your Bedroom a Big Boost The 2016 Color of the Year (and 8 Ways to Decorate with It)
8 Ways to Make Your Bedroom More Romantic Pinterest Reveals Its Home Colors of the Year 5 (Not Impossible) Ways to Amp Up Your Living Room Touched by Turquoise: Pantone's 2010 Color of the Year 9 Ways to Liven Up Your Home with Yellow 11 Reasons Why Paint Splatter Is Our Favorite New Style Trend Quiz: What's Your Holiday Decorating Personality? 11 Ways to Decorate Your Home for the Holidays 7 Awesome Organizing Hacks for Your Tiny Closet 7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Couch 5 Trends You'll Love This Year—and 1 to Avoid The 5 Prettiest Bed Ideas to Steal Right Now DIY Home Health and Safety Color Psychology: How to Make Your Home Feel Good Home decor is often viewed as simply a matter of aesthetics -- what looks attractive. But proponents of color psychology believe that the colors you use to decorate your home can have a profound effect on the emotional well-being of you and your family. "Color is a universal, nonverbal language, and we all intuitively know how to speak it," says Leslie Harrington, a color consultant in Old Greenwich, Conn. and a noted expert on the use of color in residential and industrial decor.
"What color you paint your walls isn't just a matter of aesthetics. It's a tool that can be leveraged to affect emotions and behavior." Recommended Related to Women Are You Too Sensitive? By Sarah MahoneyNo, we're not picking on you - just trying to make you feel better. tips to help you roll with the punches this season. There was a carpool mix-up: I thought it was my night to pick up the kidsanother parent thought it was his. snarled, shaking his head. "Why are we both here right now?" chauffeuring snafus go, this was small potatoes. It isn't like we left our boys standing in the snow. So why am I still smarting over his tone... Read the Are You Too Sensitive? If you like the idea of using color to create an emotionally healthy home, color consultants say you should first consider the primary function of each room. Next, pick a predominant color. Although it can't be proven scientifically, color consultants say some hues work better than others at encouraging certain activities.
Here's a room-by-room rundown of the colors believed to work best in each of the most important rooms of your home, and the moods they create. Living room and foyer paint colors. Warm tones like reds, yellows, and oranges, and earth tones like brown and beige often work well in both the living room and foyer, because they're though to stimulate conversation. "These are colors that encourage people to sit around and talk," says Kate Smith, a color consultant in Lorton, Va. "You feel the warmth, the connection with other people."Color consultants say that if you have fond memories of spending time in the kitchen when you were a kid, it might make sense to recreate the color scheme in your grown-up kitchen. "If you grew up in a blue-and-white kitchen and have great memories, blue and white may be the best colors for you and your family," says Smith. If there's no particular paint scheme you remember fondly, reds and yellows can be great colors in the kitchen as well as in the living room and foyer.
But watch out if you're watching your weight: in addition to stimulating conversation, color consultants say that red may prompt you to eat more, if only subtly. "If you're on a diet, you might want to keep red out of the kitchen," Harrington says, adding that the restaurant industry has long recognized the appetite-stimulating power of red decor. DIY Home Health and SafetyOrganize Your Closet: Easy Ways to Get More Closet SpaceHousecleaning ShortcutsLighting Design IdeasHow to Eliminate the ClutterHow Color Choices Influence Your MoodTurn Your Bath Into a Spa Retreat6 Surprisingly Dirty Places in Your HomeWhat Should You Test For Before Buying a Home?Simple Fixes for Better Indoor Air QualityAvoiding Falls: Make Your Home SafeTesting For and Removing Lead PaintSafe Drinking Water From the TapCarbon Monoxide and Fire SafetySolving Mold and Mildew ProblemsProtecting Your Home From Break-InsYour Guide to Safe and Healthy GrillingHow to Winterize Your HomeCombat Dry Indoor Air This Winter
From Bath to Spa 6 Places Dirt Lives Managing Dry Indoor Air Improve Indoor Air Quality Prevent Falls in Your Home Fire and CO Safety How do you stay warm at home during the winter months? Turn up the thermostat Take a hot bath or shower Enjoy soup and other hot foods Bundle up with blankets or extra layers Exercise to stay warmThere are only a few more months until Pantone announces the 2017 Color of the Year – but if it's up to us, we might just cast our vote for a shade of gray. The neutral color can create a calming, elegant or even electrifying effect – so it makes sense that the shade is currently going super viral on Pinterest. Here, designers share their favorite shades of gray for stunning interiors. "It's faint enough to be a neutral, but saturated enough to make a difference." - J. Randall Powers "It's the perfect neutral and a great alternative to off-white. I recently painted a wood paneled room this color, and the overall effect was warm and inviting." - CeCe Barfield Thompson
"The biggest fear to overcome when using a dark color is that it will make your room feel smaller. A dark color makes the walls seem to disappear and adds incredible drama to a room. This charcoal has just the right amount of brown in it to add warmth. It's as gorgeous on walls as it is on millwork and trim. I've even used it on the bottom of a claw foot tub." - Jen Going "I use this shade over and over again on cabinets and vanities because it is the perfect medium-dark gray. It has warmth, but never looks brown, and has enough pigment to make a statement without shouting. Such a classic!" - Erin Gates "It feels soft and airy, but is still saturated enough to make an impact and elevate a space. It's incredibly versatile, working in anything from traditional to modern spaces, and pretty much everything in between. I love it paired with white for a crisp, clean contrast, and with dark charcoal for more dramatic feel." - Jessica McClendon "This pale gray paint has a touch of taupe/lavender that provides a wonderful neutral backdrop to both traditional and modern interiors.
I love how the color evolves over the day: cooler earlier in the day and a bit more moody at night." - Grant Gibson "It's such a beautiful shade that works with a mixture of tones and finishes. The color has a deep richness that doesn't fall flat and can give a space a great punch, especially when paired with light colors for high contrast." - Shannon Wollack & Brittany Zwickl of Studio Life.Style "This warm and luxuriant shade is stunning in a room with white woodwork and crystal chandeliers. Pop it with coral or hot pink." - Dana Gibson "This gray is super classic and sophisticated, but not boring AT ALL. It's a very, very warm gray – meaning that it's still a cool tone, but has more yellow in it than blue." - Emily Henderson "I like that it is light and airy. It is a whisper of barely there color. This gray doesn't go green, blue or lavender. It is a perfect neutral backdrop!" - Summer Thornton "I look for dimension within paint colors, something that shifts a little from day to night.
I love the subtle depth and warm brown underpinning of this shade. This deep, dark gray is beautiful in a matte wall finish, stunning in satin for millwork, or easily pulls off sexy in a gorgeous gloss for furniture and cabinetry." - Drew McGukin "This shade of gray is pretty because it has a little taupe in it that makes it very chic. It can be beautiful in a living room, dining room, or bedroom." - Alex Papachristidis "This is the ideal background color: warm, soft, and plays well with everyone. It's like the consummate party hostess who brings out the best in every guest. It's the perfect backdrop for blues (denim, chambray, navy) in a living room, and makes olive green look fantastic. It can handle fuchsia and orange in a bunk room, but also goes beautifully soft with creams and grays when used in a master bedroom or kitchen." - Allison Bloom "It's a rich, warm gray that creates an inviting, intimate space. It's also a perfect exterior color paired with a dark charcoal trim." - Karen Vidal
"I keep coming back to this paint color again and again. It's warm enough to use in a space with little sunlight, but not too warm to be considered "greige." It looks soft and rich without overtaking the room." - Amanda Reynal "It has the right mix of warm and cool undertones to be a true gray. It has just enough brown to achieve that perfect warm gray. It looks beautiful on walls, trim, paneling and cabinetry - use it everywhere!" - Wendy Labrum "This color is warm without being muddy, and it has just the perfect amount of pigment – dark enough to be sophisticated and crisp, light enough to be bright and airy." - Orlando Soria for Homepolish "I've found that this hue looks pure and fresh at any time of day or in any type of space. It's not too dark, not too light…it's just right." - Caitlin Murray "It's a super soft and subtle shade of gray that feels fresh, light and airy. It reflects light beautifully to really open up a space, and serves as the perfect neutral backdrop." - Nicole Gibbons