It’s definitely tempting to use white, tan, or other neutrals when you want to create a calming room – and there’s nothing wrong with doing so – but I’m here to tell you that if you’re going for a calming vibe, you have permission to use color.
For me, the calming feel in a room actually comes from the contrast – not the color itself.
Okay, I take that back – intensity definitely plays a role too.
For example, when you think of a green room vs an orange room, the green room probably feels more calming to you – and there is some truth in that because of color theory.
But let me prove a point here that the green room isn’t necessarily more calming…
I’m not saying I’m going to paint my bedroom orange (among many reasons, orange doesn’t feel calm for me), HOWEVER, I can appreciate a calming orange room, even if I’m not going to choose it for my own home, like this one here:
You might already know where I’m going with this, but the orange room above is using (1) contrast and (2) intensity to create a calming affect.
Contrast: the contrast in this room is very low, which is very soothing to the eye. The main colors in the room are light oranges, maybe yellow, that all blend nicely from one to the next. The green from the plants is the highest level of contrast in this room, but plants can bring a natural and calming presence.
Intensity: When looking at the intensity of a color, we’ll look at its chroma (saturation) and value (brightness). The above orange has does have saturation but I would say it’s a little muted. Muting a color can tone it down and create a more natural and calming feeling. The main way the above orange is low intensity is that its value (aka the brightness of the color) is very low. It’s not a bright and loud clementine orange, it’s a soft peach.
Now, let’s look at a high contrast green room:
This room that features a lot of green has many moments of high contrast: the dark (almost black) couch vs light pillows, white trim and artwork against the dark green wall, where the green accent wall and tan wall meet, and the tan rug next to the dark couch.
Points of high contrast will draw the eyes. So since there are multiple points of high contrast in this room, the eyes are bouncing around a bit – not necessarily in a bad way – but in a way that is stimulating the brain, and therefore, feels less calming. In this room, I picture going to a sub-par book club or a neighborhood meeting (pretty much somewhere I don’t necessarily want to be, especially at the end of a long day).
Or maybe just a room that’s pretty much the extra room by the door on the first floor that’s never used (thinking of the sitting room at my grandma’s house).
Now let’s look at a low contrast green room in comparison:
Doesn’t that feel much more soothing and inviting?
I’m such a sucker for a dark and moody room in general, but as you can see in the living room above it’s because this has a much lower lever of contrast.
This room looks much cozier to me, like a room I would stay in for a long time telling secrets to my friend at an evening party, with no concept of time, but just enjoying the moment. It gives me a sense of calm.
Now there are other ways to make a room feel calm, cozy, inviting, but I want to let you know that it CAN be achieved through color. In fact it’s some of my favorite interior looks.
Here are a few other elements you can use to create a calming room:
- Soft fabrics/textures
- Rounded/non-directional items (as opposed to too many straight edges)
- Lighting