Interior colour design speaks directly to our emotions, and is a powerful tool that can have a lasting impact, including for your bathroom. Have you ever wondered why you feel so tranquil when entering a beautifully neutral living space, or so energised when you step into a room enhanced with vivid accents? Colour!
Here is a guide to some of the most widely-followed interior design colour rules, how different colours can affect our moods, and how you can easily inject a little colour into your own bathroom.
One of the most robust hues of the colour psychology spectrum, deep, bold blues (like navy and royal blue) evoke feelings of confidence, trust, loyalty and peace. Lighter shades instil calm and tranquility, making them ideal for bathrooms, bedrooms, and relaxed living spaces.
Purple is associated with emotions from creativity and depth, to nobility and fantasy. It suggests luxury and can bring a real presence to a space. Deeper hues can also be incredibly masculine. Used in an entranceway, purple can undeniably impress guests as they step into your home.
A vivacious hue that stimulates thoughts of growth, balance, and restoration. It encapsulates the natural world and is a fantastic way to bring a refreshing sense of nature indoors, particularly if you live in a warm location! It is available in a variety of beautiful shades, from olive and lime to jade and emerald.
One of the more dramatic colours in the palette, red entices and rouses emotions and often mirrors sentiments of excitement, energy, passion, action and ambition. Hence, it’s ideal for creative spaces, including home offices. It also boasts lovely side-shades like crimson, tomato red and burgundy, allowing you to channel a traditional aesthetic or a pop of vivid colour.
Not just a colour for little girls’ rooms, in colour psychology, pink is a delicate hue that exudes a feeling of love, nurture, and femininity. Ideal for bedrooms, it can also be used in living rooms if well-executed, for example, highlighted with refreshing patterns and fuss-free furniture.
Not surprisingly, yellow mirrors feelings of energy, joy and optimism. Whether you use lemon or mustard, it is an unmistakably vibrant colour. Use playful tones to brighten up a child’s nursery or bedroom, or golden shades to add glorious colour and a feeling of space and light into the darker areas of your home.
A versatile colour that in colour psychology evokes feelings of calm, composure, solidity, security and intelligence. It can be used softly and delicately as a base tone or as a feature colour that will dramatically contrast against white ceilings, furnishings, and furniture.
The colour brown is linked to feelings of relaxation and comfort. Rich tones can summon thoughts of companionship and cosiness, and neutral tones support structure and stability. The shade can provide a timeless and tasteful canvas in a kitchen and also work in masculine environments if combined with textures such as stone and timber.
The neutrality of black promises sleek sophistication and is a common accent colour. However, when used heavily in a room can also result in feelings of mystery, drama, and power. Black excels in industrial and modern settings but never dates, so offers appeal in traditional spaces as well if used in modern upholstery and precise architectural details.
Whether you have a traditional or contemporary bathroom, neutral colours often dominate. However, that doesn’t mean colour is off limits! Here are six ways you can inject a pop of hue or two:
This is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to add colour. Select the base shade you want first, and then tailor the rest of your bathroom’s colour scheme around it.
If an abundance of colour in the room is not your preferred option, try painting just one wall. But which one? Choose a wall that you want to be a focal point or one that’s directly opposite the bathroom door to create impact.
The phrase “less is more” is essential here. Rather than saturating an entire bathroom with colourful tiles, opt to create focal points with feature tiles in the shower or an eye-catching splashback behind the vanity.
As a feature piece in any bathroom, be sure to choose wisely if adding a hued tub as they have a long life! Copper can add a feeling of showstopping luxury, while painted porcelain can have a more delicate impact.
Choosing to add colour to either the top or bottom of a vanity and then combine it with a neutral tone to add much-needed balance. Colourful bases work well on large vanities that include shelving or cabinets, and coloured granite or marble on countertops.
From colourful towels and bathmats to candles, wall art and a pop of natural greenery, the versatility and impact of décor is only as limited as your imagination!
References
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