How to Choose the Right Color for Your Bedroom

It can be a lot of fun redecorating your home, but with that excitement also comes a little bit of pressure. You don’t want to have to re-paint constantly, so it’s important to find colors that will keep you satisfied for years to come. This is especially true when it comes to the colors you choose for your bedroom—your bedroom, after all, is your sanctuary. There is no better feeling than crawling into bed after a long day and looking around at a room that you love. So how do you make sure you’re choosing the right color for your bedroom?

I think there are two approaches anyone can take for choosing the color scheme for their bedroom. You can either choose a color based on the atmosphere you want to create, or you can throw caution to the wind and choose a color that you absolutely love and always have.

A lot of research has gone into the effects that colors can have on a mood or atmosphere. The top shades that are recommended for bedrooms are: blue, due to its calming effect and apparent ability to slow down your heart rate and decrease blood pressure; green, because it encourages relaxation and togetherness and is thought to help with fertility; and light purples which are thought to have similar calming qualities as blue. Colors that are recommended to avoid are orange, red, and yellow, which all promote energy and excitement in one way or another.

The other approach is to just choose a color you absolutely adore. My mother recently painting her bedroom a bright, neon green (not the shade I think most decorators have in mind when recommending green as a relaxing color). When she first showed everyone, we all thought she got the wrong color and was going to march straight back to the store and complain. Boy were we wrong—she absolutely loves it. Neon green has always been her favorite color, and she has no plans on repainting anytime soon because she’s always felt an attachment to the color that she now happily displays on her walls.

So there you have it—you can either go with the experts, or go with your heart. Sometimes it’s good to put a lot of thought into your colors, but sometimes when it comes to a space as personal as your bedroom, you’re better off choosing something you’re passionate about.