12 Color Meanings — And How to Use Them in Your House

Whether you want to add energy to a dull room or calm a hectic one, this guide will help you pick the color that suits you best.

Thomas Loof

Orange: Expands Your Thinking

This vibrant hue reduces self-consciousness and allows you to express yourself with confidence. Use it in your home when you want to feel younger. It is the color of laughter and celebration. Add an orange mouse pad to your office, an accent wall to your child's room, or just a bordered notecard on a side table.

Interior design by Amanda Lindroth

Simon Watson

Deep Blue: Encourages Efficiency

It will purify your thinking, so you can cut through the clutter and discover what is most important in your life. It helps you integrate the big picture with the little picture. Wear dark blue when you need to make a decision. At home, try it on an oversized tray, a wastebasket, a desk lamp or all over the room.

Interior design by Jeannette Whitson

Thomas Loof

Green: Increases Wealth

The primary color in nature, it corresponds with life's riches. It is the color of fresh starts and growth. It will encourage you to honor your unique talents and manifest them in the material world. Try a green chair, side table or front door.

Interior design by Miles Redd

Simon Watson

Green: Also Heals

It represents nourishment and helps steady the body, balancing your equilibrium and encouraging stability. Use it to rejuvenate yourself, to promote physical and emotional well-being. Try a green pot, set of kitchen bowls, or bath towels.

Interior design by Ruthie Sommers

Beatriz da Costa

Light Purple: Enhances Spirituality

It will help you connect to a higher plane. Purple encourages a fresh perspective on emotional issues. By reminding you that we are all connected, it will deepen your sense of humanity. Use it in your home to enhance compassion and to experience friends as family. Try a light purple cashmere throw, journal or fresh bouquet.

Interior design by Mary McGee

J. Savage Gibson

Light Blue: Gives a Sense of Peace

It dissolves tension and promotes tranquillity. Light blue especially brings ease into the home and harmony into relationships. Wearing or surrounding yourself with it helps calm aggressive tendencies and eliminates discord. Try a light blue headboard, flowy drapes or painted ceiling.

Interior design by Meg Braff

Bright Red: Fortifies You

It is a stimulant. It promotes courage and fearlessness. Use this color when you want to increase self-confidence. But too much red can make you feel overly excited or agitated. A little goes a long way. Try a bright red candy dish, picture frame, or accent pillows.

Interior design by Ellen O'Neill

Douglas Friedman

Yellow: Increases Your Focus

This color is known for enhancing intelligence and mental agility. It can help stimulate conversation and clarify thoughts. Try a yellow pencil, bookmark, or side chair.

Interior design by Krista Ewart

Bjorn Wallander

Pink: Opens the Heart

Gentle and soothing, pink is the color of love. It promotes tenderness and is a comfort in times of emotional transition. Use it in a room when you are trying to increase receptivity and understanding. Try a pink lampshade, table runner or just a glass of rosé wine.

Interior design by Kelee Katillac

Thomas Loof

Yellow and Orange: Add Life

These colors help dispel darkness and allow us to see the brighter side of things. Always remember, an array of color is key to happiness: You need the full range of it to feel balanced and fully alive. Try a yellow or orange kitchen towel, throw pillows, or coffee mugs.

Interior design by Justine Cushing

Trevor Tondro

Deep Red: Inspires Passion

It helps awaken the libido. Use it to move you through inhibitions and emotional blocks that prevent you from expressing yourself. It will remind you to live life fully and to love your body. Try a deep red ottoman, lampshade, or accent chair.

Interior design by Carey Maloney and Hermes Mallea

Jonny Valiant

Aqua: Inspires Trust

This is the color to use when you need to relax. Wear or surround yourself with it if you have difficulty sleeping, dreaming, or meditating. Try an aqua duvet, vase or painted floor.

Interior design by Mona Ross Berman

Next

20+ Favorite Yellow Rooms

By Michele Bernhardt