Use Colours and Textures to Elevate Your Mood

Did you know that the way you decorate your home can significantly impact your mental wellbeing and mood? It’s important that your living environment makes you ‘feel’ good as well as being aesthetically pleasing … and even Insta-worthy. The colours and textures you choose can be powerful tools to evoke specific emotions, whether that’s to encourage relaxation and provide more energy, or feel inspiring or uplifting.

Incorporate colour psychology into your home

The psychology of colour is a rising trend in interior design at the moment – it’s no accident that Dulux’s Colour of the Year for 2025 is True Joy which the brand describes as ‘an uplifting yellow that fills our homes with optimism, pride, and a pop of colour.’

When it comes to choosing colours, think about how you use the space and what feeling you would like to promote, whether that’s through wall colour, furniture, soft furnishings, or accessories.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each colour can bring:

• Warm colours: Reds, oranges, and yellows are known for their invigorating and energising qualities. Red can boost energy and excitement, making it the perfect colour for dining rooms where you might want to create a sense of intimacy and stimulate conversation, while yellow and orange bring a sense of cheerful warmth and optimism to a space. Although great for encouraging social interaction and creativity, warm colours can be overwhelming in rooms where you simply want to chill-out and relax.
• Cool colours: Hues in the green, blue, and purple families engender a serene and soothing ambience and are brilliant for providing stability and peace. A blue bedroom, for example, offers a sense of tranquillity and stress relief that can aid quality sleep, while green is associated with renewal and balance, and purple can add a touch of calm luxury.
• Natural colours: Neutral shades of white, grey, cream, and beige offer a sense of simplicity and balance, as well as making rooms feel more serene and spacious. Neutrals tend to work well as a backdrop for any room and their versatility means you can complement them with almost any other colour, pattern, or texture.

Embrace the ‘joycore’ trend

Joycore, a décor trend that sits somewhere between maximalism and minimalism, is all about adding uplifting, playful, and vibrant elements that evoke a sense of positivity to your space. On a general level, think lots of natural light, cheerful colours, tactile textures, and curves or flowing organic shapes. Joy can mean different things to different people, so anything that makes you personally happy will work, not only improving your mood but also your wellbeing. Add décor accents that make you smile, whether that be a velvet snuggle seat in your favourite colour and fabric, or an Art Deco drinks trolley. When something makes you happy, your brain releases dopamine which can enhance mood, memory, sleep quality, and concentration, so ‘dopamine décor’ will improve your overall wellbeing as well as your mood.

Stimulate the senses with stress-reducing textures 

Incorporating an array of different textures into your décor aesthetic can positively enhance your wellbeing by creating a sensory-rich environment that offers comfort, relaxation, and balance. Fabrics like faux furs and smooth silks offer an invitation to be stroked; lowering stress levels and fostering a sense of calm, while soft, plush textures like velvet and chenille make a space feel cosy, encouraging you to unwind and destress.

Enhance your personal energy with ‘fire’ colours

If you want to feel more energised, decorating your space with fire colours reminiscent of the sun, like reds, yellows, oranges, and even pinks and purples, will deliver an endorphin boost to the senses. Depending on your preferences, fire colours might be best used fire in soft furnishings and accessories such as rugs, cushions and artwork, and flowers, rather than furniture or wallpaper which may seem overpowering.

Get grounded with earth shades and natural materials like wood and stone  

Textures and colours that echo those found in the natural world – such as wood and stone - and earthy shades like rich brown, rust, amber, olive, moss, and khaki bring a grounding element of the outdoors inside and provide a connection to nature. By layering these organic materials and hues, you can add warmth depth, and intimacy, creating a nurturing atmosphere that promotes both physical comfort and emotional wellbeing.

Choose colours for how you want the room to make you feel

Think about the room’s function and what feelings you want it to evoke, whether that’s motivating or relaxing – then pick your colours accordingly. A vibrant coloured sofa, for example, can energise a living room, while a calming blue or serene green bedspread can enhance relaxation in the bedroom.

Colours and textures are more than just aesthetic choices; understanding how they impact your emotions and mood means will help you to create beautiful spaces that also enhance your wellbeing.

Check out our other wellness guides or visit us in store for more inspiration.