When To Use Warm vs. Cool Colors in Your Home, According to Interior Designers
A color palette isn’t the easiest thing to figure out when it comes to beautifying spaces in your home. You might be able to hang pictures on the wall or pick out furniture in a flash, but a color scheme? That can be a headache waiting to happen, since there are literally limitless hues to choose from.
But with a little know-how, picking colors that work best in interior design truly can make a difference, from setting the scene for visual appeal to making warm and cool colors work in a functional way that suits your needs.
“You can’t separate color and design,” says Jackie Terrell, a New York City-based designer and owner of Jackie Knows, Inc. “In fact, it’s one of the most essential components of design. Even if a space is not ‘colorful,’ it’s still going to feature color predominately. More so than any other design element, color is what determines mood.”
And actually, warm colors and cool colors can each impact one’s mood in various ways and serve multiple purposes in different spaces. But what are these color categories, and how do you effectively weave them into a home?
Courtesy of Mendelson Group / Photography by Eric Piasecki
What Are Warm Colors?
“Warm colors are considered anything from red to yellow-green on a color wheel,” says Gideon Mendelson, founder and creative director of Mendelson Group. “Warm colors like aubergine and maroon can be moody and create a sense of formality, while colors like orange and yellow evoke a feeling of optimism and excitement.”
Diana Hathaway, founder and designer at GorgeousColor.com says that ultimately, warm colors are defined by their undertone.
She says, “Warm colors feature a predominance of a warm undertone like red or yellow, and that gives it a warm appearance.”
Terrell points out that even some blues can have a warm quality to them, while some red hues contain hints of blue that can make them appear “cool.”
Courtesy of Mendelson Group / Photography by Tim Lenz
What Are Cool Colors?
On the flip side, Mendelson says that cool colors are considered anything from violet to dark green on the color wheel.
“Cool colors like bright purple and green promote creativity and peace,” he says. “On the other hand, light blues and lavenders are often considered the best colors to paint a bedroom for a good night’s sleep.”
Hathaway says that cool colors feature an undertone of blue or gray, which can give them a diffused appearance.
“Decorating with cool colors can tone down a space that’s too energetic due to location or architectural design,” she says. “Monochromatic palettes are especially soothing when created with cool colors.”
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When To Use Warm Colors
To Create a Happy and Creative Vibe
Mendelson believes that these sunny hues work best in dining rooms, dens, office spaces, playrooms, and living rooms “for an inviting feeling, promoting happiness and creativity.” He adds, “Warm colors can also feel comforting and cozy.”
The dining room is a particularly ideal space for warm shades, according to Hathaway. She says, “Your dining room is the perfect place for an inviting color palette filled with warm colors. When you create a color palette for a gathering space with colors like red, burnt orange, and yellow, you’re bringing positive energy to the room.”
Courtesy of Jackie Terrell / Photography by Lara Kimmerer
To Offset a Frigid Feel
Perhaps you live in a place where winter can be long and gloomy. Here, you can bring these colors indoors to invite warmth into your spaces, as Terrell says. Or maybe you have a contemporary home that’s filled with hard surfaces. In this case, color can have a softening effect.
“A chilly landscape can feel cozier if warm colors are juxtaposed,” Terrell says.
Hathaway agrees with this approach, saying that kitchens benefit from warm and inviting color, “as appliances are most often cool stainless steel or white.”
To Brighten Dim Rooms
“Warm colors are perfect for rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light, especially those with windows facing the north,” Hathaway notes. “Walls painted in warm colors can give the illusion of warmth. For bedrooms lacking the warmth of a sunrise, a rich yellow paint and accessories in warm colors can invigorate your morning routine.”
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When To Use Cool Colors
To Cool Down Warm Surroundings
Terrell says that if you live in a hot climate or desert landscape, a room can benefit from being cooled down through color. The colors may make your brain believe that you feel cooler than you are, since warm tones can amplify the feel of those warm temperatures outside.
“Cool colors are perfect for spaces that have too much sun coming in, as a way to balance all the warm energy,” Hathaway says. “A cool color palette can provide visual relief in rooms that receive full sun for several hours a day, and even create the illusion that the room temperature is cooler than it actually is.”
To Create Fresh and Clean Ambiance
Cool colors look their very best in kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and patios, as Mendelson says. He believes that they create a calm, relaxing atmosphere and they also “feel fresh and clean, perfect for spaces you often occupy, such as kitchens and laundry rooms.”
Courtesy of Mendelson Group / Photography by Eric Piasecki
To Mellow the Mood
Do you have rooms that are filled with lots of energy from family members and friends? It’s a vibe that can feel overwhelming quickly, as Hathaway puts it, so it might be a good idea to turn to a cool color palette to tone down that chaotic quality.
“Cool color palettes can soften rooms and how we interact with them,” Hathaway says.
What are some specific spots where cool colors can especially work their magic? Think: guest rooms “to provide a retreat from travel and socializing,” Hathaway says and bedrooms, which she says are the most popular spaces for cool color palettes since they encourage rest and sleep.
Still at a loss as to what palette you should choose for a space? Mendelson says that he finds white and soft neutrals to be “the most versatile shades.”
“A white space helps promote focus and organization but can be easily revitalized with color,” he says.
Next up, discover the best-selling house colors.
Sources
Jackie Terrell, a New York City-based designer and owner of Jackie Knows, Inc.
Gideon Mendelson, founder and creative director of Mendelson Group.
Diana Hathaway, founder and designer at GorgeousColor.com