Interior design: How homes shape our emotions (and vice versa)

The colours of your home, both inside and out can have a dramatic impact upon your emotions and mood.

At Home with interior designer Lauren Egan in her Preston home. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Lauren Egan always knew the colours she chose to paint her newly renovated home would have a major impact on the vibe of each room, and indeed, the whole house.

But even she was taken aback by just how dramatic a change her carefully-curated colour palette created.

The colours, while not particularly bold or even, at first glance anyway, striking, turned her sunny, but plain house into a true home.

“Somehow these colours work together to build a real feeling of sanctuary,” says Lauren.

“The hues I went with make the entire house feel like a genuine cocoon.

Interior designer Lauren Egan in her Preston home. Picture: Eugene Hyland

“The paint brought a warmth and a texture to the space and so the home feels very welcoming. I feel peaceful here.”

While Lauren, who has her own interior design company, was pleasantly surprised by the emotions the colours she eventually chose evoked, scientists who study the world of colour are anything but.

Recent research carried out by a team at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany found that people from all corners of the world associate colours with emotions. In fact, people from different parts of the world often associate the same colours with the same emotions. Lead researcher Dr Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel says the study was the first of its kind and established that colour-emotion associations are extremely consistent.

Colour stylist for Haymes Wendy Rennie has long been fascinated by just how much colours impact mood and believes that the vast majority of us underestimate the effect a particular colour can have.

“People generally don’t understand the complexities of colour.” Picture: Eugene Hyland

“People tend to opt for colours that really pop or, whites or neutrals based on the fact that they think it will provide impact, but they generally don’t understand the complexities of colour, nor how it can elevate a mood or create a shift or transform a space completely.”

In order to select the palette that works for you, you must first think about the mood you hope to create, says Wendy. Then, visit a paint store and select some samples to swatch on walls at home.

Choosing a base colour and then adding at least three related hues is a great way to create a harmonious palette to work with. This is how Lauren came up with the soothing colours she had applied at her newly-renovated home.

“Initially, I sat down with a fan deck (see right) and picked out colours I really loved,” she says.

“From that shortlist I got a sense of what kind of colours I was drawn to. I could see there was something of a theme and then I narrowed it down even further.” Next, as per Wendy’s advice, Lauren thought about how she wanted her home to feel.

“In order to select the palette that works for you, you must first think about the mood you hope to create.” Picture: Eugene Hyland

She paid close attention to the colours of the materials already there, such as the warm oak floorboards and the fact the house was bright with sunshine. She also decided she wanted a seamless indoor/outdoor feel and so added a green to her shortlist.

In the end, some of the colours were quite muted, some even gloomy and dark. But they worked beautifully in this particular space with its high ceilings and abundant light. And Lauren is thrilled.

“It’s been the greatest places to spend time during the COVID lockdowns. We’ve been away camping a few times but we’re always happy to return here.”

Her advice for those of us who might like to follow in her footsteps is to be bold in your choices. “Start with a single room, or a wall, or even just a door,” suggests Lauren.

“Then, once you build your confidence you can expand. And when it comes to colour choices, always follow your heart.”

“Follow your heart.” Picture: Eugene Hyland

THE PROJECT

The owners: Interior designer Lauren Egan and Glenn Hester plus Ailbe, seven, and Rennie, four.

The plan: Remove rear of house and build a cutting-edge extension to make the home suitable for a growing family, and select a colour palette designed to provide solace and a safe haven.

Progress report: The home is now complete and heavenly too.

HOW TO PAINT LIKE A PRO

● Check the condition of your walls. Do you have cracks? Minor damage? Fill and finesse these with filler and /or a primer. Leave to dry.

● Apply painter’s tape where you need clean, fresh lines or edges.

● Cover everything that needs protecting with a drop sheet (or three).

● Cut in edges using a brush. For large surfaces, however, use a roller and always work from top to bottom. This way any drips or small flaws will be covered as you go.

● Remember it’s just paint. You can always re-do it.

Originally published as Interior design: How homes shape our emotions (and vice versa)