Psychology of Color: How Do I Know What Colors to Choose?
BWS Design • June 17, 2016

Decorating your home is fun and exciting. The way you choose to decorate not only showcases your personality, it can also affect your mood and the overall atmosphere of your home. Color plays an important role in your interior design, and choosing the right color for your walls, ceilings, and accents (like blinds) will make your home inviting and relaxing. You probably know exactly what your favorite colors are, but you’re not sure if those will be right for your home. You’re asking yourself “How do I know what colors to choose?” Color psychology can be very helpful when choosing the best colors for your interior design. Take a peek at these popular colors and how they affect your mood and the atmosphere of your home:

1. Red. Red is a vibrant, exciting color. Red is very intense and creates an energetic atmosphere. This warm color is great for rooms used for entertaining, such as the living and dining rooms. Red also makes a powerful first impression, so it is well-suited for areas such as entryways. Research shows that red can raise blood pressure and heart rates, so it should be avoided in bedrooms and areas where you would like to relax.

2. Yellow. If you are looking for a color that exudes happiness, yellow is for you. Yellow is bright, happy, and can help a small room appear more spacious. Yellow is best used in kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and small spaces, where it creates a welcoming atmosphere. Although yellow is generally a happy color, it is not a good choice for large living areas–studies show that too much yellow can create frustration. This color has often been a popular choice for baby nurseries, however, recent research shows that the color yellow actually makes babies cry.

3. Blue. Need to de-stress? Blue is the color for you. Blue has a calming effect that creates a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere. This color has the opposite effect of red–blue is found to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate, making it an excellent choice for bedrooms. Beware of using too much of an icy blue color, as it can make a room feel cold and unwelcoming. Pair these pastel blues with warm hues in other furnishings and accents. Bright, warmer blues (like turquoise and teal) in soft shades work well as main colors. Avoid very dark blues as they can create a depressing atmosphere.

4. Green. Green is a great color for any room. Combining the best elements of both blue and yellow (the happiness and warmth of yellow with the calming effect of blue), it creates a relaxing atmosphere that is also warm and inviting. A bright and cheery green is great in kitchens and bathrooms, while a deeper shade works well in living areas and bedrooms.

5. Purple. Another secondary color, purple combines elements of both red and blue. Purple has always been the color of royalty, so it creates a majestic atmosphere. This color exudes the warmth of red while remaining calming like blue. Light shades of purple are great for main colors, as they create a tranquil atmosphere without the drawback of feeling cold like the wrong blue. Richer shades of purple are fantastic for accents and furnishings, and they create a feeling of luxury.

6. Orange. Orange, much like red, is bright and enthusiastic. This color gets your blood pumping and creates an energetic atmosphere. For this reason, it’s not the best choice for a bedroom or a large living area–it works best in an exercise room or a kids’ play room.

7. Black/White/Gray. These neutral colors are important to every design scheme. Large doses of white can make a room feel very clean, crisp, and fresh, but it can also feel a bit cold and stark. Too much gray feels drab, while too much black is just, well, too much. The trick is to use neutral colors to highlight and draw attention to the rest of the colors in the room.

Understanding what effect color can have on your mood is very helpful when choosing a color scheme for your interior design. Your home should be a place where you feel comfortable and choosing the right color for each room can improve your mood considerably. The right colors will also help your guests feel warm and welcome. Please feel free to  contact us  to learn more about choosing colors for your home decor.

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

Best Options for Sheer Privacy: Your Guide to Private Sunshine

By Autumn Hooper • January 10, 2025
Sunshine can fill any room with a warm glow. It provides natural light and can even lift your mood. But there may be some rooms where you want both privacy and sunshine at the same time. You shouldn't have to block out the light to enjoy private rooms in your home. For these moments, having the right blinds or drapes can make all the difference. The answer is in sheer privacy, sheer and semi-sheer materials that let in the light without allowing others to see through your windows. This is your guide to private sunshine: how to enjoy your privacy and warm natural light in any room. Why Sheer Privacy Matters There are many situations where sheer privacy is ideal. Bedrooms are warm and welcoming when filled with natural light, but privacy is paramount. Sheer window treatments can also bring sunshine into your living room without broadcasting family activities to the neighborhood. And if natural light helps you stay focused in your office, you can maintain professional security without worries by hanging sheer blinds and drapes so your computer screen is never visible through the window. How can you achieve this perfect balance of sunshine and privacy? There are several types of blinds and drapes that can meet your needs. Woven and Fabric Blinds The right fabric or woven blinds can provide the perfect balance between light and privacy. Woven and fabric blinds are rarely completely opaque. Depending on your choice of material and weave, you can determine both how much light shines through and the level of visibility in your sheer material. Fabric blinds use woven fabric to block visual access through your window while also acting as a diffuser for the sunlight. Woven blinds are made of grass or reeds and provide a similar effect. This can be used to cast gentle glowing light into your room at slightly dimmer-than-normal levels while showing silhouettes or less. Slatted Blinds and Plantation Shutters The most traditional answer is slatted blinds and plantation shutters. These methods use opaque angled slats that open to allow in some light without creating an easy line-of-sight from anywhere that a person outside might reasonably be standing. Slats pointed up or down welcome sunshine from various angles during the day but cannot be seen through until the slats are nearly horizontal. Slatted blinds hang from the top, and the angle of the slats is controlled with a cord system. Today, pull cords and hanging loops are no longer used. Instead, a control wand or motorization is used to enhance home safety and convenience. Plantation shutters are wood structures that are permanently installed or fold out over your windows. The slats are structured and controlled by pushing a ridge bar on the back of the shutter slats themselves. Honeycomb Blinds Honeycomb blinds are a type of fabric blinds that use honeycomb cells to provide greater insulation. Honeycomb blinds are not just energy-efficient, they also provide greater privacy by implementing layered fabric to create the honeycomb air pockets. At the same time, the fabric used can bring in sunshine and act as a diffuser to spread gentle sunshine through your room. The honeycombs themselves also diffuse any silhouettes or shadows that might be seen through the fabric of the blind for greater privacy inside your rooms. Semi-Sheer Drapery If you prefer drapes, you can also select a sheer fabric as the innermost layer for your draperies. The fabric and the folds of the drapes combine to provide both a diffuser for sunshine and privacy. Drapery is the most likely to reveal shadows and silhouettes, but a style with more folds when the sheer layer is closed can obscure shapes and activities within to provide the privacy you need. Private Sundrenched Rooms with Just Blinds If you are looking to enjoy diffused sunshine and keep your rooms private at the same time, Just Blinds can help. Contact us today to explore your options for sheer privacy design with custom window treatments.

2025 Colors of the Year: How to Use Them in Your Home Design

By Autumn Hooper • December 10, 2024
Every year, the leading paint and decorator brands release their Color of the Year. Each organization theorizes which colors will be at the peak of interior design trends for the next 12 months, and the 2025 Colors of the Year have been released. If you want your interior decor to match the mood of the year with the latest magazine-spread designs and eye-catching arrangements, now is your chance. 2025: A Year of Bold and Somber Tones 2025 rings in a year of regally subdued tones. They are at once both bold and somber, creating relaxed yet elevated living spaces through strong colors and muted hues. This is a marked contrast from the light and airy palette created by the colors of the year from 2024 featuring soft pinks, warm honeys, and renewing blues. This year, the leading tones are dark red, deep purple, and dusty neutrals that make a space feel at once both cozy and formal. Stately Reds If you love dark reds from brick to mohogany, then this is your year. Both Behr and C2 have named dark yet natural-tone reds as their colors of the year. They are perfect to make a room feel luxe and stately without the overwhelming quality, making these reds the perfect base color for walls and a great accent in an elegant room. Rumors by Behr - A dusty red that is both light and dark at the same time. This muted town is a smooth, creamy rendition of faded brick that looks perfect with warm colors and red-hued wood furniture. Raku by C2 - A bold, dark mahogany red that looks great for interiors and exteriors inspired by the ancient Japanese tea ceremony. Regal Purples Purple is back in bold refrain for 2025 interior design. Between Violet by Minwax and Purple Basil by Glidden, you have an incredible palette to create the most regal of interiors, from primary colors to accents that pop. We love these rich tones that make any room stand out from the typical warm tones and neutrals that have ruled the roost for a decade. Violet by Minwax - Violet by Minwax is not your typical violet. It is a deep, rich aubergine, the color of royal robes and the most luxurious paint. This majestic color will stand out no matter how you use it. Purple Basil by Glidden - Purple Basil is a dusty reddish lavender that shares tones with charcoal and plum. It is somehow both somber and cheerful, warm yet subdued. Purple basil is a wonderful color for both primary walls and bold trim without overwhelming the space. Relaxed Blues Last year, blues were bright and full of energy with an aqua-green undercurrent. This year's blues are more relaxed, blending well with neutrals whether you're looking for a chill space or a summer tone. Quietude by HGTV / Sherwin Williams - Quietude is the eggshell of blues. It is soft and faintly blue in hue while still giving the light neutral feel of a nearly-white painted room. It has the faint hues of a lightly cloudy sky. Encore 8002 by Valspar - Encore 8002 is a bold, rich blue on the cheerful side of royal blue. It's deep but not dark, embracing what makes blue such a great color for decor. Mapped Blue by Dutch Paint Boys - Mapped Blue reflects green-blue theme of last year but with this year's dusty trend. It's soft and comforting but with a touch of surprise that's not your everyday medium blue. Subdued Neutrals While red, purple, and blue may be our boldest tones, it's neutrals that rule the 2025 Color of the Year list. From deep yet soft Truffle to warm almost-pink cinnamon, you will find a surprisingly gorgeous palette of neutrals to work with as primary, accent, and rich detail tones in any room design. These colors can fall into the background or make your room pop. Truffle by Stainmaster - Truffle is the darkest of the 2025 neutrals, blending honey with charcoal for a warm bold tone that looks amazing in boho or minimalist styles. Mochi by Little Greene - Mochi is a warm medium neutral that naturally supports wooden furniture of all hues. It has undertones of milkey coffee but reflects light in a way that still brightens a room. Caramelized by Dunn-Edwards - Caramelized is a tone that approaches boldly from the cheerful side, reminding us of dessert landscapes and faintly orange sunset skies. Cinnamon Slate by Benjamin - Cinnamon Slate is a soft neutral that is just this side of dusty pink. It's described as a dreamy, velvety purple and brown that can add subtle richness to any space. Mocha Mousse by Pantone - Mocha Mousee is a sophisticated neutral that reminds us of soft earth and smooth wood. Using the Colors of the Year to Inspire Your 2025 Interior Design These colors aren't just for paint, they can be used to enhance every element of your space. One of the best ways to introduce diversity and annual color trends into your home is through blinds and drapes. Choosing the perfect blinds can update your style to magazine-worthy arrangements for every year and season. Find the latest colors and styles at Just Blinds today.
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