These soothing shades add a calming vibe to any room
Your home can have a significant effect on your mood, from the satisfaction of a clean, sparkling space to the feeling of joy when you add new decor. So it makes sense that calming paint colors can affect the feel of your home, too.
If you want to create a serene space you can settle into at the end of the day, many paint colors can help you establish a peaceful vibe in any room.
We rounded up some of our favorite paint shades to instantly make your home feel more relaxed.
1. Cool Blues
Blue is at the top of most people’s lists of calm and serene colors. You can select from a wide range of shades, from the deep azure of a tropical ocean to the palest periwinkle. Try adding blue paint to bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms, where their calming effects are most felt.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Absolute Zero
Benjamin Moore® Mystical Blue
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Maritime
Glidden® Galactica
2. Natural Greens
Most people associate green hues with nature and the outdoors, so that could explain why we feel these shades emit a strong sense of tranquility and peace. If you’re using green as the primary hue in the paint palette in any room, keep it on the lighter side of the spectrum.
These pale green tones are best for bedrooms and bathrooms. Other livelier rooms like kitchens and living rooms can take stronger medium-toned greens, but in most cases, you’ll want to keep this as an accent color instead of the base or primary shade.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Jojoba
Benjamin Moore® Soft Fern
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Distant Landscape
Glidden® Serendipity
3. Clean Shades of White
White shades (and there are many of them!) can seem stark, sterile, or even cold and industrial. Yet, with the right decor choices, white paint can make almost any room in your home feel like a soothing spa. It’s an especially good paint choice for bathrooms and bedrooms.
To keep the overall effect warm and welcoming, add varied textural touches in your decor, such as faux fur blankets, plush towels, and velvet or velveteen fabrics.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Polar Bear
Benjamin Moore® White Dove
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Gardenia
Glidden® Delicate White
4. Peaceful Lavenders
A bright or dark-toned purple might call to mind a royal hall or a teenager’s bedroom, but don’t discount softer shades of violet and lavender. These tones maintain the regal effect of the brighter shades on the purple paint card while keeping it mellow and meditative.
However, remember that any shade of purple, even light lavenders, can put off future home buyers. So if you’re planning to put your home on the market in the next few years, you might want to choose a more neutral hue.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Will O’ The Wisp
Benjamin Moore® Violet Dusk
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Tranquil Sea
Glidden® Pale Violet
5. Soothing Grays
Still a popular choice, gray shades can help you create a sophisticated yet relaxing mood in any room of your home. The right shade of gray can make a room look crisp and elegant, no matter the room’s primary use; it’s not just for kitchens and bathrooms anymore. Consider using a gray paint hue in a bedroom or living space, then adding a few punches of bold color such as lavender, rose, or pale yet sunny yellow through linens, artwork, or throw pillows.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Dolphin Fin
Benjamin Moore® Moore’s Horizon
Dunn-Edwards Paints® December Sky
Glidden® Stargazer
6. Pastoral Pinks
While brighter pinks give off a more vibrant, energetic vibe, the lighter end of the pink spectrum has a much different impact. Using pale pink and rosy hues as interior paint colors evokes the soft, easy atmosphere of early dawn. Keep your pink paint choices lighter and less saturated with reds to avoid an overstimulating effect.
For inspiration:
BEHR® November Pink
Benjamin Moore® First Light
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Windmill
Glidden® Bare Pink
7. Calming Beige Tones
Beige gets a bad rap as a boring, overused color choice for interior paint. Yet, this color family is one of the best choices for creating a soothing, serene background for your home. This color works beautifully to create a serene backdrop for the rest of your room’s decor in bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and dining rooms. Beige is a standout choice for a basement paint color because it brings warmth and light into a typically dark space.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Creamy Mushroom
Benjamin Moore® Foggy Morning
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Fine Grain
Glidden® Stonehenge Greige
8. Serene Seafoam
Light seafoam has the same calming effect of blue but with an extra hint of green for a breezier, more earthy feel. Dusty rose, taupe, and coral all make for beautiful accents. This color is versatile enough for every room, but creates an especially relaxing feel in a bedroom, bathroom, or powder room.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Seafoam Spray
Benjamin Moore® Celadon
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Seafoam
Glidden® Tropical Dream
9. Pastel Peaches
Cheerful pastel peach shades brighten up a space without being too intense on the eyes. It’s a perfect choice for living areas with white trim or furniture and muted accents like pale blues and greens. Peachy hues are also a lovely choice for powder rooms, entryways, and bathrooms.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Sweet Peach
Benjamin Moore® Fresh Peach
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Peaceful Peach
Glidden® Peachlight
10. Delectable Creams
If brighter shades of white aren’t your vibe, consider using warm and creamy off-white tones to add an extra hint of calm and warmth. Think vanilla ice cream, custard, or homemade clotted cream. These vanilla dessert-inspired shades envelope a space in soft, delicious color and are versatile enough for nearly any room or color scheme.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Thickened Cream
Benjamin Moore® Bracken Cream
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Cream Puff
Glidden® Creamy Custard
11. Tranquil Taupes
Taupe is a basic neutral that’s easy on the eyes and extremely versatile in interior rooms. They create a soft, natural atmosphere when paired with white and muted blues and greens. Taupe shades are also a great choice for powder rooms and rooms that don’t get a lot of natural sunlight.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Chic Taupe
Glidden® Truly Taupe
Benjamin Moore® Smokey Taupe
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Rustic Taupe
12. Sandy Tans
Light shades of tan recreate the look and feel of warm sand on a tropical beach. If an island getaway is your happy place, painting your walls tan can give off a beachy, relaxing feel year-round. These colors accent other warm neutrals beautifully, as well as natural woods and white, minimalist color schemes.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Brazilian Tan
Glidden® Historic Tan
Benjamin Moore® Jackson Tan
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Bisque Tan
13. Sea Teals
Reminiscent of a secluded beach against a quiet sky, shades of sea teal create a breezy, relaxing atmosphere in a room. White trim and accents pop against this color and naturally complement pale pinks, tans, and other beach-inspired hues.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Teal Ocean
BEHR® Pacific Sea Teal
Glidden® Deep Ocean Teal
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Tranquil Teal
14. Warm Golds
Golden paint colors have a way of enveloping you in warm light as soon as you walk into the room. Shades of honey, goldenrod, Vegas gold, and golden brown illuminate sunny rooms and bathe them in a warm glow. The color works well against earthy color schemes and burgundies but also makes a beautiful backdrop for white furniture with shiny golden accents.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Fairmont Gold
BEHR® November Gold
Glidden® Warm Gold
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Golden Retriever
15. Buttery Yellows
If creamy, pale yellows butter your biscuit, painting your walls in this vibrant color will create a warm, calming escape. Painting buttery yellow walls in a sunny room with natural wood look fresh, warm, and natural. This color also pairs well with pastels and makes a cheerful backdrop for a kid’s room, bedroom, kitchen, or living area.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Butter Yellow
Glidden® Buttered Sweet Corn
Benjamin Moore® Cream Yellow
Dunn-Edwards Paints® Smooth Like Butter
How to Select Right Calming Room Colors for You
Choosing the best paint shade for a specific room in your home can be overwhelming. However, if you set up a testing system, it can be a blast. Try out every potential shade on your wall with a sizable swatch to see how it works in the space and aligns with your current decor and lighting features.
It’s fun to experiment with colorful walls, but don’t get carried away with trendy choices if you don’t think it’ll work for your long-term vision. For extra calming vibes, add plants and indirect lighting to enhance the calm tranquility of your newly painted room.
Finally, while painting your home’s interior can be a great DIY project, you might want to leave this task to the pros for a smoother, faster, less disruptive process. Hire a professional interior painter near you for an expert finish that’ll thrill you for years to come.
Annie Sisk contributed to this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Light shades of blue, such as pale sky blue or soft periwinkle, are classic choices for creating a calm ambiance in a bedroom, especially for sleeping. Not only are they naturally relaxing, but they also mimic the look of a clear sky, making them the perfect choice for greeting the morning sunshine or winding down at the end of the day.
The three most popular calming paint colors are light blues, muted greens, and soft, cool grays, depending on personal preference. These shades recreate colors found in nature, promoting a tranquil and relaxing environment. Still, a color’s impact on your mood will vary based on individual taste, so it’s always a good idea to swatch a few paint samples to gauge how they make you feel.
Paint colors that commonly trigger anxiety symptoms include bright, intense reds, vibrant oranges, and bold, dark colors such as deep purples or dramatic blacks. Bright colors can be overstimulating and lead to restlessness and agitation, especially when used in spaces meant for relaxation. Dark colors can create a moody feel in the right context, but they can also promote a sense of heaviness, confinement, or gloominess. Again, it depends on personal preferences, so it’s important to test out colors before committing. If you want to use a dark or bright color in your home, consider painting it on an accent wall instead of an entire room.
