How the room color mood generator works
Choose the room, the mood you want, how bold you want to go and which way the room faces. The generator gives you a five-colour palette, a picture of a room painted in it, and a note on where each colour goes in that room. It also warns you about combinations that tend to go wrong, such as a bright yellow bedroom.
The six moods
| Mood | Colours | Feels |
|---|---|---|
| Calm and restful | Sage, mist blue-gray, stone | Quiet, slow, low-effort |
| Cozy and warm | Cream, caramel, terracotta, clay | Wrapped up and lived in |
| Bright and energising | Yellow, coral, tangerine | Awake, sociable, cheerful |
| Elegant and polished | Greige, charcoal, brass | Tailored and a little formal |
| Fresh and airy | White, mint, aqua | Clean, open and light |
| Moody and dramatic | Navy, inky green, plum | Enclosed, rich and intimate |
The three levels of boldness
- Soft: pale walls. This is the easy choice, and it suits small or dark rooms.
- Balanced: a medium colour on the walls, with a lighter second colour. This works in most rooms.
- Bold: a deep colour on the walls. It looks best in a room with good light, or in a room you use mostly in the evening.
The five colours in every palette
- Walls: the main colour, which covers the largest area.
- Second colour: for large furnishings such as a sofa, the bedding, curtains or cabinets.
- Trim and ceiling: a white, chosen to suit the palette.
- Accent: a small amount of colour in cushions, art and accessories.
- Natural material: the wood or stone that already exists in the room, such as the floor.
How colour changes by room
- Living room: used all day, so check the colour in daylight and under lamps.
- Bedroom: keep it softer, and put the bold colour on one wall or in the bedding.
- Kitchen: make the walls or the cabinets the bold part, not both.
- Bathroom: use moisture-resistant paint. Dark colours feel cosy here, not small.
- Home office: avoid a very bright wall behind the screen.
- Dining room: deep colours look good by candlelight.
- Kids’ room: put the playful colours into things you can change.
- Entry: test the colour in the actual spot, because halls are often dark.
How light changes a mood
A cool palette in a north-facing room can feel cold, and a warm palette in a south-facing room can turn yellow at midday. The generator adds a note about this for the direction you choose. Artificial light matters too: warm bulbs make colours cosier, and cool daylight bulbs make them crisper.
Worked examples
A calm bedroom, balanced
Sage green walls, a stone second colour for the curtains and bedding, a soft white trim, a slate blue accent in the cushions, and natural oak furniture.
A moody dining room, balanced
Deep navy walls, warm gray for the rug and chairs, warm white trim, a burnt orange accent in the table setting, and a walnut table.
A cozy living room, soft
Warm cream walls, oat for the sofa, a warm white trim, terracotta cushions, and honey oak floors.
Common mistakes
- Choosing from a tiny chip. Paint a large sample, and look at it at different times of day.
- Using too many accent colours. One accent, repeated three times, looks better than four, each used once.
- Forgetting the fixed things. The floor, the worktop and the sofa are hard to change, so start with them.
- Using bright white trim with a warm palette. It looks stark. Choose a white that suits the walls.
- Going bold in a room that has no light. A deep colour needs either light or lamps to look rich and not gloomy.
Tips
- Pick the mood first, then the room, and only then the boldness.
- Take a photo of your floor and furniture, and hold the palette next to it.
- Use the same trim colour through the whole house, so the rooms feel connected.
- Test the paint with a sample pot on two walls, in the corners and near the window.
