According to a study, the secret to a calming room is navy blue—and there's science to prove it. The University of Sussex and British papermaker G.F. Smith did research that found navy blue is a calming color—in fact, the most relaxing color in the world.
'Blues and greens are prominent in nature and are great colors to support relaxation and restoration,' explains Lee, 'paired with warmer greys and white can also give us a feeling of peace and a chance to recharge our batteries.
Blue – A highly peaceful color, blue can be especially helpful for stress management because it can encourage a powerful sense of calm. Purple – In many cultures, shades of violet represent strength, wisdom and peace. Purple can invoke a tranquil feeling that helps reduce stress.
Red can trigger anxiety in many people, and is known to be one of the most stressful colors to decorate with.
Light Yellow for Happiness
There's a reason yellow is associated with cheeriness. "This yellow has a subtle, luminous quality that feels like warm sun rays and awakens all five senses," Kim says. "Yellow is a natural source of positive energy and sparks feelings of happiness."
Blue. Though blue is a very basic and indeed a classic color, it is also a color that is very soothing to the mind and helps to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.
There's also some scientific research indicating that due to the short wavelengths of cooler colors and how our cones perceive them, greens and blues are the most relaxing to our eyes.
Research studies discovered red to be the best color light to help you sleep, because it increases production of melatonin as well as full darkness. On the other end of the spectrum, blue is the worst.
Studies have shown that blue and green can create a calming atmosphere; orange and yellow can stimulate appetite; red and pink can inspire passion and energy; while purple can boost creativity and productivity.
Peaceful, calm and gentle, blue has tremendous power to manage stress. It's a very soothing color that helps calm your mind, slow down your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Blue is believed to have a cooling and astringent effect.
Blue the Color of Peace
As a primary color (and the most popular color on the spectrum), blue is a building block for many other colors and shades, but in its purest form, blue represents peace and tranquility.
Shades of blue evoke a sense of calm so blue paint colors are perfect for creating a relaxing effect in any room you roll them in. Known for feeling exceptionally soothing, blue paint colors bring to mind clear, tranquil waters which can have tremendous psychological and emotional benefits.
According to color psychologists, the most stressful and anxiety-inducing color is 'red'. Red room ideas can be too intense for some people – could your red decor be one of the reasons why your friends hate your house? It reminds us of danger and is a color that makes you angry.
Soft blues are particularly good for those with anxiety as the lighter tint feels approachable and soothing. 'Blue is a color that gives a feeling of openness and a sense of space, creating a calming and restful backdrop for any room,' says Judy Smith, color consultant at Crown.
Blue light has the strongest impact. Exposure to blue light (and white light, which contains blue light) during the sensitive period can make it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Exposure to white light during the day can have positive effects, including boosting alertness and mood.
While blue reigns as the most calming hue of all, other shades that conjure images of sunsets and silvery lakes are also known to be excellent for inducing sleep. These include earthy greens, dusty soft yellows, light clay browns, soft oranges, and natural pinks.
Purple, gray, brown, black, and red are the worst colors for sleep. Gray, brown, and black promotes negative emotions, while purple and red boost alertness. Individuals with these bedroom colors are more likely to sleep less than 7 hours each night.
Pigments such as fire-engine red and neon green, which the experts view as invigorating at best and anxiety-inducing at worst. “As a rule of thumb, the more saturated and pigmented the color, the more it is associated with excitement and stimulation,” explained Palo Alto, Calif., architect Mary Maydan.
"Red packs a fiery punch that makes it difficult to relax," he said.
In descending order (from most to least attractive), the colors were rated this way: Red, Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, and White. White was the least attractive.
What color is pleasing to the eye? Blue and green are the colors that are most pleasing to the eye. These calming shades allow the eye to rest and are not overstimulating (unless used in neon hues), pleasing the eye and instantly relaxing our bodies and minds.
Blue light
According to a 2017 study in the scientific journal PLOS ONE (9), blue lighting “accelerates the relaxation process after stress in comparison with conventional white lighting.” This study found that stressed people immersed in blue light relaxed three times as quickly as in white light.
Cool colors – such as green, blue and purple – often spark feelings of calmness as well as sadness.
Pantone 448 C is a colour in the Pantone colour system. Described as a drab dark brown and informally dubbed the "ugliest colour in the world", it was selected in 2012 as the colour for plain tobacco and cigarette packaging in Australia, after market researchers determined that it was the least attractive colour.