Color adds, well, color, to our daily life. And how it is applied and what we choose to surround ourselves with in different circumstances may mean many different things to many different people. It may be a reflection of our gender, our heritage, our personality and even our astrological sign.

Colors have also been assigned to moods, represented by a simple dime store mood ring. According to the mood ring “experts”, when wearing one of these rings, the stone color changes depending on the particular mood of the wearer, using the following guidelines:

black= fear, depressed

yellow= cool, mellow

orange= nervous, unsettled

green-light green= sensitive, alert, active

blue-green= up-beat, pleased

blue: normal, optimistic

indigo-darker blue: happy, deeply relaxed

violet-burgundy: amorous, sensual

pink: affectionate, curious

So, what do the experts say about the color choice of the walls in your house? Should your dining room, living room and bedroom have certain colors to impose a mood that you wish to reflect? The psychology of color has been widely documented and can provide guidance as to the mood and emotion desired in each living space in your home.

Red raises the room’s energy and has been shown to increase heart rates and blood pressure, a great choice for entertainment areas.

Yellow captures joy and communicates happiness in small spaces, but can incite nervousness in larger room concepts such as bedrooms.

Blue is considered to be calm and relaxing and noted for bringing down blood pressure and temperaments. Therefore, blue is highly recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms.

Green is considered the most restful color, calming things down but also providing warmth, making it an ideal color for any room in your house.

Purple in its darker values insinuates creativity and sophistication and can bring a restful quality to bedrooms.

Orange is a very energetic color that can stimulate excitement and activity, great for rooms such as an exercise room.

Neutral colors such as gray, white, brown and black are basic to any decorating palette (preferred by men) without any mood associated, and easily accented with colors to activate desired mood and design.

When creating the look and feel you want in your custom home, the color can completely change the energy and character of your home. Choose colors that not only fit your family’s personality, but also makes you feel good.