Maybe you just haphazardly grabbed a set of sheets from the bottom of your linen closet after spilling a glass of wine, or maybe you stared at color swatches for hours to decide what set would accurately reflect you. Either way, color communicates a lot more than you might think, and setting the right tone to relax and rest can start with your decor and bedding.
Whether you want to be bursting with warmth and excitement, or walk into a calm, cool bedroom, the color of your sheets can help set a foundation for the mood of your space.
Red Red, above any other color on the spectrum, catches the eye and immediately conveys excitement and alertness. There’s a reason our stop signs and traffic lights use screaming shades of red to hold our attention—it’s almost hard to look away. Red can excite but it can also irritate, so using too much of it can sometimes cause a negative response.
Red has other interesting effects on us—from increasing our focus to potentially our metabolisms. Seeing an aggressive shade of red can actually cause us to exert more force. In a study conducted in both children and adults, participants were asked to squeeze a hand grip as hard as they could after reading their name or number in either red or another color. Those who saw their word in red exerted more force, and even responded faster than others.
If you’re all about a fast, loud, and forceful lifestyle, red might be the perfect color choice for you.
Orange In the same vein as red, orange is an attention grabber, but in a different way. Instead of evoking aggression and passion, orange tends to put the beholder in a youthful and playful mindset. Orange is an energetic color and many sports teams and athletic brands love to employ it to get people excited about their products.
Orange can be a very social color, and get people moving, but it can also feel superficial if overused. In the 60s and 70s orange was just about everywhere, and in a rebellion the color was forced out of popularity for a few generations, though now you can see it rising again.
Orange sheets can bring a positive energy to your bedroom, as well as a sense of warmth.
Yellow Perhaps universally known as a “happy” color, yellow is most often associated with the sun and daytime, which puts most in a bouncy, positive mood—notice that all of our emojis started out as bright, grinning yellow faces. It has long been thought that painting a room yellow can help uplift those in low spirits, and some studies have even suggested that eating yellow foods might release more “happy” hormones.
Now is yellow the ideal color for your sheets? We don’t know. But if you like being happy and don’t mind the inevitable yellow sheets joke—you’re golden.
Green While the first three colors on the spectrum are all about excitement and eye-catching hues, green is one of the easiest colors for the human eye to process. It’s gentle, and calming, and reminds us of nature. Green is typically used to symbolize growth and balance.
Green is a combination of yellow and blue, so it carries both the optimism and positivity of yellow but the calm and reflection or blue. Green is also often associated with prosperity and wealth. Green is interesting because it spans so far through the color spectrum—different shades can communicate different emotions entirely. Bright, lime green can inspire the same energy and excitement as red and yellows, and darker, more subdued greens convey tranquility and peacefulness.
Green is the the perfect choice if you’re looking to create a nice balance in your space and create a room that makes you feel great, but also gives you the clarity and calmness you need.
Blue The calmest color in the spectrum, blue is hugely popular and finds its way into many aspects of our environments. According to House Beautiful’s Color Report, blue is America’s favorite color, followed closely by green. Blue also often makes us feel safe, which is why so many companies use it, banking that you’ll be more open with your personal information when you interact with their products (We’re looking at you, Facebook!)
Blue is also the color of clarity—it can stimulate thought and bring about a sense of serenity that allows for easier decision making. Blue can also be a color that suppresses your appetite. So few foods are naturally blue, so we’re less likely to crave them. Some diets suggest eating off a blue plate to help control your cravings and portions.
Blue sheets are perfect if you’re looking for a calm, clear vibe for your bedroom.
Violet Purples combine the energy of red with the serenity of blue to create an interesting tone that embodies balance and harmony. Often associated with royalty and nobility, purple has long been seen as a powerful color, and can inspire ambition in viewers.
Darker shades of purple are often paired with mysterious or stormy settings, and sometimes even magical overtones. It is often underused because it can be a difficult pigment to produce, and is the shortest wavelength, making it harder for the human eye to process.
Lighter purple can be great to create a more feminine, lighter tone to your room, where darker shades can make your space moodier and more mysterious.
Neutrals Can’t decide which color fits both your personality and space? Like to change things up too much to commit to a flashier color? Neutrals might seem boring on the surface, but grays, whites, and beiges can all communicate a sense of calm, and give you more room to play with color in the rest of your bedroom.
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