Warm colors are used in decorating to create a welcoming and energizing mood. They are frequently used in active rooms like playrooms, game rooms and family rooms. However, they are also great choices for rooms facing a northern direction to create a sense of warmth to a room. Warm colors can make a room feel cozy and large spaces feel smaller.

Understanding how warm colors affect the mood of a room is important when decorating your home. Read on for more information.

Yellow: inviting, happy, warm
Yellow is a favorite color in kitchens, generally considered the heart of the home. It’s especially cheerful when paired with white or blue. It can warm up a cold room in an instant, like letting in the sunshine. Choosing the right shade of yellow can sometimes make or break a room. Using too much of a really bright hue can make a space feel unwelcoming and garish. Such yellow colors are best used as accent pieces and in small doses. Stick to medium to lighter tones for large expanses like the walls.

Orange: stimulating, electric, charged, spicy
A mix of yellow and red, orange is a color that warms a space, but that can be difficult to use in decorating, depending on the shade you choose. You can tone it down by pairing it with a cool color like blue, green or purple or add to its intensity by including it in a red or yellow color scheme. A light peach, paired with pinks and creams can create a decidedly feminine look, whereas using an orange shade with a neutral gray or black will make it pop. Deeper tones like nutmeg or ochre can create a cozy warm feeling especially when paired with browns and creams. Generally, orange stimulates and makes a room feel more lively. That’s why it’s often used in commercial ads and in sports because of the energy it creates. Orange colors are dynamic in game rooms or when you want to add some spicy accents.

Red: exciting, amorous, bold, dramatic, stimulating
Red is a color that goes great with many other colors. Using it with blue can give a space a country feel or a patriotic look. Pairing it with green can create a festive, joyful feel like the Christmas holidays. Red and white provide a fresh, appealing mood. Red colors are known to speed up a person’s metabolism and is a popular choice for dining rooms because it invigorates the appetite. However, for some people the color red can create a feeling of anger or danger, so it’s not the wisest choice for where you want to create a restful atmosphere, such as a bedroom. Red works fantastic as an accent color and creates a welcoming touch when used on a front door.