Colour Psychology: Choosing Cushion Colours for Your Home

Warm Colours 

The warmest colours on the spectrum are said to bring the most energy and boost morale, which is perhaps why they’re situated on the top of the rainbow… 

Rapturous Red 

Oh, the colour of passion. Red is certainly one of the warmest hues on the scale, said to evoke feelings of excitement and energy, it will definitely bring the drama. This makes it an incredibly sociable and creative colour, great in rooms where you want to infuse a bit of get-up-and-go. But using the hue in small doses has a secondary effect, read our blog on the unexpected red theory to learn just how powerful the shade can be when dotted around other more prominent colours. 

Ebullient Orange 

An often overlooked shade when it comes to interiors, but one with so much scope for having fun. Because that’s exactly what the colour orange is known for, promoting feelings of enthusiasm and vibrancy. Another great option for social spaces, the shades of orange vary dramatically from neons to earthy terracottas. It’s a colour that can be calmed with blues and boosted with yellows. And if you want to tiptoe into making orange a feature in your home, start with pieces like our Areca Cushion Cover in Dirty Orange, or go for bold with the Plain Velvet Cushion Cover in Burnt Orange. 

Merry Yellow 

We love a bit of yellow, with our collection spanning from mustard shades to golden tones and brightest chartreuse. This upbeat primary colour is definitely one that – depending on which end of the scale you go for – could also be considered cool; zingier shades that tilt to green are even said to stimulate your mental activity and help you to make decisions. We certainly won’t complain about that. But, there’s no doubt about it, yellow is an uplifting colour; reminiscent of the sunniest rays and the sandiest beaches, it’s a holiday hue that’s sure to bring smiles to faces. These characteristics associate it with happiness and optimism, so if you want to infuse your space with cheerfulness and lift spirits, yellow is a sure choice. 

Pretty Pink 

The Pantone colour of the year 2024, Peach Fuzz, would most closely fit into this category, proving that there is a large scale to shades of pink. Most notably considered a feminine shade, pink is associated with nurture and love. It’s a lovely option for a guest bedroom, whether you are more drawn to plaster tones or indulgent raspberry, our pink cushion covers span a whole range of the pretty shade. 

Neutrals 

Abandon your worries with calming neutrals that can temper stress and enhance comfort, resulting in a space that feels clean and fresh. 

Gentle Brown 

The word “brown” doesn’t conjure up the most enticing visions, but when you break it down into maple, chocolate, chestnut and espresso… it certainly makes us feel cosy (and hungry). Brown teeters on the edge of warm and neutral, cocooning us in comfort while evoking the natural world through its earthy tones. It can add depth to other milder neutrals, or a soft edge to brights as an alternative to black 

Calming Cream 

This not-quite-white shade allows you to enjoy a blank canvas with a touch of personality. Cream is a subtle way to temper other shades, without being too stark. Cream is everything calm, and it brings more of a sense of comfort than other shades as it can feel more usable and safer when it comes to spills and stains… So, decorate your sofa with a smattering of cream cushion covers for guests to feel right at home, and at ease. 

Pure White 

The purest of them all, white is an angelic hue. It imbues spaces with a feeling of cleanliness (if kept clean, that is), and can make small spaces feel much more spacious, airy and fresh. A clean white space can allow users to feel at peace in their surroundings with room to breathe. 

Glamorous Grey 

Grey often has its moments in the spotlight, a choice for creating trendy spaces with a touch of glamour. It’s incredibly adaptable and can allow a homeowner to feel free to make additions or changes at their whim. The balance it brings imposes a sense of calm and composure, with its varying shades on the scale from light to dark and even from more red to more blue. Of course, we can’t forget the offshoot of grey and beige, nicknamed greige which brings another stylistic level of sophistication.

Dramatic Black 

Black brings the drama. Is what you might think… but, it can also be incredibly calming. Believe it or not, there are shades of black, seeing as it’s a hue made up of other colours, deepest red, darkest blue, strongest purple. When it comes to black cushion covers, we would recommend you look for it in pattern that may be the accent on a black and white cushion. Hints of the colour act as highlights (or lowlights) that frame a pattern in the same way that a fine-line pen frames a colour-pencil drawing. 

Cool Colours 

From the sky to the sea to the grassy fields and bountiful trees, cool shades can create restful havens that remind us of the natural world. 

Buoyant Blue 

Whether you’re taking inspiration from the dark sky at night or that of cloudless sunny days, blues in psychology are known to slow down your body and mind so that you can relax. On both of the extreme ends of the scale – pale and deep – the shades can create a sense of calm, whereas right in the middle where the hues are brighter they bring energy. We have a vast array of blue cushion covers in our collection, ready for you to peruse. 

Noble Purple 

While the heady shade of violet is deep and warm, lilac lends an altogether different feel that sits more on the cooler colour scale. Purple is known for its regal connections and nobility on one side and its theatrical elements on the other. How you use it can bring intensity and creativity with the brighter, deeper shades, or relaxation with the lighter shades. 

Serendipitous Green 

Forever popular in interiors, green never goes out of style. From associations with luck and wealth on one side and nature and energy on the other, it is a very buoying colour. Rich shades include moss, midnight, pine and olive, whereas the other end of the scale has sea green, putting green and sage. It is both exuberant and peaceful, so a green cushion cover will never not fit into the atmosphere you want to instil.  

Don’t forget that all of the above can be applied to your outdoor setting as well with our specially designed weather-resistant cushions in a variety of patterns. It’s important to remember that our responses to colours are individual, based on our own experiences and memories. Just because we say yellow is a happy colour, doesn’t mean it is for you, and in fact black might be your shade of joy. So, focus on your feelings, wave away your doubts and trust your judgement, because we think it’s good.