Best Paint Colors for Mood: How to Choose Colors for Bedrooms, Kitchens, and Living Rooms
What's in this episode
In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen opens with a story about slicing his finger on a new rotary shredder and officially passing cheese-grating duties on to his kids. From there, he wraps up his multi-week series on what the brain wants from the spaces we live in by turning to one of the biggest design decisions of all: color. Dan explains that paint color is not just about personal taste. It also affects us biologically. He explores how color sends signals through the eye and into parts of the brain involved in stress, alertness, and emotional regulation. Along the way, he breaks color down into its three core elements: hue, brightness, and saturation. The episode looks at what research suggests about common color families. Red tends to be stimulating and physiologically activating. Blue is often associated with lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and better emotional recovery. Green shows especially strong connections to stress reduction and restoration. Dan also explains that saturation works like a volume knob, making colors feel louder or quieter, and notes that very dark spaces can sometimes make us feel more watchful or on edge than mid-range values. Most impo