Soothing Wallpaper Colors and Patterns
Make your home a serene haven by choosing soothing wallpapers. We showcase the colors, trends, and patterns that will bring you zen.
Your home is your sanctuary. Whether it’s a studio apartment or the dream home you’ve always wanted, we look to our spaces for comfort and relaxation at the end of the day. The décor and wallpapers we surround ourselves with are more than just visual. Did you know that the atmosphere of a space, its colors, and patterns can all affect how we feel, too?
Colors and patterns are surprisingly closely linked to our emotions. Our world is full of colors and ornamentation, and many cultures implement colors to evoke emotion, altering our moods to promote health and wellness. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2018 explored how images, especially emotionally charged images, can influence both feelings and behavior. The theory is that we understand and connect with pictures and photos that we don’t or can’t with words.
You may be wondering: what does that have to do with our homes, décor, and wallpapers? What if we told you that you could potentially make your space even better, emotionally, with the most soothing wallpapers?
Color and Calm
Color is one of the most relative means of expression. Consider the many ways film directors reach for specific colors to create a mood for a scene that can convey an emotion before the actors are even on screen. When our lives become stressful, in times of uncertainty or anxiety, we are most often led to seek out soothing, relaxing, and comforting spaces.
For hundreds of years, color theorists have attributed psychological characteristics to hues based on intuition. One of the earliest noted formal explorations of color theory came from a surprising source –the German poet and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who in 1810 published Theory of Colors, a treatise on the psychology, function, and nature of colors.
Warm colors, such as reds, yellows, and oranges, are associated with active emotions, while cool colors like blues and greens are widely thought to be calming and healing.
How do you feel when you step inside the door to your home? How do you want to feel in specific rooms? It is possible to use color in wallcoverings to create wallpapers that are most soothing when viewed. Which colors are most popular?
Blue
Blue is one of the most popular, soothing colors. Reminiscent of blue skies, or calm, blue oceans. Blue is a color that many associates with a more relaxed mind, slower heart rate, and even lowering blood pressure. If you feel a connection to blue, some of our favorite soothing wallpapers include:
Matte - Sky Blue | Contact Paper
Almond Blossoms - Blue | Wallpaper
Encrusted - Cold Front | Mural
Jute Fine - Sky | Grasscloth Wallcovering
Green
A color that is frequently associated with nature in full bloom or the height of summer, green is one of the most beautiful colors. For many people, green is a color that is often described as a refreshing and tranquil experience. As green is a cool color, it has shorter wavelengths. Our eyes often need to adjust to seeing colors that have longer wavelengths, but they don’t need to adjust for green at all. Some soothing green wallpaper you might love:
Afternoon Stroll | Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Matte - Hunter Green | Contact Paper
Chinese Asters - Green | Wallpaper
Wildwood Wallpaper - Hunter Green
Irene | Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Bahama Leaf Breeze | Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Chaparral Green Fronds | Wallpaper
Forest in Redwood National Park | Mural
Other Calming Colors
While blue and green are the top two, pink, white, violet, orange, and yellow have a calming effect on mood. For instance, Feng Shui believes pink soothes various energies in a room and keeps them understated. White often evokes feelings of clarity and freshness, while for many, violet signifies strength, inner peace, and even wisdom. Yellow has long been associated with positivity, upbeat moods, and energy, which is why you’ll see many interior designers or homeowners choosing yellow for their kitchens.
So, if you’ve found a favorite color that soothes you the most—are there patterns, images, or photographs that can be soothing as well?
Landscapes
Many cities are turning toward providing more greener spaces. Natural environments make us feel calmer and less anxious, but how? One possibility is the fact that natural environments are often associated with positive experiences. Many of us may spend time outside on a day off or after work, enjoy hiking, or have cherished memories of a vacation spent in a peaceful, natural surrounding.
In a study of 20,000 people published in 2019, a team lead by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (1) found that people who spent two hours per week in green spaces like local parks or other natural environments were substantially more likely to report good health and better psychological well-being than those who don’t.
With a suitable landscape wallpaper, it’s easier than ever to bring your favorite vacation spot or nature scenery into your living space to capture the same pleasant memories and feelings associated with your most popular nature spot. Some of our personal favorites include:
Appalachian Mountains, Shenandoah National Park | Mural
Beaver Pond, Grand Teton National Park | Mural
Fern Forest, Volcanoes National Park | Mural
Alocasia - Element | Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Superbloom - Desert Lily | Mural
Redwood Sorrel, Redwood National Park | Mural
Hopetown Falls, Australia | Mural
Mamanuca Islands, Fiji | Mural
With so many versatile choices in wallpaper these days—from full murals to painted scenes, bold colors, and even peel and stick or contact paper, there's something for every space and taste. Hundreds of different styles, calming colors, mellow patterns, and breath-taking landscapes means there is a perfect wallpaper waiting to welcome you home and into relaxation. Creativity is allowed to shine with no limit, and decorating your space to be unique is simple with wallpaper. Wallpaper can be used in any room and is rental friendly with the peel & stick and contact paper options. Not only is contact paper easy to install, but it can also be used to elevate furniture, appliances, DIY home projects, and anything your imagination can think of! After a long hard day, you deserve to come home to something beautiful and soothing. Let wallpaper help you create the spaces you’ll love returning to for years to come.