Hello, beautiful souls! I’m so excited about today’s chat because it’s one of those conversations that hits deep. I had the pleasure of connecting with Sarah Jo from SJA Interiors, a designer who lives and breathes the language of color. We instantly clicked over our mutual love for holistic design and the way color impacts not just our spaces, but our emotional well-being.

Here’s the thing: color is more than just something pretty to look at—it’s an emotional experience. Whether it’s a wall, a piece of furniture, or even your favorite coffee mug, every color holds the power to shape how we feel. It can uplift your spirit, calm your mind, or bring back a moment in time. And who doesn’t want more of that kind of magic in their home?

In this heart-to-heart with Sarah, we’re diving deep into the ways color influences our lives and how you can harness that power to create a space that feels undeniably you.

So, as we explore, I want you to think about your own relationship with color:

What makes your heart feel inspired?

Which colors help you feel grounded?

Let’s explore that together.

Color and Emotion: How Interior Design Shapes Your Mood

Adriana: Sarah, let's start at the beginning. How did you fall head over heels for color psychology in interior design?

Sarah: Like many people, color has fascinated me from an early age and I have always had strong opinions and feelings about color. When I was studying interior design at university, we learned about the psychology of color and how it affects human perception and emotions. I wrote my color theory thesis on the psychological effects of paint color perception in interior spaces. I am highly sensitive to colors and have spent years studying and perfecting my color analysis methods. About three years ago, I began offering color consultations as part of my firm’s interior design services.

Breaking Down Color Psychology for Beginners

Adriana: Wow, that's quite a journey! For those of us who might be color-curious but not color-savvy, can you break down the basics of color psychology? How does it really mess with our emotions in a space?

Sarah: There is an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community that there is a correlation between color and human emotion. Color is a powerful media through which to express or influence emotions, especially in interior design. The hue (color itself), value (light or dark), and intensity of colors can influence mood, attention, distance, size, and perceived temperature of a space.

In general, warm colors are stimulating while cool ones are quieting. Black, white, and grays evoke a subdued response. In terms of value, the lighter a color is, the cheerier the mood where as darker colors evoke restfulness. If a color has high intensity, the mood is stimulated, whereas low intensities bring a feeling peace. Warm hues attract more attention while cool hues attract less— extreme values attract more attention as do colors with high intensities.

Colors also affect the perception of distance. Warm hues, dark values, and high intensity colors advance or make a space feel smaller, while cool hues, light values, and low intensities recede making a space feel larger. The perceived temperature is also affected by color in that warmer hues make people feel warmer and cooler hues make them feel cooler.

As an interior designer, I am always intrigued by people’s emotional responses to their surroundings. I know that the colors I select for an interior can affect my client’s emotional experience of that space. Some colors that are pleasing to one client may be the opposite to another. An interior designer is responsible to make sure the colors that he or she selects are harmonious not only with each other, but also with the client’s lifestyle and personality.

Common Myths About Color in Interior Design

Adriana: I love that! Now, what are some common mistakes or myths people have when choosing colors for their homes? How can they navigate these challenges?

Sarah: Most of the common myths I encounter in my color consultations revolve around so-called “rules” of interior color, akin to fashion’s “Don’t wear white after Labor Day” rule. Some of these traditional opinion-based rules may sound like, “Dark color shouldn’t be used in large amounts or in small spaces,” or that “bright, saturated colors aren’t appropriate for residential spaces,” or that certain color combinations are to be avoided. I believe that color selection is highly personal and should be a fun and enjoyable process.

Ultimately, if you love a particular color in your space, that’s truly all that matters. Some common mistakes I see are clients not taking into account the way natural and artificial lighting will affect how a paint color is perceived. Also common is clients forgetting to account for how the colors of their furnishings and flooring materials will be affected by a particular paint color and vice versa.

How to Choose Colors When You Feel Overwhelmed

Adriana: I love that you're busting those myths wide open! But what about those of us who feel totally lost when it comes to picking colors? How do you help the color-challenged among us?

Sarah: When I have a client who feels exasperated by color selection, I begin with a simple visualization exercise to help them get their creativity flowing. We then turn to inspiration images which are an absolute must for indecisive clients. Once we have a general idea of a color family or overall style, we can begin to look at specific colors and gauge my client’s emotional response to those colors. From there, it’s usually quick work creating a paint palette that they love.

The 60-30-10 Rule for Home Color Palettes

Adriana: That sounds like a game-changer! Now, I've got to ask – are there any universal color rules that actually work, or is it all just personal preference?

Sarah: Obviously white is a universally accepted paint color for many homes. White is timeless, can coordinate with anything. But that being said, there are thousands of whites to choose from such as a warm white with yellow undertones, a cool white with blue undertones or balanced between warm and cool. Choosing the right color for any given space is dependent on several factors: the color perception of the inhabitant, the natural and artificial light sources in the space, the size and volume of the space and the furnishings and finishes in that space.

Once you have taken in to account those factors, using the 60-30-10 rule can be helpful when creating a whole-home palette. This means 60% of your home would be your main wall color(s), for example maybe a neutral or soft white in main living areas, 30% of your walls should be coordinating accent colors in secondary rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, home office, etc. and 10% of your home will have a pop of color for example, brightly colored powder bath or sleek black cabinetry in a kitchen or at a wet bar.

My custom color palettes were born out of a desire to share my color expertise with a wider audience than just my private clients. I had amassed so much color experience over my 15-year career and I wanted to share everything I had learned with as many people as possible. My goal was to make paint color decisions easier and less intimidating for those who maybe don’t feel as confident in their design instincts and just need a little nudge to go bolder or darker or brighter.

Choosing color for your home shouldn’t be scary, it should be a fun and exciting process and that’s what I hope to bring to people through my palette collection.

Transforming Lives Through Color: A Personal Story

Adriana: I love this insider knowledge! Can you share a moment when you saw color truly transform someone's space – and maybe even their life?

Sarah: Absolutely. I had a client who had recently received a serious diagnosis. She was in a rush to choose colors for a new home she was planning on living in with (and ultimately leaving behind for) her adult child. She wanted peaceful and soothing colors inspired by the landscape surrounding her home.

She, her daughter, and I worked diligently to craft the perfect palette for this home where they wanted to create lasting memories. Once it was complete, my client said her anxiousness was gone and she felt so at peace knowing this home was complete. She said the vibe of the house felt exactly how she wanted it to and she was so grateful to be able to pass this special gift down to her daughter.

That was one of the most moving and incredible experiences I have ever had with a client.

Trends vs. Timelessness: Finding Your Balance in Color

Adriana: What a beautiful transformation! Now, let's talk trends. How do you balance what's hot right now with timeless choices?

Sarah: I may keep trends in mind in my designs but overall I don’t follow them explicitly. I may draw from a trend that a client is drawn to in order to spark inspiration but ultimately, color selection is a deeply personal process that is unique from client to client. The timeless feeling comes when the client and I find a palette that achieves the vibe they are looking for which then translates into long-term satisfaction with their space.

Taking the Leap: How to Try Bold Colors Without Regret

Adriana: That's a great approach. For those of us who want to be a bit bolder with color but are scared of messing up, what's your advice?

Sarah: A great way to “try on” a wall color, so to speak, is to use large peel and stick paint swatches available from many paint retailers. Another great tool are the virtual color visualization applications many paint manufactures have where you upload a photo of your space and the color is digitally applied to the walls. Alternatively, you can hire a designer like me to do a color consultation.

As a part of my custom palette projects, I render the paint colors onto your interior walls or exterior surfaces so you have a visual of what the colors will look like in or on your actual home.

Understanding Color Psychology in Design

Adriana: Brilliant tips! How can we use color to tackle specific challenges in our spaces?

Sarah: There are always exceptions but here are some general rules regarding interior paint colors:

• Darker and/or warmer colors advance, meaning they make a space feel smaller.

• Lighter and/or cooler colors retreat, making a space feel larger.

• Painting a ceiling darker than the floor will make the ceiling feel lower, and vice versa.

Take natural and artificial lighting into account when choosing colors.

The Impact of Light on Color

Sarah: Directional light exposure affects how different colors are perceived and can make or break a paint color in a particular space.

• North-facing rooms: A north-facing room gets consistent light throughout the day that can be muted with a cool, blue-gray tone. Vibrant colors, warm neutrals and grays, yellow-toned whites and colors with balanced warm and cool undertones are best here.

• East-facing rooms: An east-facing room gets more direct light in the morning, and muted, indirect light in the afternoon. This natural light tends to be cooler.

• South-facing rooms: A south-facing room tends to get consistent, strong natural light throughout the day and often casts a warmer tone. Cooler colors, cool whites, blue-tone grays and moody dark colors are good choices for room with southern exposure.

• West-facing rooms: A west-facing room tends to get more indirect, muted light in the morning, and stronger direct light past noon. This natural light tends to be a warmer cast with amber tones making cool toned hues, blue-toned whites, cool neutrals and cooler, dark colors great choices in these spaces.

Artificial Light & Paint Colors

Artificial light similarly affects color perception. The Kelvin color temperature of a light source casts cool to warm light on surfaces depending on the bulb’s Kelvin value, usually between 2700K and 3000K for incandescent bulbs and 2700K to 6500K for fluorescents and LEDs.

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) of bulbs tells us how well a bulb will show an object’s “true” colors. A paint color will appear “truest” under natural light so a bulb with a CRI closest to natural light, between 90-100, will render the paint color most accurately.

The Bold Color Revolution: What's Making Waves in Design

Adriana: So, I have to ask—what color trends or innovations do you see emerging in interior design right now?

Sarah:

This rainbow of gorgeous hues opens so many exciting possibilities for interiors from maximalists to minimalists and everything in between and I am here for it! I am also loving how painting ceilings and other unexpected places like trim, is having a moment. Adding color to unexpected places like that is another interior color movement I am fully embracing.

Adriana: I love that! It’s refreshing to hear that color is making such a vibrant comeback. It seems like these shifts not only change our spaces but also how we feel in them. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insights! This conversation is sure to inspire many to embrace color in their own spaces with confidence.

Thank you for coming along on this colorful journey with us—it’s been a ride, right?

I want to give a special shoutout to Sarah Jo for sharing her invaluable wisdom and passion for all things color. If you’re craving more inspiration, definitely check out her latest blog post, Choosing the Perfect Paint Color: A Comprehensive Guide, where she breaks down everything you need to know about picking the perfect shade for your space.

What I love most about this conversation is the reminder that color isn’t just about decorating, but about a feeling. Your space is an extension of you, so why not let it reflect your most authentic self

The next time you’re picking out paint, textiles, or even a bouquet of flowers, I want you to remember: trust your instincts.

The colors that pull at you are doing so for a reason. They hold the energy of your memories, your dreams, and the person you’re becoming.

So go bold, go soft, go wherever your heart takes you—but most importantly, make it yours.

Here’s to creating a home that’s as vibrant and full of life as you are.