Can’t sleep? Then this is the best colour to paint your bedroom

Discover the mood-enhancing paint colours you need in your home

According to the research, yellow is the shade to paint your bedroom if you want to sleep like a baby. Almost half of of the people polled (45 per cent) that have yellow bedrooms reveal that they sleep soundly every night.

And the worst shade to choose? The study has revealed that the colour orange should be avoided in a bedroom at all costs. Nearly a third of people who sleep in orange coloured bedrooms struggle to get a good night’s rest.

‘The findings from Topps Tiles are both interesting and surprising as it goes against many years of scientific study in to the subject of colour,’ explains interiors expert and TV presenter, Sophie Robinson.

‘For example, yellow is proven to be an energising and stimulating colour so I’m amazed that the British public claim it’s their top colour for getting a restful night’s sleep.’

Blues are cool in kitchens

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Topps Tiles Attingham Seagrass geometric décor tile show in kitchen

(Image credit: Topps Tiles)

Buy now: Attingham Seagrass geometric décor tile, £57.77 per sq m, Topps Tiles

For budding master chefs and star bakers, look no further than the colour blue for your kitchen. It may be the shade least associated with food, but blue has come up trumps for kitchen walls with the highest number of all the people polled (15 per cent) describing themselves as fantastic cooks.

Meanwhile, one in ten of those with beige-coloured kitchens admit they lack any culinary skills whatsoever. Definitely something to bear in mind next time you’re invited to a friend’s house for dinner…

Are we sure? This is the WORST colour to paint a bedroom i you want a good night's sleep

‘The results also show that colour is ultimately something very personal and that the individual knows best when it comes to picking colours for their homes,' says Sophie. 'In fact, if this survey shows us anything, it’s that you should ultimately choose a colour you really love for your home! That way you can’t go wrong and you’re likely to create an interior that will nurture your wellbeing, making you happy day-in and day-out.’

Red can work in a bathroom

Bathroom with modern looking sink and tap with red walls and white tiles

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Bevan)

Probably the most surprising part of the research is based around bathrooms, with seemingly the majority of people with red bathrooms spending the most time cleaning and grooming themselves on a daily basis – an average of 50 minutes per day – compared to just 28 minutes a day for those who have green-coloured washrooms.

While the poll reveals that not all our colour choices may be positive, it’s certainly a welcome change from years of painting our walls in safe, neutral shades. Sian O’Neill from Topps Tiles agrees. ‘Looking at the correlation between the colours of our houses, lives and personalities, it seems that brighter colours can be a good thing,’ she says.

Related: This shade of grey is the most popular paint colour for homes – have you used it?

What’s more, the colour choices that those polled chose are pointedly different from what we’ve been told for years.

So you’ve heard it here first – pick yellow for your bedroom, blue for your kitchen and red for your bathroom… or just go with your gut and choose the colours you love. If they don’t bring you inner peace, you can always redecorate!

Ginevra Benedetti
Deputy Editor (Print)

Ginevra Benedetti has been the Deputy Editor of Ideal Home magazine since 2021. With a career in magazines spanning nearly twenty years, she has worked for the majority of the UK’s interiors magazines, both as staff and as a freelancer. She first joined the Ideal Home team in 2011, initially as the Deputy Decorating Editor and has never left! She currently oversees the publication of the brand’s magazine each month, from planning through to publication, editing, writing or commissioning the majority of the content.