The Paint Colors HGTV's Jenny Marrs Doesn't Love In The Bedroom
If you regularly find yourself struggling to wind down before bed and quiet your brain enough to get a full night's sleep, you are not alone. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one in every three adults falls short of getting the recommended seven hours of sleep every night.
Combating triggers of an overactive mind before bedtime can help improve your overall quality of sleep — and your bedroom plays an even bigger role in that than you might think. "Creating a soothing and calming bedroom environment is a key piece of sleep hygiene," says Logan Foley, a certified sleep science coach and the managing editor for the Sleep Foundation (via Eating Well.) "Your bedroom should induce sleepiness and should also play a part in keeping you asleep," he continues, adding that the design of the room has the potential to influence your overall quality of sleep — for better or worse.
Expert designer and HGTV fan-favorite Jenny Marrs echoes this belief, and though she is known for her jaw-dropping, large-scale renovations on "Fixer to Fabulous," she is no stranger to the power of a simple coat of paint. As someone who has remodeled and restored countless, Marrs reveals the paint colors she will never use in a bedroom and why.
Why Marrs avoids these paint colors in the bedroom
While Marrs likes to play with color and boldness in other areas of the home, the bedroom is one place where she tends to be a bit more reserved. "I love to have fun with design, but I really avoid loud paint colors and patterns in the bedroom because I want to promote a calming sensation the minute you walk into the room," she says (via Homes & Gardens.) As such, she avoids using paint colors in the bedroom that have the potential to cancel out those feelings of calm, such as red. "You shouldn't paint your bedroom red because the color is associated with energy and social interactions — and it can raise your blood pressure," she continues. "That is not what you want before bed when you're trying to wind down."
In addition to steering clear of red, Marrs explains, "I always avoid painting bedrooms with extremely dark colors because they make a space feel and look and feel much smaller," she says. "Dark colors are also difficult to use in warmer climates because dark colors hold heat better than light colors. This can make your bedroom hotter than other rooms in the house, making it more difficult to sleep."
Bold colors are too loud for sleep
Because of its energizing properties and inherent bold presentation, red is best reserved for areas in the home that are meant to foster creative thinking and energy, such as a home office or home gym so the hue doesn't distract from the areas that are meant to be more calming and inviting. "As we look to cultivate a space for us to live and restore ourselves in, crimson can literally keep us on high alert and can leave us feeling unsettled, rather than being at peace and feeling restful," says color psychologist Lee Chambers (per Homes & Gardens.)
Color psychologist and holistic designer Suzy Chiazzari agrees, noting that being surrounded by warm, bold paint tones such as red and orange can not only elevate your heart rate, but can actually boost your blood pressure as well while also encouraging muscle movement (per Livingetc.) All of these factors counteract the physical conditions that your body needs to promote restful sleep and relaxation.
Marrs recommends instead opting for paint colors that are more neutral and subtle such as cream or light gray, which can help the space feel more serene and peaceful. "Leave the bright, bold patterns for other parts of the home," she says (via Homes & Gardens.)