Warm vs. Cool Colors: How to Make Any Room Match the Vibe You're After

Paint is often referred to as the easiest way to transform a room, but that's only true after picking a color. After all, a kaleidoscope can be applied, so sometimes choosing one for your walls can feel like the hardest hurdle in a transformation. But there is one trick DIYers and designers use to decide on the right shade more quickly. They simply figure out whether they need a "warm" or a "cool" color.

"Warm colors can make a room feel exciting and bold because they have a natural fun energy to them," says designer and best-selling author Emily Henderson. "Cool colors are more calming, since they are the colors that you would find in nature."

Paying attention to a color's warmth or coolness can set the mood of a room, and pull together its other details more seamlessly. If you're looking to create a palette that pinpoints a certain emotion—whether it's "cozy," "happy," or "whimsical,"—then this thought process should come in handy. Alongside Henderson, Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia and Heather Goerzen, lead interior designer at Havenly, share their insights on choosing the best shade for any room so that the process is actually easy from start to finish.

What Are Warm Colors?

According to Henderson, warm shades can mostly be defined as oranges, browns, yellows, reds, pinks, and whites with warm undertones. It's possible to choose very saturated variations of these options, but Henderson wouldn't rule a bold pick out. "If that's what you want, then I think they work best in smaller rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms," she says. "But as long as you love the color you're working with and sprinkle in cool shades for balance, you can use warm shades in any room."

Marcum suggests using these colors particularly in common areas of a home. "I like to keep the kitchen and the family room warm," she says. "These spaces provide a lot of comfort, and when you walk into them, you should feel relaxed." She also recommends a matte finish for its family-friendly use. "If it's really wipeable, that's my favorite," she adds. "I love to do the same tone on the trim in a semi-gloss."

Both designers add that it's important to look at the other aspects of the room to ensure that your choice will complement them. Marcum points to the floors, while Henderson focuses on cabinets. "If you have a room with a ton of orange-toned wood that you aren't able to replace, then I personally would offset that with a cooler shade," she says. "But aside from that, just make sure your space has some cool tones for contrast and you should be set."

Warm Color Combinations

For palette ideas, Henderson gravitates toward blush and mustard combinations, or a rust and warm cream blend. Marcum is into terracotta walls with an olive green sofa, or golden ochre mixed with plum. And Goerzen likes two different color combinations: warm neutrals with pops of brown and brick red; and a camel, brown, or marigold hue with cool accent colors, like green and blue.

What Are Cool Colors?

On the flipside, Henderson describes cool tones as blues, greens, blacks, purples, and whites with cool undertones. "They are my go-to colors for my personal style because they make my space feel airy, light, and calm," she says. Like warm tones, both designers agree that any room can take on cool shades with the right balance. "I prefer to keep things matte when working with cooler shades, but if we are talking about painting cabinets, kitchens, and bathrooms, then a hint of sheen is necessary," Henderson notes.

Cool colors like blue and gray will likely enhance hints of those shades in the room, so it's important to incorporate different textures for more interest (the same goes for warm shades, but used as a diffuser). "For cool colors, you should sprinkle in wood tones, leather, and gold or brass accents so the room doesn't run the risk of being too cold," Henderson says. "A room with too many warm tones can feel dated and overwhelming, so you can offset warm tones with soft textures and include cool-toned whites and black accents."

Cool Color Combinations

Marcum recommends trying a warm blue shade with a cognac leather accent, like in a bedroom, while Henderson suggests sage green with a light gray, perhaps in an entryway. And Goerzen is a big fan of olive green with warm brass and wicker tones, crisp white, and black.

Tips for Using Warm Colors and Cool Colors

While a general design rule of thumb has suggested using cool colors in relaxing areas like your bedroom, and warm colors in socializing areas like your living room, there's no hard or fast rule. "This comes down to personal preference," Goerzen says. "Color theory says that hues like blue and green are more calming—and thus maybe a better choice for a bedroom or bathroom—but we’d argue that warm white, soft sienna, and warm ochre can feel calming, too!"

Here's how to balance out the color temperature in any space.

Infuse warm colors into a cool color scheme—and vice versa

Accents from the other end of the color temperature spectrum can help keep a space from looking too monochromatic. "I love the idea of mixing warm and cool colors together via accent hues," Goerzen says. "You can choose an overarching warm color palette with warm white, sienna, tan, and the like, with soft olive green as an accent color."

"Mixing cool and warm colors so successfully feels much more three-dimensional and elevated! If your overarching palette is warm, add in cool throw pillows, and vice-versa

Soften up the hue

The secret to using an unexpected color in a space? Keep it soft. "Sticking to the more muted, earthy shades of any given color will ensure that it leans calming and cozy versus bold and in-your-face," Goerzen says.

Pick a focal point

When you're curating a color scheme, it often helps to choose one key piece as inspiration. "Curating a color palette can feel daunting," Goerzen says. "I find it easiest to start with one large piece that you absolutely love—like a camel velvet sofa, or an olive green rug—and build the color palette off of that."

Understanding Color Undertones

One more thing about choosing a color based on this balance: Don't forget about undertones! "There are warm and cool tones to every color," Marcum says. "If you look at a set of gray paints individually, for example, you might not be able to detect their undertones. But if you look at them all together, you'll notice how some grays have blue tones—those are 'cool' grays. Some might have a yellow or pink tone, and those are 'warm' grays. Once you can recognize undertones, you'll be able to see how colors truly work together, warm or cool."

Paying attention to the undertones of a color can bring out the warmth or coolness of any shade, making it easier to play around with colors as you get more comfortable. And as you do, you'll also notice that warm and cool shades shouldn't be entirely separate, either. "A well-balanced room will have a combination of both warm and cool tones, though not necessarily an equal amount of both," Henderson says. "Don't keep all your cool tones on one side of the room and your warm tones on the other. Pepper the colors around the room for a cohesive look."