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Deep, cool and cocooning hues envelop these serene spaces
Your home should feel like a true sanctuary, putting you at ease the moment you step inside. Creating that sense of relaxation depends on many factors, from furniture and layout to organisation and greenery, but one factor that will most certainly influence your mood is the paint colour you choose.
While vibrant spaces – like Natasha Lyon's delicious scarlet pantry – can absolutely energise a room, softer hues tend to create a more serene atmosphere. Think deep navy, moody grey or muted aubergine. These are relaxing paint colours that ground a space without causing it to close in after a long day.
Whether you’re looking to turn your bedroom into a restful retreat or bring a sense of tranquility to your entire home, the relaxing paint colours below can help set the tone. From living rooms to bathrooms, these 22 versatile shades are designed to soothe in every corner.
For the kitchen in her Camberwell flat, The Chuffed Store founder Millie Cowie wanted the walls to feel organic, connected to the luscious garden outside. She took a beeswax candle into Papers and Paints and wound up with SC228 – a shade that, despite its sunny tones, also feels rustic, earthy and grounded.
Interior designer Liz Bonesio opted for a soothing, soft grey in the primary bedroom of this home for a calm yet warming effect. While the actual colour pictured is unknown, we recommend Farrow & Ball's Dove Tail for a similar look.
Utterly cooling, mint and silvery sage is an easy way to make a room feel quieter. In this colour-capped bedroom, a ceiling wash of mint brought down onto the walls softens the scheme without tipping into sugary, over-sweet pastels.
It’s no surprise that in 2026 — when colour-drenched walls are the height of chic — plaster pink has emerged as the ultimate neutral. Slightly peachy in tone, this calming shade softens the room’s generous display of artwork.
Cosy and rich, this cool-toned colour has all the depth without sacrificing on sophistication – no wonder it was Benjamin Moore's colour of the year.
The calming paint colour, Dix Blue by Farrow & Ball, gives this living room by Thomas Jayne just the right amount of liveliness without being too overbearing.
Stark white can sometimes feel too bright, so take a note from Jeremiah Brent and opt for a softer finish with a textured paint. The colour, Saint Sauvant by Portola Paints, makes the space feel lived-in rather than like a brand-new build.
In this ensuite-turned-tactile retreat, Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs focused on the serenity that colour could bring to a space. She chose Emerson lime wash by Portola Paints here, which brings a wash of calmness over the spa-like bathroom without taking away from the glam accents.
In this primary bedroom, the team at Cashmere Interior chose a textured dark green-grey paint colour called Mohegan Sage by Benjamin Moore for the walls. It's earthy and malleable, helping you to relax as soon as you step inside.
In this folksy guest house, which takes its style cues from a ski chalet, New White by Farrow & Ball covers the walls of the bunk room. While bright and cheery during the day, this calming paint colour also helps ease the four little ones who sleep here into a more restful state before bedtime.
Designer Ali Budd chose Patchwork Plum by Sherwin-Williams for this atmospheric living room. The matt finish helps the space feel approachable, while the tranquil hue invites everyone to sit down and stay a while.
The foliage-like paint colour, Chrome Green by RAL, completely envelops this study in a cool, moody vibe. Its deep, dark tone is luxurious and intimate, ideal for bedrooms as much as work spaces.
Benjamin Moore's New Providence Navy is a great calming paint colour for grounding a space in sophistication. Dark colours are often thought of as dreary or overbearing, but when used with plenty of natural light and lighter accents, they can help to cocoon a space in calm.
It's a blessing to own a home with abundant natural light, but in the bedroom, a calming paint colour is key for a restful night's sleep. Interior designer Hilary Walker opted for Farrow & Ball's Deep Reddish Brown to help envelop the room with restful energy.
Ariane Bethea designed this office to have plenty of workspace with a wraparound desk for two people. An abundance of closed storage houses all the practical (but less pretty) components of office work, while open shelving above shows off a collection of objects and books. A rich yet relaxing shade of Brinjal by Farrow & Ball blankets the entire room for a soothing backdrop.
This 19th-century home received a lovely refresh from designer Joe Ireland with coat of French Lilac by Benjamin Moore. This calming paint colour looks both subtle and sweet (and just a little Bridgerton-coded), juxtaposed against the wood and gilt pieces.
The Pacific Sea Teal by Benjamin Moore used in this sitting room designed by Avery Cox creates a serene atmosphere, perfect for reading and studying. Cox only painted one of the walls in this calming paint colour, along with the door and woodwork, so a complementary wallpaper could be applied on the opposite side.
'The bedroom gets great light throughout the day, so we wanted to go for a peachy colour on the walls that would give it a nice glow with the sunlight,' explains Leah Ring of Another Human. The calming bedroom 'feels layered in a comfortable way but not too busy – [you] feel very serene when you’re in the room'. The plexiglass butterfly artwork brings a touch of whimsy.
Yellow gives off energy and warmth. Plus, it's bound to make you feel happy. This room designed by Steven Gambrel (and painted in Benjamin Moore's Pale Straw) is all the evidence you need).
The calming paint colour British Standard Pompadour by Fine Paints of Europe used in this bedroom by Ellie Cullman is both relaxing and cheerful. Surrounded by classic accents and refined furnishings, this ethereal shade of blue adds just the right amount of energy. We love how it mimics the sky applied in a high gloss on the ceiling that bounces light around with ease.
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