The Butterfly Effect of Paint: How Color Shapes a Room

Welcome back to the second article in a series of four.

The butterfly effect suggests that small changes can influence entire systems. Our homes operate in the same way. Whether we are aware of it or not, our brains and bodies are constantly responding to our surroundings. Even minor design decisions can meaningfully affect comfort, mood, and daily rhythms.

Changing the color of your walls can be one of the highest return-on-investment changes you can make, yet it’s rarely ever the first decision I make. And that’s intentional. To me, paint is the one choice that offers the most options which is why we leave it for last once everything else has been chosen. (fun fact: Benjamin Moore offers over 3500 colors in their line)

Paint works like a butterfly effect. It changes how light behaves, which alters how large or how small a room feels as well as how every other element is perceived. It can shift your mood.

In the project shown here, the shift wasn’t about boldness. It was about choosing colors that reflected how our client wanted to feel uplifted in her home. Once the right palette was in place, everything else made sense.

Pro tip: always test your paint colors in large swatches in different corners of the room (two coats) Look at them morning, noon and night because the lighting in your room will change the value of the color.  

In the next newsletter, I’ll explore why removing things, rather than adding, can be one of the most impactful design decisions we make.

Rare Finds:

I came across these unique lacquered pedestals made of metal and marble while sourcing for a foyer project. We needed something of interest to anchor an empty corner and instantly draw the eye. Made in Portugal by artist Luisa Peixoto, they’re the perfect statement pieces: sculptural, colorful, and unexpectedly chic.

Want to learn more? It all starts with a conversation.  Reach out and let’s explore how we can design your own one-of-a-kind space. And remember that design is personal – the right choices make all the difference.