Colour Chameleon

The impact of colour seems almost instinctual when it comes to choosing paint for the bedroom – think bright yellow for cheerfulness, deep red for drama, crisp white to clean things up. But is its power as obvious, or even as carefully considered, when it comes to choosing bedding?

Sure, many of us are traditionalists and will never stray from classic all-white sheets, which is a good thing as they convey a sense of serenity and calm. But if you’re willing to venture into the colour wheel the results can be very surprising – in a good way.

When we launched our new Dark Blue, we knew it was a stylish showstopper, but we dug a little deeper too. Maybe it’s because blue is associated with beautiful skies and oceans but, whatever the reason, it has the power to encourage serenity and a feeling of calm – two key ingredients to a better night’s sleep.

The hotel chain Travelodge conducted a 2013 study in Britain and found that, “those sleeping in blue-decorated bedrooms are getting the best night’s sleep across the country, averaging seven hours and 52 minutes of sleep per night.” They also found that the calming effect of blue helped reduce blood pressure and heart rates.

Coral is another interesting shade. Its inherent warmth feels balancing and protective and, in fact, during The Renaissance, it was associated with comfort and worn as jewellery to protect against harm. A study by the mattress firm Casper found that the light-pink tones in coral were perceived as sweet and non-threatening, while the Travelodge study found that the orange tones in coral helped warm and relax muscles to prepare the body for a quality sleep.

A 2009 study conducted by the Wiley Online Library found that “a moderate use of good colour design will serve to improve the overall mood and well-being of people.” We agree, and our carefully curated bedding colours do too.