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An art historian and an interior designer interviewed by Veranda describe how artwork’s color, shapes and personal associations may influence mood at home. They stress that reactions differ from person to person, so their observations are guidance rather than a universal formula.
A Veranda report featuring art historian Susie Hodge and Raleigh-based interior designer Cameron Jones says artwork at home may influence people’s feelings through its color, shapes and personal associations. The experts describe possible links between visual qualities and moods, while emphasizing that individual reactions vary—a point that matters for anyone choosing art for a room they use every day.
Hodge, author of How Art Can Change Your Life, says viewing art a person finds pleasing can prompt a dopamine rush. The report presents this as Hodge’s explanation of an emotional response, not as a guarantee that a particular artwork will produce the same effect for everyone.
Jones says she asks clients how they want to feel in a room before selecting its colors and artwork. She describes greens, blues and muted neutrals as options that may support a calmer bedroom, while sunny yellow could bring energy to a breakfast area. For shared rooms, she says art can introduce color without requiring brightly painted walls.
The report also discusses the visual qualities of art. Jones says some clients feel calmer around abstract works with rounded shapes and soft lines. Hodge similarly associates soft colors, smooth lines and horizontal forms with a peaceful impression, while warning that bold colors and sharp angles may affect viewers differently.
Choosing Art for Everyday Rooms
Because artwork is part of the daily environment, the experts’ advice offers a practical way to think about decorating: consider the feeling a room should support, then notice how a particular work affects the people who live with it. A painting need not dictate an entire room’s palette; Jones says it can add a measured accent of color among neutral furnishings.
The report does not establish that particular colors or shapes reliably produce specific emotional or health outcomes. Its value is in highlighting that people can respond differently to the same image. Choosing art based on personal comfort and meaning, rather than a fixed decorating rule, may help households make spaces feel more individual.
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Personal History Shapes What We See
Hodge says viewers bring their own experiences to art, which can change its meaning for them. The report gives the example of an Impressionist painting that one person might enjoy but another might associate with an unpleasant memory. That subjectivity, Jones says, can make art both rewarding and challenging to design around.
The report cites artists whose work is often discussed through its emotional effect. Hodge describes Agnes Martin’s blue painting Night Sea as intended to encourage calm, and says Mark Rothko focused on expressing basic human emotions through color. These accounts concern the artists’ aims and viewers’ reported responses; they do not establish a uniform effect on every audience.
“When we see art that we find pleasing, it gives us a dopamine rush.”
— Susie Hodge, art historian and author
No One-Size-Fits-All Mood Effect
The report does not provide research methods, population data or clinical evidence establishing that specific colors, shapes or artworks cause predictable emotional or physical changes. Hodge and Jones offer expert perspectives and observations, but the article does not quantify their effects.
It also remains unclear how much any response depends on the artwork itself versus a viewer’s memories, preferences or circumstances. The experts’ examples should not be read as prescriptions: the same vivid image may energize one person and unsettle another.
Use Your Own Response as a Guide
The report gives no announced follow-up study or next milestone. For readers applying its advice, Jones’s approach is to start with how they want a room to feel, then choose art that fits their own response rather than relying on a universal color chart.
That leaves the practical test at home: notice whether a work feels calming, energizing or distracting in the room where it hangs, and adjust if it does not suit the space. The experts’ central qualification remains that emotional responses to art are personal, so preferences among the people using a room matter more than a fixed rule.
Key Questions
Can artwork affect how people feel at home?
Hodge and Jones say it may. They point to color, shape and personal associations as factors that can influence a viewer’s response, while stressing that reactions differ.
Which art features do the experts associate with calm?
Jones describes rounded shapes and softer lines as calming for some clients. Hodge also points to soft colors, smooth lines and horizontal forms, but neither expert presents these as guaranteed effects.
Should every room use the same color approach?
No. Jones suggests thinking about how people want to feel in each room. Her examples include quieter colors for a bedroom and a sunny yellow accent for an area where people start the day.
Do the experts say color has the same effect on everyone?
No. Both experts emphasize that interpretation is personal and shaped by experience. The report does not establish a universal emotional response to any color or artwork.
Source: veranda.com
