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An article published by Veranda examines how art in the home may influence mood, drawing on comments from art historian Susie Hodge and decorator Cameron Jones. They describe possible effects of color and visual form, while stressing that reactions to art vary from person to person.
Art at home may shape how people feel, but its effects are personal rather than predictable, art historian Susie Hodge and decorator Cameron Jones told Veranda in a report on art and emotion. They described how color, shapes and individual memories can influence a viewer’s response, offering a practical consideration for people choosing artwork for rooms they use every day.
Hodge, the author of How Art Can Change Your Life, said that seeing art a person finds pleasing can produce a dopamine response. She compared the pleasure of looking at a favored artwork with euphoric feelings associated with love. That is her account of how people may respond; the report does not present a new scientific study or measurements of viewers’ reactions.
Jones said she asks clients how they want to feel in a room before helping them choose its design. In her examples, greens, blues and subdued neutrals may suit a bedroom intended to feel calm, while yellow could add energy to a breakfast room. Orange or red artwork may add warmth to a dining area. She cautioned that a person can introduce color through art without making the whole room intensely colored.
The experts also discussed visual form. Jones said her clients tend to feel calmer around abstract works with rounded shapes and soft lines. Hodge said soft colors, smooth lines, circles and horizontal compositions can feel peaceful, while sharp angles, jagged lines and bold patterns may feel more stimulating or unsettling. Neither described these responses as universal rules.
Choosing Art for Everyday Spaces
The report’s practical point is that artwork can be part of how people shape the atmosphere of their homes, not only a decorative finishing touch. A person seeking a restful bedroom, for example, might consider softer colors or forms, while someone who wants a lively shared room might prefer more vivid work. These are suggestions from the interviewees, not guaranteed outcomes.
For readers, the emphasis on personal response matters as much as the design advice. Art that feels calming to one person may bring up an unwanted memory for another. Trying a work in the room where it will hang, and paying attention to one’s own reaction, may be more useful than following a fixed color formula.
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Personal Taste Shapes the Response
Hodge and Jones told Veranda that interpretation depends on a viewer’s experiences and associations. Hodge noted that the same painting can please one person and cause anxiety in someone else because of a memory attached to it. Jones likewise described the subjective nature of art as both a design challenge and part of what makes a home distinctive.
The article also points to artists who used color deliberately. Hodge cited Agnes Martin’s blue painting Night Sea and said Martin hoped her work would replace stressful feelings with calm, positive thoughts. She also recalled Henri Matisse’s belief that colors could affect people and discussed Mark Rothko’s use of large, layered fields of color. These examples show artists’ intentions and reported responses; they do not establish that every viewer will feel the same way.
“When we see art that we find pleasing, it gives us a dopamine rush.”
— Susie Hodge, art historian and author
No Mood Response Is Guaranteed
The report does not establish that particular colors or shapes reliably cause a specific emotional response, nor does it cite a new controlled study or provide data on how often viewers react in a given way. Its claims about mood are attributed to Hodge and Jones, drawing on Hodge’s account and Jones’s experience with clients.
It is also unclear how strongly factors such as lighting, room use, culture and personal history may affect any response. The central qualification from both experts is that reactions are individual: advice about calming or energizing choices should not be treated as a rule that applies to everyone.
Let Personal Response Guide Choices
The source reports no upcoming study, policy change or scheduled follow-up. For readers considering new art, the experts’ comments suggest starting with the feeling they want a room to support, then choosing work that resonates with them personally. The article leaves the final test with the viewer: whether the artwork actually feels right in the space.
Key Questions
Can art affect how people feel at home?
It may affect mood, according to art historian Susie Hodge and decorator Cameron Jones, but the report stresses that responses differ from person to person.
What kinds of art may feel calming?
Jones said some clients feel calmer around abstract works with rounded shapes and soft lines. Hodge also associated soft colors, smooth lines, circles and horizontal compositions with a peaceful effect. These are observations, not guarantees.
Do particular colors create the same mood for everyone?
No. The experts said personal experience affects interpretation. Color suggestions such as blues for calm or yellow for energy should be treated as possibilities, not universal effects.
How can I choose art for a room?
Consider how you want the room to feel and pay attention to your own reaction to a piece. The report suggests using artwork to introduce color or visual interest without assuming that a design rule will work for every viewer.
Source: veranda.com
