The Ideal Color to Paint Your Walls, Based on Your Aura (Yeah, That’s a Thing)
Staring at aisles and aisles of paint swatches can leave your head spinning. Sure, earthy greens are trending, but which shade will work with the light in my home? Or maybe I want a cheery yellow…but not mustard. Is millennial pink still in? If you’re paralyzed by indecision, it might be time to consult your aura. Interest in auras—the belief that people emanate certain colors, which all have distinct meanings—has been gradually building since 2013, according to Google search data.
It seems interest is starting to snowball, particularly when it comes to thinking of your aura as an approach to interior design. Etsy has seen searches for “aura art” climb 192 percent over the past three months, and Benjamin Moore recently partnered with celebrity aura reader Mystic Michaela to create a curated palette that helps people choose the right color to reflect their energy (in their fittingly titled Aura Interior Paint, which can be tinted in any of the brand's 3,500+ hues).
So what’s with the surge in interest, and why now? “We spent a lot of time with ourselves these past two years, and a lot of time in our homes,” Mystic Michaela told us. “We want the tools to connect to ourselves. Sometimes with spirituality, it can feel outside of us. With aura colors, even if you can’t see them, you can feel the vibrations of them. You can borrow colors to create spaces that work for you, depending on your goals.”
In this case, instead of mimicking color trends, you’re searching for shades that feel meaningful to you. Michaela suggests looking for hues that represent you and align with your goal for a room.
“If you want a space that motivates you, you have to put yourself in there and then some colors that represent what you need. Being a purple person, I get distracted easily, so green helps me calm down and focus,” she explains. “I need myself represented, and I need some things that help me.”
When it comes to uncovering your aura color, you can get an aura reading or have an aura photo taken of you, and there’s no shortage of quizzes to take online. Michaela suggests studying the meanings of various aura colors, and asking questions to determine which color(s) resonate most with you. Many people are a combination of a few colors, she says.
“You know yourself best,” Michaela adds. “Auras are in the details, so let’s start there, like how you approach driving or laundry—every aura color deals with it differently.”
From those experiences, you can tease out some of your character traits and match them to the corresponding aura colors. “Separate what you should do from what you want to do,” for greater clarity on your true hues. In that sense, it’s like a more mystical take on color psychology.
Curious about some of the key color meanings and what they can reflect in your home? Here’s a basic breakdown:
Red — You’re a natural-born leader with great instincts about people and innate business skills. Adding red to a room can help you feel energized and ready to carpe the damn diem.
Yellow — You’re a curious person who doesn’t see failure as a setback; it’s a chance to learn and grow. This color can be helpful for problem-solving and boosting your creativity.
Green — Hi, Mom. You’re a nurturing soul with a calming presence, and bringing this color into a room can magnify that. It’s a great color for creating tranquil, soothing spaces.
Blue — Blue tends to be another calming, healing shade. If you lead with blue, you’re likely a good listener and a grounding presence in times of chaos or uncertainty; it’s a shade worth using if you’re trying to create a sense of sanctuary at home.
Purple — You’re a gentle, intuitive person who reads people easily, but you do so without judgment. Adding this color to a room can help you connect with a deeper sense of empathy.
From a purely design perspective, Etsy is seeing interest in aura art as part of a larger shift toward adding color in your home—a fresh take on the ombré trend of years past. The gradients are more subtle, with a “dreamy, watercolor-like blending of tones,” says Etsy trend expert Dana Isom-Johnson. They “can provide a calming, mesmerizing effect on the beholder.” In a similar vein, searches for dip-dye candles are up 62 percent, and gradient art in general has risen 40 percent.
Whether you’re in it for spiritual reasons or just for the aesthetics, decorating with your aura can be a way to create a more personal space. Instead of grabbing a paint swatch at random, you’re setting an intention behind the shades you choose. “It’s a way to take control over your spirituality and your connection with self, and in that way, create space around you that communicates what you need,” Michaela says.
Shop the Story:
3-Inch Aura Painting and Interpretation ($17)
RELATED: The Best Colors to Paint Your Home If You Feel Chronically Stressed Out
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