New research from Homebase has revealed that Brits are increasingly tuning into the emotional benefits of interiors and home improvements, with one in two (54%) people stating that the physical act of decorating the home helps to increase their mood.

The trend is supported by people under the age of 24, with more than half (54%) likely to turn to decorating for a mood boost.

With almost two thirds (65%) of the nation spending on average every weekday evening at home, it may come as no surprise that one of the most popular sources of decorating inspiration is through TV shows and films (28%), with Aberdeen polling as the city most influenced by the small and big screen in the UK (42%).

Interestingly though, despite being a nation of social media ‘sharers’, 64% of us would choose not to sharepictures of our decorating projects on social media, preferring to keep the project personal.

Feel good factors                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Comparing painting to the traditional endorphin-boosting act of exercise, the survey shows Brits feel much happier burning calories decorating a room in the home than on the treadmill (54% vs. 48%)!

The results show people in Plymouth get the greatest mood boost from decorating a room (65%) while those in Coventry are the least stimulated. A third (33%) of those polled were most likely to feel annoyance as there are other ways they’d prefer to spend their time.

Whilst over two thirds of the nation (70%) feel the greatest mood boost comes from spending time outdoors, more than half (55%) are happiest putting their feet up and chilling indoors watching a boxset.

Interiors Obsessed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          When it comes to keeping up to speed on the latest home decorating and interiors trends, millennials have the greatest interest, with over three quarters (79%) regularly on the lookout for inspiration to update the home.

While Bristol is the city with the biggest interest in interiors and decorating in the UK (73%), those living in York are the least enthusiastic, with more than half (52%) only choosing to decorate when there’s a job that really needs doing.

Paint power                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Despite almost two thirds (61%) of Brits being unlikely to consider the psychology of colour before deciding what shade to paint a room, a large majority (85%) feel the colour of a room can definitely affect a person’s overall mood.

Conversely, the younger Generation Z are more likely to think about colour psychology over any other age group (57%), but almost one fifth (18%) don’t believe the particular colour of a room can have an altering emotional effect.

London is the UK city most tuned in to thinking about the psychology of colour before making a final decorating decision (50%), while those in the North East are the least concerned (29%).

Jason Hines, Homebase trading director – decorating, said: “We know how much our customers love their home, and painting walls is one of the easiest ways to refresh a tired space or to transform an entire room. It comes as no surprise to us that a freshly decorated room makes people feel happy, and Homebase Paint, with over 60 new colours, has been designed to inspire customers to get the look of their dreams without breaking the bank.

“With a team of experts in store and the introduction of our online colour wheel providing inspiration and advice at the start of the project, customers need not feel overwhelmed when picking their colour palette. As the new range makes getting the finished look easier and more accessible for everyone, we hope to see more and more Brits donning their painting overalls in 2020 to refresh their walls.”