Expert Help

Choose Migraine-friendly Colours for a Tranquil Home

Create a soothing, migraine-friendly home with Dulux. From restful greys and greens to tranquil teals and blues, find a colour palette to help ease migraine suffering.

If you’re one of the 1 in 5 women or 1 in 15 men who suffer with migraines, you’ll know that when an attack comes on, it often helps to lie down in a darkened room. Some people even find that certain colours are enough to trigger a migraine attack. If you have regular migraines, it can be helpful to create a comfortable living space, using soft, calming colours. So, Dulux has teamed up with TEVA Pharmaceuticals, 11 London and the National Migraine Centre to create a migraine-friendly colour scheme.

We started by surveying over 1,200 migraine-sufferers, to try and find out which colours they deemed to be most soothing. The results were surprisingly consistent. The 4 most popular colours were grey (chosen by 68%), green (52%), teal (47%) and blue (41%). The least popular colour chosen was red, which was picked by just 5% of respondents.

With the survey results in, we set about creating a tranquil colour palette that didn’t just feel soothing but had the potential to provide genuine migraine relief. It’s a mix of quiet greys, gentle greens and soft blues – all soothing tones inspired by the serenity of the natural world.

Peaceful greens

Muted greens lend your space a soft, soothing quality that recalls the calm of the natural world – just the kind of space to retire to when you need some migraine relief. Here we’ve used Dulux Colour of the Year 2020 Tranquil Dawn™️, with a vertical stripe of White Mist to create a striking yet understated point of interest.

Quiet greys

Grey isn’t just easy on the eye. It makes your space feel lighter and airier too. If your room is already open and spacious, you can go for a deeper shade like Polished Pebble. Or, if you’re painting a cosier space, say a bedroom, try pairing Polished Pebble with an off-white like Timeless, to create spa-like sanctuary.

Soothing blue

Blue is a calming colour that gives you a feeling of staring skywards or out to sea – ideal for migraine relief. It pairs really well with warm neutrals, too, helping you create a room you can relax in. Here we’ve paired Faded Sky with Dulux Colour of the Year 2021 Brave Ground™️ to give the room an open but inviting feel.