I have read that we spend a third of ours lives in our bedrooms.  Because of this it is suggested that we decorate our bedrooms in calming colors.  The other choice would be warm and cozy colors.

     Calming colors would include blues, greens and lavenders.  While warm and cozy colors would be browns, reds, oranges and yellows. The featured image would work in both color groups.

     What color category does your bedroom come under?  Let me know in the survey below.  One question and one click is all it takes.

     Can you imagine what your world would be like if you couldn't see color?  Your entire world would be in gray-scale.  Try putting together a wardrobe of decorating your home not knowing how it really looked!

     I recently watched a TED talk by a man that had a condition where he could not see color.  Listening to him I realized how fortunate I am that my world is colorized and that most people see the world as I do.

     I have written in the past about how colors vibrate, each on their own wave length.  Through technology, the gentleman from the TED talk, Neil Harbisson, wears a special device that sees colors through their vibrations and converts to a tone that can be heard.  Neil now recognizes colors by their tone or vibration, but he still can't see colors to know what they really look like.

    While I am immensely grateful for being able to see the world in color, I am intrigued by the idea of hearing colors.  I wonder if what I am wearing today vibrates harmoniously.  What about my home?  The colors I have are pleasing, they accent and complement each other, but would they be heard as a pleasant tune?  Can you imagine hearing what your rooms might sound like?  It is an interesting thought isn't it decorating by sound.

​      If you would like to listen to the TED talk you can do so here.

     Today I offer you the same photograph in color and also black and white.  Each offers it's own appeal.  Which would you choose for your home?  Both are available for purchase by clicking on the image.

     With St. Patrick's Day over and spring just a week away we are seeing an abundance of green.

     Every spring we see new leaves budding out and out world becomes green again.  It's a good feeling, one we all look forward to experiencing every year.  Did you know that our eyes see more shades of green than any other color?  That makes it a natural choice to use in your home decor because we are used to seeing green as a backdrop everywhere we look.

     Green is a very soothing color.  Surrounding ourselves with some green helps us to relax and generates feelings of hope.  It is also used in color therapy to help alleviate depression and nervousness.

     Try adding a few touches of green to your home.  Do you find yourself feeling more relaxed when you are surrounded with green?

     I decided to start my journey of 2017 The Year of the Home with my bathroom.  Does it seem like an odd place to start?  Here's my reasoning.

     Like everyone I need to live and work within a budget.  Since the bathroom is small I will be able to complete this room more quickly.  I think that satisfaction of completion of a small task helps when working on a year long project.  So I am starting small.

     Since I am currently living in a rental I can't paint my walls.  So white is my canvas here.  I also have a glass door on my tub/shower.  Which means no shower curtain for adding color or texture.  So these are my limitations and challenges in this room.

     I really want to add some color since color has the ability to affect our moods.  After much deliberation I have chosen the photograph featured above to hang in the bathroom. Gardens make me feel good.  They relax me and take away the worries when I spend time there.  I also like the colors so it is a good choice for me.

     I can also add color and texture with a choice of towels.  I am leaning towards a dark green and a dark mauve color for towels.  I enjoy therapeutic baths in the evening and I know those colors will add to my relaxation.  So this is where I am starting.

     I will update you from time to time with posts as to how this is all playing out.

​#2017yearofthehome

     It's that time of year again when Pantone and all the paint companies are picking their color of the year.  While this certainly doesn't mean you need to rush to repaint or buy new furnishings, what it does mean is that it will be easier for you to find these colors in paint and fabrics.  Over the next few weeks I will highlight some of these colors of 2017 and suggests ways to use them.

Pantone has chosen Greenery as their color of 2017.  In the world of color therapy green is the color of nature.  So logically it also symbolizes growth, harmony and hope.  Since Greenery is the color we see in spring when all the new growth is occurring I think that Greenery is a good fit to bring the influence of these things into our lives. ​

     But I can't imagine an entire room in this color.  For me, personally, it would be overwhelming.  I can see it as a fabulous accent color.  I can also see it being used to brighten a small area that doesn't receive a lot of natural light.  Use Greenery in your accents such as throw pillows or pick up the color in your window coverings.  You can also use your wall art to bring touches of this color into your home.

     I actually love this color as green and it's many shades and hues are among my favorite colors.  And while you won't find a large number of green flowers I am happy to say that I have two gorgeous photographs that will bring this color into your home.  One is featured here today and I will share the other with you in my next post.

     A friend recently told me that she is feeling the winter blues this year.  The lack of  sunlight is giving her a mild case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  Her symptoms are mild so she doesn't need medication or a special light.  After a bit of research she decided to use some bright colors in her home to trick her brain into a happier mood.

     She is adding splashes of bright colors.  Adding color to boost your mood is something that has been covered before in this blog.  It does have some relevance for this time of year in the northern hemisphere where our days are shorter with less sunlight.  Adding throw pillows to your rooms in bright colors is one way to brighten the room.  Bright photographs on the walls also bring in those happy colors.  Don't forget to try flowering houseplants.  Flowers always make us feel better.

     Do you have any tricks that you use to overcome those winter blues?  Share them in the comments!

     Some things just say happy or joy.  When you see them they communicate that feeling to you. Suddenly, within an instant or viewing them, you begin to feel happiness grow within you.

     The featured photograph is one that makes me feel happy every time I see it.  First it is yellow.  Yellow is a warm color and is most often associated with the happier emotions.  Second this flower just looks like someone is spreading their arms and jumping for joy.  The flower is a Gladiolus.  Their name has the word Glad in it.  Which is another way of saying happy.

​     I think it is important to surround yourself with things that have the power to bring a smile to your face.  What artwork do you have in your home that makes you happy when you see it?

     The beginning of September heralds the end of summer and the start of Autumn here in the northern hemisphere.  This brings with it the promise of the bright reds, yellows and oranges of the season.

     I have often wondered if there is a reason for the bright colors of Autumn.  Red, orange and yellow are all warm colors. They vibrate with happiness and warm feelings.  I wonder if their purpose is to gives us an overload for us to store away to recall during the dark, cold days of winter.  Like a squirrel with acorns, we store away memories of those colors and the delicious feelings we had when seeing nature bathed in them.

     We are fortunate that we can savor these colors in our homes long after they have left Mother Nature. As we start our way into the cooler months consider ways to bring these warm happy colors into your home.  One way for me is the photograph of the path into the woods featured here.  I look at it and can remember the walk, the warmth of the sun and the smells of Autumn all year long.

     Too much of a bright high energy color can be exhausting.  Which is why you need to think about balancing the energy of your colors used in the various rooms in your home.

     I find it helps to think about how a room is going to be used when picking colors.  Consider your vision for how you want to feel in that room.  For example I generally equate my living room with relaxing and interaction with family and friends.  So I wouldn't choose a bright, primary orange.  I like orange so if I want to use it in the living room I would choose a darker more muted shade and probably only use it on one wall.  But in the kitchen I would choose a lighter, more vibrant orange as that room is a high energy room.

     Bedrooms are generally quieter, more passive spaces where we want to get a good nights sleep.  Blues and greens have a calm soothing effect that works well in rooms like this.  But you still need to balance out that passive energy.  Use your lower energy color as your main color and then bring in some splashes of color like yellow to add a happy, sunny feeling to the room.  Your accent colors can add the balance the room needs.

     If you've ever looked at a color wheel you will notice that the colors opposite each other, which compliment each other, balances a warm color with a cool color.  If you want a balance holistic feeling to your home take a cue from the color wheel and think balance while incorporating your favorite colors into your home.

    The deliciousness of yellow.  It makes you think of sunny days, happy times and of being warm.  Using yellow in your home can give the room that feel good experience that yellow invokes in us.

     There are many degrees or hues of yellow.  So how do you decide which one to use?  Think about the room and who will be using it.  Studies show that babies in bright yellow rooms tend to cry more.  So for a nursery you might want to use a soft muted hue.  But a windowless hallway can handle brighter yellows.

     What kind of exposure does the room have?  Do you live  in a warm sunny climate with few gray days?  If you live where the winters are cold and gray using a brighter, warmer yellow can help to brighten the room and your mood.  Yellow might be a good winter color for you if you suffer from SAD.

     Yellow is the most reflective color in our visible spectrum.  So if you are choosing yellow as your wall color you need to consider its visual intensity or how bright it will look on the wall.  I think that with yellow it is very important to test paint ares of your wall before you decide.  See how it looks in the light and how it makes you feel when you walk in the room.  Because of its reflective value people make more mistakes with yellow than any other color.  Make use of those test sample paint cans whenever you are choosing a new color of paint for you walls, but especially so when choosing a color like yellow.

     If you want that feel good experience of yellow without painting your walls you can always use it as an accent.  Paintings, photographs, throw pillows or a vase of yellow flowers are good ways to bring yellow into your home.  Don't dismiss yellow because you think it is too bright.  Find a hue that makes you feel good when you look at it and bring that into your home.