How are you feeling at the moment? Are you feeling a little under the weather? Have you considered working with colour around you in order to lift your mood and spirit? It may sound crazy or extreme, but by placing yourself in areas of certain colour, or by wearing particular colours, it really is possible to transform your mood and possibly even motivate and/or inspire you in doing things.
Have you ever noticed how places you go to can change your mood? If you place yourself in an area where there is lots of greenery, like parks or forests, you may feel at peace or it is more calming. You can gather your thoughts, reflect and have some clear thinking process with more clarity. If that is what you need, then consider bringing the outdoors in to maintain that thought process. It is really simple, yet effective, to uplift yourself with colour and here’s how.
You may not want to get out the paint and start decorating every room if you have recently done so. You may also not be able to invest in new furniture etc, but you can still use things around to create enough change that will make a difference.
Work with some accent colours that will emphasise a colour scheme. These colours can be bold or vivid and are used sparingly; they can emphasise, contrast or create mood rhythm. You can also use darker or neutral shades depending on the existing surroundings.
The easiest way to comprehend it is to imagine a room in a couple of shades of blue. The wall may be painted in one shade of light pastel sky white blue, the furniture, curtains or rugs may be in a different shade of say denim blue, which are all great invigorating colours; you can add a secondary colour of green, like a plant here and there, but by adding an accent colour of sunflower or lemon yellow, be it the flowers in a vase, yellow colour candle, lampshade, a cushion or two, this will completely change it from cool to warm summer vibes and can make a welcoming, happy holiday mood where you now feel you are by the beach on a beautiful day. So rather than changing everything, be creative and work with what you already have, by just adding some splashes of colour with some well-chosen throws, cushions or beautiful display ornament items. Don’t forget there is always spray paint to change the colour of existing things, if you can’t find what you like elsewhere.
Green is the colour associated with nature and perfect if you want to create a psychologically calming feeling. It’s great for a resting area such as the bedroom or a relaxing living room. It works well as a contrast in a pure white or cream area. You can add some plants, throws etc depending on what area. Green can work with almost any colour. In a garden, green is the backdrop for all the array of beautiful colourful flowers it exhibits and shows off. So don’t worry on clash of colour with green.
Cream is warmer than pure white but works well with white to soften it. It can give us the feel of cricket fields by adding some green foliage plants. A touch of yellow warms it up with a feel of sunny days – add some pastel yellow and pink roses in that green foliage and the whole room feels full of love and warmth. A picture on the wall or candle with a little pale yellow or pink will add that same feel throughout and keep it consistent and full of summer with cream teas on the green.
Blue can be sheer awakening get up and go, but it can also be played and toned down to relax with its surrounding choice of colour. It is versatile as it can be fresh like a cold day, but it can be warm like a sunny day. Put Mediterranean blue with white and it reminds you of cobbled stones and walks on holiday, eating by the sea and joyful days. Add some terracotta colour and it can create that Mediterranean or Marrakech mystical magic. Easy to create with a few terracotta plant pots and a rug with a mix of those colours and Aztec print.
Yellow creates all year round sunny atmosphere. It works really well for those rooms that barely get enough sunlight to them. Bring sunny smiles and the outdoors in. Works beautifully with green and is great for dramatic transformation and contrast to those dark colour areas, fire places or furniture.
Pink creates youthful love and playful romance. Great to add to wherever you want, be it the living room or bedroom. Some colourful roses, candles or pictures display warmth and affection. Works well with pastels, with cream, green, yellow, blue or even lilac.
Work with what you already have, choose what mood you need to bring in, and make or select items to create and change it. Make your own space a happy place!
Love and Sparkles
Samsara x
