Committing to Color

I have met a great many people who express a fondness for bold and vibrant colors, yet get weak in the knees at the thought of applying such tones to their own space.  In reviewing colour choices, many people will awe over the deep rich tones, but this expression of appreciation is followed with a, “…but I could never!”

Yes you can!  When you find a tone that gets your heart pounding, you should explore how you can use it in your space.  We know that colors cause psychological and physiological reactions – why not honour your sense of response?

If conspicuous and saturated tones such as: Deep Royal , Dark Burgundy or Forest Floor keep calling out to you, you may need to take the plunge and make a bold colour statement.  Putting colour in your space can happen slowly – add a toss pillow, a fabulous piece of art or even an area rug.  Try the colour out in small doses to gauge your reaction to the new tone.

Becoming aware of how colour makes you feel will guide you into making the best choices for colour in your own home.  If you really feel that you are not in tune with the colors that make you feel good – take a look in your closet.  What colors are strongly represented in your wardrobe?  

Reaction to colour is a very personal and subjective experience.  Different tones conjure up different emotions and responses.  If you have ever gotten dressed and needed to change your clothes because the colour just didn’t feel “right” that particular morning – you know exactly what I am talking about.  Color sets a mood, a tone and even an expectation for what will happen.

Finding the right colour for the rooms of your home sets the stage for all other elements – furniture, floors, window coverings, accessories.  The perfect colour costs no more than the mediocre colour that is “ok” and perhaps safe.  It is well worth the effort to explore your response to colour and experiment with several different tones to find the perfect one.  

Committing to a vivacious colour need not be a commitment that can never be broken.  You can easily let colors in your life without making an unbreakable bond with them.  You know I am going to quote the design cliché – “it is only paint”, but it really is only paint.  My husband quips that our home has lost several hundred square feet due to the many layers of paint on our walls.  I simply smile back and we both know that the next new colour to enter our lives is undoubtedly not that far away.