Design diaries

In my last post, I wrote about painting/wallpaper as a great option for refreshing your space. But selecting a color (hue) and choosing the right shade/tone are two separate components to painting your room.

So, let’s start with selecting a color. In my blog post dated 03/06/2020 (see reference below), I wrote about finding a color that brings you joy “Happy (Color) Space”. A Happy Place is a memory, situation, or activity that made you feel happy, calm, and positive. Since happy places are associated with your senses (smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound) and where you have enjoyed the surrounding environment, the idea is to embrace the color/s that made up the happy memory. If you’re struggling to choose a color, try recalling a memory (and the colors) that brought you joy, calmness, or even excitement. And, if you love it and it's not the "color of the year", it’s perfectly ok and you are not alone. In today’s e-commerce world, you can practically choose any color and find coordinating decor. For example, if your color of choice is avocado green, you can find accessories (if not in stores, then definitely online) such as pillows, fabrics, decor to make your room look cohesive and thoughtful. This is very different from years ago when decor predominantly matched whatever color was currently on trend (think red dining room with cream and gold dishes, red placemats, floral or monkey-themed fabric, and black/gold drapery hardware). The options were limited and online home shopping was not in full swing. Today, the color world is at your feet and you just have to take the first step in choosing one!

Still not sure? Look in your closet. Is there a favorite shirt, scarf, or tie you love or constantly gets you compliments (not just because of the color but because it brings a glow to your face)? Does your closet consists of any predominant color/s? Can you eliminate what you don’t like (for example, you don’t have any clothes in your closet that are red)? Another option is artwork. Do you have a favorite piece of art? What colors jumped out at you? You can also look to the outdoors. What is your favorite season and how does this relate to your love of certain colors (for example, I love fall which makes me think of ochre, burnt orange, brown, caramel, and dark green)? It’s time to dig deep & self explore - hopefully, I have given you some tools to do just that. My last piece of advice is …Don’t be afraid of color or choosing a color that is not on trend. After all, it’s your home and you earned the right to have it exactly the way you always dreamed it would be. But, if you still want assistance or need a sounding board (that’s not a spouse or 6 year old), hire an interior designer. This is what we do!