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Winter/Spring 2009
Rejuvenate Your Rooms for Positive Effects All Year
It’s March in Massachusetts and we are still holed up in our houses. We may have smelled a tantalizing hint of spring in the air, but the landscape is still dominated by wintry greys and browns as we wait for the leaves to appear. This is out of our control. Hopefully, the inside of your home is drenched in color to help sustain you until spring. If not, now is the time to rejuvenate your rooms with some welcome hues. Then you can feel colors’ positive effects all year round. Let’s start with a few of my favorite, understated Benjamin Moore colors.
They look great in any room for which you want a calming and relaxed environment!
Courtesy of Amy-Wax
fromYour Color Source Studios, Inc.
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Glass slipper 1632
This is an elegant, pale blue
Great with any décor |
Cream 2159-60
Glowing, pale yellow
Beautiful backdrop |
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Powell Buff HC-35
Warm tan
Wonderfully calming |
November Rain 2142-60
Warm putty color
Versatile, appropriate for any setting |
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Color is perhaps the richest sense experience of all. It is universally present, flooding us with sensations and information that reach our mind, soul, and body. Color is the major factor in establishing a desired room experience. It is a tool to use for the ambience you want to create. To ensure that your color design serves a purpose, ask yourself these questions:
What is your goal for this room? (Do you want a calming environment for reading or perhaps a lively one for family fun)
Does your color choice support the function of the room, and the tasks being carried out in it?
Try to avoid creating overstimulating (too much color/pattern/contrast) or understimulating (too little color/pattern/contrast) surroundings in order to maintain a positive emotional and physiological environment. |
Courtesy of Amy-Wax fromYour Color Source Studios, Inc. |
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Here are several of my more colorful favorites. Use in kitchens to emphasize the hub of the home, or in a hallway, to enliven the atmosphere. |
Golden Honey 297
Bright yellow
Cheerful, energizing |
Soft Pumpkin 2166-40
Warm, subtle orange
Beautiful backdrop |
Courtesy of Amy-Wax fromYour Color Source Studios, Inc.
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To bring intimacy and coziness into any room, use a deep color. These colors will not look too strong if they are used as complements to neutral furnishings. Remember to keep the function of the room in mind, as these colors lend themselves best to relaxing, watching TV and movies, dining, and other leisurely activities. They are not the best colors for rooms used for studying, needle work, and other intricate and intense tasks. |
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Bittersweet Chocolate 2114-10
Deep brown
Warm, enveloping |
Hale Navy HC-154
Dark blue
Cool and comforting |
Grappa 1393
Darkest purple
Elegant, yet fun |
For a little less saturation, try Lehigh green in a study or den. It is colorful and restful yet lively, though not distractingly so. Thus it is helpful for concentration.
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Lehigh Green HC-131
Medium dark green
Stunning, relaxing |
Chase the winter doldrums away. It’s time for spring renewal and freshening up! Pick an accent wall, a room, or a hall to paint, not for design’s sake, but for your own. Whether you add a joyful jolt of color or a subtle tint for atmosphere, you can bring your rooms to life simply by applying a fresh, new hue. And next winter, when you have tired of the dull, drizzly and drab outdoors, your spring color infusion indoors will still provide a happy respite, to sustain you throughout another year.
Best Wishes,
--Bonnie |
