Colour Defines Your Decorating

By Jessica Masse

(WINDSOR, ON) – Well Charmin Ultra had it correct when they claim that “less is more”. In a world of chaos, clutter is the last thing a home needs. When a home is cluttered not only is it hard to find things but it just feels like total chaos. Hey people, life is stressful enough. Do we actually need to have our homes represent this too ?

Gone is the big gaudy furniture and filling the room with big and bulky. Experts say to fill your home with stylish furniture that also preserves walking space, to allow the room to not look as cluttered. Unnecessary figures/ keepsakes are all good, however, when you have an over abundance, you are destroying the colour theme of the room and adding clutter. Remember you do not need to display them all. If you happen to see a must have piece of furniture that is big or bulky, try to remember to compliment it with a smaller coffee and end table set. You might have to delete the idea of having an accent chair.

You don’t have to keep up with the Jones’s. To live within your means, check out vintage and thrift stores and my favourite, kiiji.ca for tables.

Where do I start? Choose a colour theme, understand what your budget is, and build from there.

Splash your home with colour! Allow your home to represent your personality, for instance I chose a kitchen decor to match our favourite sports team; Oklahoma University. Did you know that colours have the ability to change the moods of people? According to David Johnson of Colour Psychology colours have an affect on us both emotionally, physically and psychologically. Here is how various colours represent, and how they affect, people.

Red- The colour grabs your attention, affects your pulse, and breathing. According to the Paint Quality Institute. Red is the colour most often associated with passion and love, red can stimulate the appetite which makes it a good colour choice for your kitchen or dinning room.

Orange -conveys excitement and energy, and is bright and friendly.

Yellow- sunshine, cheer, optimism, clarity. It enhances concentration says InfoPlease.com; however, yellow is hardest on the eyes and can stimulate frustration and anger.

Blue- the colour of sky, water, calmness and serenity. An over abundance of it can make one feel cold and depressed. I would recommend wearing blue for job interviews because it conveys loyalty, reliability, and productivity.

Green- nature, refreshing. It is a healthy colour which is why it is used in doctors’ and hospital rooms. Green is known for its stress relieving effects.

Purple- richness, drama, majesty, and royalty. Purple dates back to the ancient times when purple dye was so expensive only the wealthy could afford it. The Institute of Colour Technology suggests that one choose a lighter shade of purple for a feminine and sophisticated room.

Black / White can be considered neutral, but each has a powerful association of its own. They represent power and elegance. In decorating, black can give the room depth which demonstrates cleanliness and purity. As a wall colour it can provide a clean background for other colours.

Andrew Smith is a kitchen design consultant with Home Hardware. I asked Andrew about what to do with a boring, out of date kitchen.

“In regards to changing a boring, drab kitchen into a more modern vibrant place to not only cook a meal but entertain in , lets face it, the kitchen is now more than ever a place where everyone hangs out and socializes,” says Andrew. “I would take the room, for example if it has a high ceiling, I would use that space to the advantage of the design by making cabinets go as tall as possible, using colour combinations from the cabinets to the flooring to the wall colour and then use the counter top to tie in all the colours together.”

“Chances are if you are going to the expense of a kitchen re-design you will also be purchasing new appliances which can go along way in making the kitchen look more vibrant and modern,” Andrew continued. “First and Foremost I look for a kitchen that is functional because the people using the kitchen won’t care what colour it is, if it is not functional. I would also recommend making suggestions on where to place certain items that are to be used in the kitchen; such as designing a deeper kitchen cabinet and using that combined with a couple of partitions on the inside to store baking sheets and muffin trays, things that will take up the whole depth of that cabinet. So then you are just reaching from the front rather than climbing into the back, and then using the space you would normally place the baking sheets for more functional use, for something else. For more kitchen design ideas contact Andrew.smith@homehardware.ca

Have fun re-decorating, don’t be afraid to splash your home in colour.

I recently painted our young daughters room lime green, her accent pieces are fuchsia and pink. She absolutely loves her room now. Prior to this change her walls were a boring off white. For me my home is the place where I let my hair down, relax, create, and love my family.

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