ALL SMILES
sophisticated, try deep reds like the everpopular Resene Pohutukawa. For a more stimulating feel, use a cheerful red like Resene Poppy.
Pink is at the soothing end of the ‘happy’ spectrum. The right shade will make your heart sing, and with today’s love of all types of pink, from peach to blush, rose to lilacs, there’s a colour that will make your feel warm and fuzzy. Try a contemporary peach pink like Resene Despacito or Resene Shabby Chic.
As well as a colour scheme that sings to you, there are other things you can do to create a happy haven.
One of the simplest is to make sure your space reflects you and your family.
Decorate with items that mean something to you, whether it’s art, photographs, family treasures, foraged finds or simply something that you love the shape, colour or texture of. Walking into a home filled with your happy associations is an instant mood-lifter.
The flipside to a curated collection of things that matter is to declutter the things that don’t. It’s a simple stress-reliever. Then try to make sure there is a place to store everything, and it gets put back in that place.
Knowing where to find things when you need them is an instant way to improve your state of mind.
Light it up
Creative use of artificial lighting will also lift the look of a room — much like turning your face to the morning sun does when you’re outside. Create retreats within a larger room, with a good chair, bookshelf and a lamp. Think about adding dimmers to downlights so you can change the lighting to suit your mood or the room’s use.
And always make the most of natural light where you can. Use curtains that pull right back. It keeps your indoors connected with the outdoors, and floods rooms with natural light — all proven mood lifters.
Engage the senses
As well as how a room looks, think about how it impacts your other senses. Play with textures like silk, velvet or even rattan in your furnishings.
Think about the finishes of walls and floors with raw wood and whitewashes or Resene wallpapers. Find a scented candle that helps you feel relaxed, or energised and have music readily available.
Including lots of plants inside is another easy, effective way to engage the senses and inspire a calm happy space. Try leafy green plants in otherwise neutral rooms painted in warm creamy shades, to add depth and texture — and create the feel of a tropical escape.
Dress your dining table with generous bowls full of fruit, or vases of flowers.
Think about creating a screen-free room in your home. Fill it with board games, books, music and comfy chairs with cosy throws so the whole family can retreat together.