MOOD BOOSTING COLOURS TO INSPIRE AND INVIGORATE
With the past year having brought much instability and uncertainty, we open our arms widely to colours that makes us feel good.
IT IS ALMOST EXPECTED that most of the on-trend hues right now encourage joy and happiness. Some paint colours instantly make you feel more cheerful. Their presence makes us happier while others, however, leave us feeling underwhelmed.
So bring a little joy to the world by choosing mood-boosting colours that allow you connect with your space in a positive way. This connection, after all, is the way you react to the colours around you.
While many feel-good hues are on-trend right now, they’re also set to stand the test of time thanks to their elegance and appeal.
Warming, blush tones are popular, blending pink, beige and apricot, to offer colours that are highly versatile in a home, creating calming and reassuring spaces — think Resene Half Gin Fizz, Resene Ebb or Resene Spring Wood.
Greens, always serene, are what many of us are craving in our homes at the moment. They might be rich greens or muted variants, such as Resene Pewter or Resene Kelp — either way they help us connect with the outdoors, whiich offer so much natural inspiration.
Both blush and green make perfect partners, whether you paint your hallway in the blush and a bedroom in the green, or colour-block a wall in a blush, fluid shape. Use Resene Sea Green and Resene Paper Doll together, or for a softer touch, Resene Destiny with Resene Soothe.
Fuchsia-type pinks empower us and provide a sense of hope, working beautifully with whites and taupe that bring them down to earth. Popular pinks of this kind are Resene Glamour Puss or Resene Vintage, always evoking hopefulness and joy. If it feels too feminine to some in the house, add accents in black and navy blue.
Deep blues hold their own in popularity, soothing and securing us in their regal tones, such as Resene Blue Night, Resene True Blue or Resene Indian Ink. Pair them with a gentle, pale yellow — use Resene Half Splash or Resene Dairy Cream — a warm white or a blush for an elegant combination.
Exotic, spicy caramels soothe and uplift, resonating with forest green or nutty reds. Resene Korma resonates well with Resene Candy Floss and Resene Olive Green.
For colours that create a happy home, mid-tones are ideal. They sit between the dark, sumptuous colours and the pale ones.
The bedroom is where most people like to create a romantic, relaxed feeling. To do this, look to pastels and dusky tones — think lavender, mid-tone blues and greens and soulful blushes. All of these colours avoid overwhelming the space and allow you to stop and unwind from the day that’s been, or wake happily to greet the new day.
On top of these colours you can easily add cushions, curtains, furniture and lighting in brighter colours for a bit of energy. Split your walls horizontally into two colours, the upper one in a pale version, the lower in a mid-tone for a multidimensional effect, breaking up the wall.
In the lounge, you may frequently use this space as somewhere to entertain friends. In which case, turn it into what feels like a boutique hotel, with warm, chic tones such as fuchsia mixed with terracotta. For something more low-key — a lounge in which you like to escape from the world and read a book — think beige blushes, caramels and warm clays. Ramp them up with chalky blue touches or moss green or add to the serenity with coffee creams.
Stimulate creativity and productivity in the home office with bright primaries such as red which stimulates energy, blue which links at serenity and ever-cheerful, imaginative yellow.
The kitchen can be a fun destination, you can’t go wrong with yellow — try a punchy mustard in Resene Tulip Tree, a sunny yellow in Resene Sweet Corn or a pale lemon in Resene Moon Glow — just make sure it isn’t too harsh.
Calming and rejuvenating should sum up the bathroom. Think subtle blues, gentle green tones or beige-pink to create a spalike sanctuary. Paint your ceiling a pale pink for a warming glow and rose tint overhead. There’s nothing like sitting back in the bath and looking up to that while candlelight brings it to life.
Stacy Hayman of Studio Reno emphasises how colour can affect people’s temperaments, and for her, small elements of soft colours resonate in an uplifting way.
“Personally, I find pops of colours put me in an energetic mood. Not overly saturated colours usually as I find they can be a little overwhelming day-to-day. So colours like Resene Just Right or Resene El Paso are perfect as door colours or for panelling. Just a little here and there really makes an emphasis. Less is more.”
Stacy also recommends bringing in plenty of flowers and artwork for personality and a sense of homeliness.
“At Studio Reno we always like to finish each renovation project by leaving complementary-coloured flowers in the kitchen or bathroom, it breathes life into the space,” she says.
If you love wallpaper, bring in a Resene wallpaper with a green floral using summery yellow flowers for a touch of pure sunshine. Paint your trims and furniture yellow or green to draw out the palette. Finish the look with a vase of cut flowers and patterned lampshades in the same hues. It’ll give any room, north- or southfacing, a lift.
There are, of course, finishing touches you can bring to your home to boost your mood, too. Start with the scent in your air, use a diffuser that you adore the scent of, or candles that hold a beautiful perfume. Buy a bedspread that adds a layer of luxury and a bold colour to your bedding. Put photographs of joyful times into picture frames to remind you of friends and special times, and your favourite ceramics that exude joyful hues, hanging them on your wall or on open shelves for all to enjoy.
For more ideas and inspiration for decorating your home, visit your Resene ColorShop, www.resene.co.nz/ colorshops, or see the latest looks online, www.resene.co.nz/latestlooks.