What’s Your Color?

Since the weather has cooled off, we are all starting to focus on getting our garden beds cleaned out, the last of the veggies canned, and each time I mow my lawn, I wonder how many more times I will get to pull that cord again this year.

I hate to see summer go, but I also love how it cools down faster in the evenings, the smell of that first fire in the fireplace, and especially the colorful changes in the deciduous trees. I grew up in Colorado, so I got spoiled being surrounded with all those fall colors. I think that’s why I like the Autumn color palette the best. But then, when all the leaves fell and winter set in, the warm colors disappeared and it was a fresh color palette of whites, grays, and blues. Cool color tones versus the warm color tones.

It’s amazing how strongly color evokes emotions in us. If I put the same color palette in front of two people with shades of white, blue and gray, they may react completely differently to it. I think that’s why paint is one of the toughest things to decide on and why there are so many color choices out there. I have one consistent color throughout my house with a few accent walls. It makes sense to keep colors consistent throughout your spaces and evoke emotional splashes of colors and contrasting bold colors through accent walls, accessories, furnishings and artwork. Having too many paint colors will make your house seem chopped up and extremely busy.

Also, finding the right color for the emotions you want to evoke in people or yourself while in these spaces is vital to making it comfortable. Do you want a spa-like feeling, an energetic mood-boosting feeling, or something techy that makes you feel ahead of your time? There really is a science to color and there are many companies continuously doing research in anticipation of trending colors.

These are some of the ideas of what’s to come in 2016:

· Taupes/Beiges/Neutrals = Health and Wellness, Natural, Relaxation Spaces

· Greens/Yellows/Rose/Berry = Creative and Social, Young Influence, Playful Spaces

· Bronze/Putty/Browns/Olive = Driven and Purposeful, Thrifty, Rugged and Repurposed Spaces

· Purples/Plums/ Metallic/Aqua = Space-aged and Icy, Hard Angles, Next Generation Spaces

Every year, the color of the year changes and the anticipated colors shift. Regardless of how we see color, we know that colors make us feel certain ways because of our senses. The five senses are used when identifying colors and how we are able to describe them. That’s why interior finishes, such as paint fabrics, tiles, carpets, cabinet stains, etc have names like Rustic Saddle. We immediately have a sense of dark leather and know exactly what that smells like.

Colors can also affect our depth perception. Warm and lighter colors feel closer to you and cool and darker colors feel further away.

As much as designers obsess over color and are hell-bent on making sure everything is cohesive and works together, there really is a scientific reasoning behind it. If something in your house feels “off,” it’s probably something to do with the colors.

#homeessentials