Wicker Emporium Blog Calm. Courageous. Captivating. What's your colour style ?

Colour. Personally, I can't live without colour. To put me in a white room, devoid of any colour, would be too depressing. Colour to me is inspiring, exciting and so much a part of my life.Certain colours have very strong memories. Bright red reminds me of poppies on the wallpaper in my grandmother's kitchen. Blues remind me of the ocean, both here on the Canadian East Coast and on the North East coast of Scotland where I grew up. Pale pink reminds me of the rosebuds on a party dress I had as a small child.Think for a moment how colour creeps into our everyday life. White is associated with cleanliness, hospitals and for me, snow. This might be why I don't gravitate towards white rooms, too cold, too sterile, yet, many people love white rooms finding them calming and serene.Colour has the power to make us happy. Think yellow and orange, both "hot" colours, bold and energizing. Perhaps not the best choice for rooms where you want to feel relaxed and de stress from the workday. Reds pack a visual punch, stimulate appetites (hence so many red dining rooms) and command attention. Red can be overpowering but it depends on the shade you choose. To tone things down, try a brick red or cabernet.Calming blues, aqua and navy are some of my go to hues for my own home. Being surrounded with colour in my profession, I find these comforting and easy to live with. Everyone has different feelings about colour, I have met a few who don't want blues anywhere in the home. Having said this, there is no denying blues are "hot" right now in the décor world, so if you are staging a home to sell for today's buyer, up to the minute blues might be a colour to consider incorporating into your home. Think inky indigo, sapphire, teals and aquas.Greens can both be calming and invigorating. Lime, emerald, green apple, all uplifting in the right space. The other end of the green spectrum, pistachio, moss and mint are soothing shades. Good choices for bedrooms and any room where you need to feel relaxed.I often get the question "Where do I start when choosing colours" Most people make the mistake of choosing a wall colour first but I start with a piece of art, a pillow, or just an accessory that I love. It is much easier to match paint to a smaller item than the other way around, I find.However large or small your budget is, colour will give your space the warmth, look or "feel" you crave.