Sir Winston Churchill once said: “I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns. “ While I can’t say I completely agree, as I like brown, who would have thought that colour meant so much to such a busy man?
We are blessed in New Zealand to be surrounded by lush greens, vivid blues, soft teals, and mysterious greys. Colour provides an important emotional backdrop to our daily lives. It creates a sense of comfort and belonging, refreshes our senses, and reflects our individuality. The colour you surround yourself with matters to you, it defines you and captures the essence of your imagination.
Go for a walk…
Wander through your house and imagine the feeling you want to create. You may want the kitchen and dining room to be vibrant and stimulating for conversation. Be courageous when selecting hues and maybe even ‘clash’ colours. In other spaces, like bedrooms and living rooms, encourage tranquillity and rest.
Use your gut instinct with colour, let your personality shine through.
Which doesn’t mean you have to rush out to buy paint and furiously start painting feature walls. Start small, introducing accents of colour to your scheme which won’t need huge financial outlay or time commitment. Cushions and throws are perfect for enlivening a tired space, delivering both comfort and colour. Mix and match, curate you own cluster of cushions to be enjoyed both visually and practically. Collect objects: smaller pieces to inject colour and personality. Experiment with tones in little groups of functional pieces, before you commit to larger scale changes. Once you have settled upon the nature of each space, take your time to carefully select rugs and key furniture to enhance that sense.
The impact of colour on our emotional wellbeing and psyche is dramatically evident in Rio de Janeiro, where Dutch artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas transformed a community overrun with violence, gangs, an
d drug dealing. They invited residents to assist in painting a rainbow-like mural over 34 buildings of a shanty-town that clings to the hills. Together they turned it into a living, breathing canvas. The effects are already being felt with flourishing neighbourly interaction and a shift in perception of the neighbourhood.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, in Milan at Il Salone in 2010, the global stage for design, there was more colour than ever in this uber-styled setting. Press reported it as a reaction to the Global Financial Crisis and the desire to uplift and stimulate surroundings. Colour is hope!
Whatever the motivation, whatever the application, take a little of Churchill’s wisdom into your life and revive your inner colour soul. I dare you!
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