by Tara Allan Stewart

Created on: February 20, 2009

LIVING WITH COLOR

When you move into a new home or apartment, it's like being given a blank palette to use to make your new home your own. You may move in with a plan in mind. You may like country, French Provincial, or maybe your tastes are eclectic. If you truly do not know where to begin, choose favorite rooms that seem similar to your own floorplan, and try to reproduce the room with your own special touches or favorite pieces.

Do you have a favorite piece of art or a bed passed down to you from your grandmother? Is there a couch you cannot part with? Find a way to decorate around the most important things to you. Where I live we can't paint, in accordance with the lease. This year, in our small bedroom with dark furniture and curtains (our windows have full sun exposure, too much even in the winter), I chose a soft yellow bedspread and comforter with a soft blue bedskirt and sheet sets. It brings a little yellow sunshine in the room, compared to the olive green comforter that darkened the room and made it even smaller we brought here when we moved.

The living room has a rich red velvet button-tufted sofa I found at Goodwill and refuse to part with. The color I chose to blend with the red might surprise most people, but it works beautifully. Touches of bright purple (just touches) make the room colorful and cheerful, and keep the red from overwhelming the room. Cherry bookcases and colorful art with a strong Asian influence make the room personal and a peaceful (yes, peaceful) place for meditations.

Are you still confused about how to live with color? Just try a little at a time of a new color like yellow or purple. Don't pour gallons of paint in bright pink all around the house. Remember, you have to live there for some time, and too much of anything gets a bit nauseating quickly. But do not be afraid to use your favorites in small ways, to blend with something else in the home, and to say, "This is not a house. it is a home."

There are magazines that will send e-mail versions for free to your inbox on a regular basis, often with photo galleries with different ways to create a room so it works. There is a site called Colourlovers.com that shows new and innovative palettes so you can see what colors work with which.

There is no harm in having fun and making things as comfortable as they can be. This is where you will relax, sleep, love, raise a family, eat most of your meals - don't be afraid of color. Use it to make your home your own, to make a room appear larger or brighter, more cheerful, or more peaceful.

Do a little at a time, and remember, you can always change it. Enjoy your home. Remember, the real centerpiece is your personality and the people and things that you love. Be brave and spin the color wheel. Learn what makes you feel the best and go there.

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