Take some time to just zoom out for a moment and really look for a unifying color theme to all your stuff. You will usually find one.  Then, go bold!  Paint that color on the wall behind your ’stuff’ or on two walls or on all 4 walls. The focus of bold color will calm the cacophony of all the voices of your stuff and and like a melody have it singing the same harmonious tune. Use even just a ‘color block’ to define the space and corral the clutter.

Our body’s want to make sense of things around us…gestalt of looking for the whole big picture. In the same way that computers can’t make easy sense of the codes that we are asked to type in to make sure we are human and not spamming computers, that mechanism in our brain/body works to put pieces together to make a picture.  The fewer pieces, the less eye-movement and the less stress imprinted on our bodies. The best is to get rid of the excess clutter–the stuff that weighs you down–but if we pull the pieces together with the same color it has a similar result.

You may be surprised that that color you choose will often be the right one for you but here’s a quick guide:

Yellow, brown or tan will ground your energy.  Too much will make you crabby or lethargic or overly detail oriented.

Orange is a social color and firey answer to get you out into the world networking and talking.  Red will activate your spaces so make sure you know what you want to have more of (use the bagua for a guide).

Pink is a compassionate color and will make you more loving.

Blue is calm and loyal color,  Restful even when paired with white.

Black will get things flowing as it is water energy.  A little is elegant and social, emotional and flowing.  Too much would be like living next to a swamp or even Niagara Falls, you’d plunge deep into waters you may not want to know about.

Green–Thomas Jefferson painted the entry floor of Monticello, his beautiful mansion deep grass green to bring the healing energy of green into his life.  Fresh green can help you spring forward, be independent and lose weight.  Be careful to avoid “Mr. Yuk” Green in your spaces as this color can actually make you sick.

*Monticello Photo courtesy of Thomas Jefferson Foundation  http://classroom.monticello.org/teachers/gallery/image/181/Monticellos-East-Front-Portico/

In my talks around North America I tell audiences how to use color to bring joy and empowerment into their spaces, not just paint but color in any form, placed well will bring happiness to your life.

All my best, Fawn

All this against the muted tones for walls, from greys to beige to blended brights for accent walls speak to our need to listen to the colors in our homes.   We are forever looking for happiness and at the same time security and the colors in our homes answer those needs.  Security from the neutral, unbleached colors of everyday nature and happiness coming from the zips of bright and happy accents and color that we can change with the season or our own whims.

Enjoy your life, that’s the whole point!

March 14 – 16 marked the 2010 edition of the much anticipated International Home + Housewares Show, sponsored by the International Housewares Association. Showcasing a plethora of household products that ranged from kitchen electronics and small appliances to cookware and kitchen tools, this exhibition proved to be a one-stop shop for essential home products.

The mood was high at the fair as participation beat expectations and exhibitors continually commented on the overall optimistic attitude that underscored the show. With an overarching theme titled, “inKNOWvation,” the International Home + Housewares Show emphasized smart innovative design perfect for a contemporary lifestyle.

SHOW FACTS:

• 1,800 Exhibitors (including 400 new companies)
• 55,000 Attendees from over 100 countries
• Venue: McCormick Place
• Next show dates: March 6 – 8, 2011
• www.housewares.org

Purple?  Of course.

Purple has emerged as the new key color for a wide range of kitchen and home products. Le Creuset introduced muted shades of purple to add a fashion feel to their collection of cookware. Lifetime Brands chose an earthy plum for the handles of their Farberware range of kitchen knives. Everyday appliances, like toasters and panini grills, looked fresh in crisp violet hues as seen in designs by OBH Nordica.

Orange Zest

Zesty shades of mandarin added a fresh feel to kitchen products and modern household appliances. Bright orange accentuated the ultra-modern feel of the multi-functional cookware showcased by OBH Nordica. At Electrolux, orange enhanced the streamlined look of their lightweight Unirapido vacuum cleaner. Seen on everything from cookware to tabletop, orange may surpass red as the key houseware color.

A range of grassy greens infused kitchen goods with a fresh sensibility. At Core Bamboo, green rubber handles added bright contrast to their collection of bamboo serveware. Bodum’s French press coffee maker, titled Bean, featured a new locking lid system, which seals in heat and offers precision pouring. A touch of bold colorblocking added extra visual punch to thermoses as seen in designs by Contigo.

Wood and bamboo enrich kitchen products with rustic tactility and a down to earth feel. Reclaimed wood gained a second life at Peterman Baskets & Bowls, who showcased their collection of gorgeous bowls, cutting boards, and platters made entirely from fallen and decomposed trees. Core Bamboo’s history in designing with bamboo resulted in a collection of well-considered pieces that could easily fit into any contemporary home.