If you could clear out the cobwebs of your past with a color and a brush, would you do it?
Our powerful sense memory1 means that the right shade can effectively stimulate your senses2, enhance your mood, and bring happy memories to the surface.
Advertisement
Color evokes different feelings and emotions for different people. Maybe you're someone who hates bright colors and prefers neutral tones. Or perhaps the color turquoise always reminds you of peaceful weekends spent at the beach growing up. When you identify the feelings and associations that dictate your color choices, you can transform your home by bringing in the colors that speak to you most deeply.
An exercise to tap into your sense memory
Look around your home and wardrobe, noting the shades that most pull you in and put a smile on your face. Write down three of them.
Then, decide what these colors mean to you personally. What feelings and emotions do they evoke? Write the first three words or phrases that come to mind when you look at each color. These words may be adjectives, or they may be people, places, songs, or memories.
Then assign a color to each room in your home based on the mood you want to evoke. Is there one room in your home that needs an emotional facelift? What is your current emotional connection to that room, and what do you want to change about it?
The colors you choose will affect how you enjoy your home, and it's all about finding ones that inspire you to live your best life. If you're not sure where to start, here are a few pops of color that I've found to be really lovely.
Advertisement
If you want to foster creativity and create an inspiring atmosphere, purple should be your go-to. Whether you're looking to refresh your office, studio, or even hallway-turned-art gallery, violet is one shade that can cultivate creation. Consider a lavender-printed cushion, a purple office chair, or even a vase of purple flowers. Just a little spark of violet can be enough to channel creativity wherever you most need it.
If you're feeling a little down and need an invigorating pick-me-up, rejuvenate with balancing green. The greenery in nature has been shown to boost mood and alleviate stress3, so bringing some grass green and fresh mint shades into your home can only be a good idea. If you're not ready to paint your entire space, start with some green foliage. Consider adding a simple centerpiece of fresh herbs on the kitchen island, a bowl of limes to the dining room table, or a succulent in the entryway to welcome guests.
Advertisement
In need of a space to relax and restore? Bring in a touch of softening pastels. In the color world, pastel shades provide balance. Bringing in an air of softness and youth, they can refresh a room like few other shades can and are a great alternative to neutrals. Consider a soft, pale blue for the bedroom or bathroom to add a subtle touch of color.
If you need to boost your energy and add a little happy to your life, go for pops of invigorating yellow. The brightest and most energizing of colors, yellow is basically just bottled-up sunshine. Generally speaking, yellow is warm and welcoming and has been shown to up the happiness factor of those who come across it. Yellow accessories can instantly perk up a room or a person!
For more information about how to use color to transform your home's energy, check out my new book, Change Your Home, Change Your Life with Color.
Advertisement
Moll Anderson is an accomplished author, television and radio host, inspirational interior designer, life stylist, and advocate for women and children globally. Moll’s career has been filled with many professional achievements, including winning an Emmy for her work as an entertainment reporter; being chosen as one of Donna Karan’s Women Who Inspire (2011); and as a three-time recipient of the Gracie Awards, twice (2013, 2014) for Outstanding Host Lifestyle program for The Moll Anderson Show and (2015) for Outstanding On-Air Talent: Lifestyle/Health Program, as a contributor on The Doctors – Stage 29 Productions. The Gracies™ recognize outstanding programing created by women and about women, as well as individuals who make exemplary contributions to the industry.
Moll is a woman of many trades. Her lifestyle and interior design acumen have been enthusiastically embraced by readers of her four home and lifestyle books. She has been a regular contributor to The Doctors television show, and a guest co-host on FABLife, and she has appeared on numerous other television shows, including Access Hollywood Live, Good Day LA, The Talk, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and Dr. Phil. She has been featured in national publications such as InStyle and Cosmopolitan, USA Today, Huffington Post’s Women in Business, as well as in regional publications.
Along with her professional work, Moll is a dedicated philanthropist, focusing her energy on many deserving causes. Moll is an advocate for survivors of abuse, and she commits her time and resources to improving and protecting the lives of women and children in her community and internationally through her work with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club and UNICEF. Moll shares UNICEF’s belief that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty. In 2010, The Moll Anderson Endowed Scholarship was established at the University of Tennessee. The scholarship allows single parents to pursue their educational careers while caring for their children. In 2016, Moll received the Spirit of Compassion Award at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball. Moll splits her time between Dallas, Texas and Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband Charlie and their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Winston and Harlow. Together she and her husband have four children.
Change Your Home, Change Your Life with Color is dedicated to Moll’s son Michael, his wife Aphrodite, and their first child Adrianna. Other books by Moll Anderson include Change Your Home, Change Your Life, The Seductive Home, Seductive Tables For Two, and What’s Your Color Story?.