“You create your own decoration. You choose your color, you choose your mood..if you are depressed, you put on some bright yellow and suddenly you are happy.” – Phillip Starck. A perfect quote as it is particularly true at the moment. Daffodils and multi-coloured anemones are appearing in local markets and I find myself drawn to cherry red roses and purple iris to brighten a room. Brighter fabrics and interior accessories are appearing in stores and we all need a spot of happiness.
Move Out of Your Comfort Zone!
It is not suggested that you suddenly break out the orange and lime green paint but go for it if you have the courage. Otherwise, focus on one patterned piece of your decor, a piece of artwork, bowl, cushion, something to use to bring it all together. Being a Feng Shui practitioner, our major living area and biggest apartment space is in the Wealth sector. The space for emerald green, royal navy and rich purple. Having lived for decades with soft beiges, ivory and aqua tones, this is right out of our comfort zone. This sector in the Bagua map, also aligns the Earth elements in partnership with Wood for growth. Two Malaysian paintings bought years ago, were pulled out of storage and have become the focal point of the room. A tropical plantation theme has emerged against a backdrop of ivory and taupe tiles. Now if you don’t have lots of decor, find a poster or cushion or bed cover to work with; you don’t need a huge budget or lots of accessories. Give it a go.
Cheap and Cheerful
There is a chain of French stores called Maxi Bazaar that offer bits and pieces of decor. Most countries have something similar; cheap stuff but if you wade through these places, you can find bargains that can be upgraded, painted and used amongst your better quality furniture. Wandering through another store and thinking about being on a budget, bright pots and cushions stood out for inspiration. Review what you already have. From previous posts, you know that I love a bargain or a chance to recycle, repaint and reuse stuff. Go to your local hardware store and buy sample pots of paint as they are just enough to repaint a chair, a cupboard or a picture frame or buy a piece of card and paint some colours on it to give you focus.
Find a Theme
Go on Pinterest, interior design sites and see the colours, patterns and designs that draw your attention. They may look expensive but distil it down to a theme. Will it be tropical, Scandinavian wood, rich faux fur and glitzy mirrors, Brooklyn warehouse, French shabby chic or country kitchen style? Then stick with it. Accessories such as throws, cushions and lamps can offer statement pieces to pull the look together. Or choose one colour to blend different fabrics and patterns. I saw this combination of yellow textiles in a local shop – if you like a fabric, ask if you can take a small swatch of it. Many retailers are happy to do this.
The Wow Factor
In other posts, I have talked about having a wow factor in each room. It doesn’t matter if you have IKEA as many people have, or second hand furniture and bits and pieces, a key piece such as a pot or vase can easily become a focus of attention. We didn’t need much; if anything, we needed to put it all in and then take some pieces out but we did add a ceramic elephant lamp with a navy shade that makes us smile. Finally, a quote for the times from Maya Angelou, “try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
