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Color Your Room Cool
July 19 , 2004 by Sherribeth JamesonIt’s time to turn down the heat! Getting through the summer heat can be a huge challenge, especially if you’ve returned to the valley from a cool climate. There is a simple solution to making your interior rooms feel cool. Color it!
Colors have a huge impact on the way we feel. For instance, red will make us feel HOT. Blue will make us feel COOL. Think of the ocean, water, the sky in cool climates… Manufacturers realize this. How many people have incorporated blue color to their pools? Ice trays are blue. Minty COOL mouthwash is blue.
The most obvious starting place is incorporating blue or shades of blue (dark blue, light blue, white) paint to your rooms. Or you could include blue fabrics. If you’re crazy about blue this will be an easy change. If you’re thinking ‘seasonal’, this might not be the route to take. If you’re not up to painting all your rooms blue for a few months, a more realistic approach is to accessorize with blue.
Tabletop arrangements that have blue are a great way to incorporate the color. However, please do not use blue flowers (a definite designer no-no).
Bring in pillows that have blue. Pillows can be rotated seasonally. We see heavy marketing of this technique at Christmas time with the red and green decorative pillows.
Use blue candles. Again, these can be rotated seasonally. And of course, pick scents that have COOL themes (ocean breeze, misty mountain, etc.).
Let’s not forget lighting. Change your lampshades to shades of blue, or just change the light bulbs to blue!
Another great way to feel cool is to bring in pictures of things that make you feel cool: the ocean, and how about the arctic? Our typical response is to think of the ocean, but many people forget about our Northern climate. Pictures of snow can help lend to the overall setting. Be careful if you choose to use the Northern climate influences. You don’t want to display a heavy faux mink throw and then have a relapse back to the heat you’re living in!
Sherribeth Jameson is a Design Consultant with Personal Interiors, www.Personal-Interiors.com. She can be reached at 480.503.3906, or email: jamesonaz@qwest.net.
