Using color excite and energize your room

This image from the new line at CB2 (Jan. 2011) shows a great example of how to energize a room using contrasting color.  

Room and accessories by CB2

Contrast can be created in a number of ways, but using "complimentary colors", that is, color that are opposite each other on the color wheel, is a sure-fire way to increase the sizzle and zing of each color and of the room in general.  In this example they use one of my personal favorite combinations of red-orange and blue-green; I find this combination fresh, whimsical, and fun!  

When playing with complimentary colors, try using varying values of the colors (meaning how light or dark the color is).  Consider a saturated blue green with a very pale red-orange for a more subtle effect, or try both in a very pale version for a subdued yet interesting look.  Staying in the same range in lightness and darkness often creates a too-rich and garish, or too-boring and beige effect.

So,if you are wanting a playful, interesting and energetic room, try turning to the color wheel and playing with opposites - you might just come up with something fantastic!

Want prosperity in 2011? Then dress (your home) for success!

You've probably heard that you should "dress for the job you want", but did you know you should also dress your home for the life that you want?  

• Want to be a successful business person?  Is your office the room of a successful entrepreneur or the cave of a messy middleman?
• Want to be a healthy, energetic person?  Is your kitchen a room that invites cooking healthy meals or is it set up for grab-and-go eating?
• Want to be a generous, giving person?  Is your home neat and clutter-free, or are you hoarding lots of stuff that someone else could really use and would love to have?

It's the new year, a great time to determine where you are in your life and where you want to be.  Take a moment to decide who you want to be at the end of this wonderful year, and then make sure that your home supports those goals.  Let go of the past and leap into your future, and remember:

"You can't write the next part of your story if you keep rereading the last chapter in your life!"

If you're still not sure you deserve to create a welcoming, nurturing, beautiful home, consider these questions for Sandra Felton in her book "Messie No More":


Why not have a lovely home that encourages all who enter?  
Why not be among those who are thrilled to invite people over on the spur of the moment?  
Why not be the person to whom people say, "Your house is so lovely!"  
Why not have people over for meals without working yourself to death to get ready?  
Why not have a house that raises your self-esteem rather than tears it down?  
Why not have a house filled with your favorite colors and accents?  
Why not have a house that reflects peace so that others love to come over? 


The question is not why should we have a nice house.  The real question is why not?

You're not disorganized... you just have too much stuff.

Before you rush out to buy color-coded bins to organize your stuff and attack your New Year's Resolutions, first try this:

Place a cereal bowl on the counter.  Now pour a gallon of milk into the bowl.  What do you get?  A big mess!  Does that make you a messy person?  No.  You just tried to pour too much milk into too small a bowl.

Now look at your home.  Is the garage overflowing?  Your office creeping into the dining room?  Your kids' toys everywhere?  Your problem may not be a lack of organization, but rather a problem of too much stuff. 


You could move to a bigger house, but I suggest the cheaper, easier, and more ecological idea of getting rid of some of that stuff.  Here's how:

1. Make time.  Set a timer for two to four hours.  Turn off the phone and tv, turn on some great music.  Limit distraction so you get more done.
2. Define the goal.  Keep focussed: choose one closet, one room, one bookshelf at a time.  Otherwise you just end up with a bigger mess.  Make a pile for things to keep, things to toss, and things that need a little more thought (maybe you have to ask another family member about it).
3. Question everything.  As you pick up each item ask:
1. Have we used this in the last 3 months (or, if seasonal, in the last 2 years)?
2. Could someone else use this better or enjoy this more than I am?
3. Does owning this make my happy, or do I not really care about having it?  Or worse, am I only keeping it out of guilt?
4. Does this fit?  (This might be a dress size, or it might be a question of age-appropriateness).
4. Reconsider.  Go back to the "keep" pile and take out at least three more things to give away.
5. Take action.
1. Put the "to think about" pile in a box and seal it up.  Mark a date on the calendar 1-2 months away.  If you haven't needed anything from the box, take it to Goodwill on that date without opening it up!
2. Take the "get rid of" pile to Goodwill immediately.  If you could immediately shed 10 lbs the moment you decided to go on a diet, wouldn't you do so?  With your house, you can, so take that extra weight and get rid of it!!

Once you get rid of all the stuff you are not using you'll be amazed at how much room you have and how everything can find a home so easily.  Good luck, and happy organizing!