A couple of days ago I was watching, for what I think was the third time, the TED Talk «Where Joy hides and how to find it» by designer and author Ingrid Fetell Lee.
At some point the designer said: «We’ve come to dismiss color and joy as childish and frivolous, prizing neutral hues as a mark of coolness and mature taste. That belief has left us in a place where we feel almost ashamed to have color in our lives. I’ve spent the last decade studying joy. From the beginning, it was clear that the liveliest places and things all had one thing in common: bright, vivid color. Whether it’s a row of houses painted in bold swathes of candy hues or a display of colored markers in a stationery shop, vibrant color sparks a feeling of delight.»
I do agree with every single word of her statement. And I realized that even though colors have always been present in my environment, they are playing a very central role in my life, especially in the latest months. This revived interest for colors is reflected in my refreshed home decor, in the articles I’m writing, in the objects, furniture, and interiors I select for you.
Happy resources for a more colorful life. Colors and patterns influence our mood
Objects, patterns, colors are all elements of our environment and have a direct influence on how we feel. They are all equally important aspects to consider when it comes to interiors, design, and architecture but unfortunately, they are often overlooked.
I want to play my part in making the world a more colorful, joyful (and better) place, especially today that we are navigating uncertain times, and that is why I am publishing lively and multihued content on the blog.
I’m also studying to become an interior stylist and the more I learn the more I become aware of how much aesthetics (often considered something shallow) impact our behaviors from the outside in. Colors and patterns are serious stuff not only something we visually enjoy. They are physics, psychology, neurosciences…
I’m happy to share this journey towards a more colorful world with you. That is why I’ve made a selection of the resources that are inspiring my work and that I think will make you look at color in a completely different way. Of course, you’ll find lots of connections with interiors. After all, this is an interior & design blog!
Happy resources for a more colorful life. TED Talks
The TED talk from which I took inspiration for this article. The Talk takes the cue from the book «Joyful – the surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness» Ingrid Fetell Lee published in 2018 (I’ve read this book during the lockdown in March and you find it among the 5 design books to add to your Summer readings).
Have you ever wondered what color is? Color is light, energy made visible. Colm Kelleher describes the physics behind colors and why the colors we see are related to the period of motion and the frequency of waves.
Can you ‘listen’ to color? Neil Harbisson was born with a rare visual condition called achromatopsia, which is total color blindness. But thanks to a color sensor that detects color frequency in front of him Neil can ‘listen’ to colors. It’s incredible what computer science can do!
Happy resources for a more colorful life. Interior blogs
SOPHIE ROBINSON
‘The age of color is upon us’ is the motto of Sophie Robinson and her interiors are living proof of it. Dull and drab is definitely banned from her blog and from her projects! I check her blog at least once per week and I’ve attended her online course on color psychology for interiors.
PENCIL SHAVINGS STUDIO – RACHEL SHINGLETON
‘I’ve never met a color I didn’t love’. This is what you read in Rachel Shingleton about page and the interiors she designs or the content she publishes are all following this credo. She is my latest blog discovery for colour inspiration.
OLD BRAND NEW
I stumbled upon Dabito’s blog months ago thanks to Instagram. The photo that captured my attention was about the before&after of his master bedroom and bathroom. A wonderful project of him you can read about here. I really love his take on color and I’m sure you’ll love it as well!
Happy resources for a more colorful life. Floral designers
I am a fan of using flowers and plants to add color (and happiness) to our homes. Flowers are colorful and beautiful. Each of them has a different color and shape and is able to show and give us a different emotion. I follow many floral designers on Instagram but these are three favorites of my favorites of all time:
@passionflowersue — I love her work. She pushes the boundaries of floral design creating floral jewelry, wearables, and art together with flower arrangements for weddings and events.
@floweredbythierryferet — if this isn’t the most colorful take on floral design I don’t know what else! I love the vibrant colors of every single installation or bouquet he creates!
@ruby_marylennox — For me, her name means suspended flower arrangements and cascades of flowers. I know we usually don’t create such kind of arrangements at home but, you know, inspiration comes from many different sources.
Instagram is an endless source of inspiration and if you want to look at some of my favorite Instagrammers, go check this article: «Instagram accounts for instant summer infusion».
Happy resources for a more colorful life. Home decor tips
Crafting a stylish and inviting home is a process. The proverb says that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and this certainly applies to our homes. They change as time passes by and, as proper living beings, they grow with us.
Home decoration helps a lot when it comes to creating our dream home, the one that really reflects who we are and what we love. That’s why I create guides to help you look at your living spaces with fresh eyes. Take a dive into colors reading the following articles:
Easy ways to add color to your home — Particularly handy if you live in a rental
Bold ways to use color in your home — If you already feel confident with colors and want to energize your home or office.
Happy resources for a more colorful life. Home Tours
Home Tours are a great way to see the end result of interior design or interior decoration projects.
In April I started my quest for beautiful homes to share with you (I’m always looking for new home stories) and a couple of them are particularly fond of colors. Here is the links to the home tours:
A London home bursting with colors
One-of-a-kind-villa in the Swiss countryside
As you will see in these articles, you can use color in very different ways creating distinctive and personal styles. The first is buoyant with every inch of the home literally covered in bright color hues; the second shows a more grounded use of color. P.S. I’m working on a new colorful home tour and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Do you feel already uplifted from this colorful and cheerful roundup of sources of inspiration? If you love what you read on the blog, I would be very happy if you wanted to support my work casting a vote for me.
The blog is running as Best Newcomer Blog at the AMARA Interior Blog Awards, THE most authoritative event in the interior blogging industry. I’ve been dreaming of taking part in the competition for years and I’d be super happy to reach the next phase in the selection process.
Voting takes just a few seconds: follow this link and click on the button «vote for me». That’s it! The voting stage will close Friday 4th September 2020.
Cover photo: Andrew Ridley for Unsplash
