Color Matters

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • August 3, 2019

Color. It makes us feel happy. It changes everything including how we feel about our space. Get it right and you will love your home. Mess it up and you will always wonder why it’s not feeling quite right. Photo: Thibaut Design

There I was at the gym the other morning. Slogging away on the treadmill.

I love working out and couldn’t figure out why it was such a struggle. Too much effort. Painful.

Then it hit me. This was a new fitness center and I had only been there a few times. The colors were fairly horrid. Brown walls in a shade I have never seen, brown flooring (to hide dirt…need I say more), grey equipment (of course) and it looked out over a grey parking lot with no vegetation or color of any kind. And it was an overcast day. On a sunny day this might be tolerable. Maybe.

Contrast this with my yoga studio which is done in creams, soft blues and greens. A glass wall looks out over a beautiful garden with lots of greenery and a fountain. I can’t wait to get there in the early morning and I am never anxious to leave.

Color matters

From the time we get that first box of crayons, we are fascinated by color. It has the power to change everything.

You can’t go wrong with blue and white as the foundation for a color palette. Shown here: Thibaut Design’s Travelers palm printed fabric. Other colors available. Photo: Thibaut Design

As an interior decorator working in Southwest Florida, my most requested service is selecting color and creating personalized color palettes for the home. It’s the most difficult part of decorating for most people and there are good reasons.

It’s a fact

We are fortunate to live in a tropical paradise where beautiful color palettes surround us.

The right color scheme can make a room look larger, prettier, lighter, darker, cleaner or happier. Color can give your home a beach vibe, modern coastal look, add a little boho chic, a cottage feeling or farmhouse style.

Palm Botanical wallpaper in Emerald Green from Thibaut Design’s Tropics Collection. Morgan Dining Chairs in Rain Water printed fabric in Green. Photo: Thibaut Design

Limited budget? Pick color

Seriously. If you are on a limited budget and are able to only do one thing, select a new color palette. It will change everything and you’ll love your home again.

It makes us feel happy. It changes how we feel about our space (like that gym). Get it right and you will love your home. Mess it up and you will always wonder why it’s not feeling quite right.

It’s far from easy. It’s complicated. It’s why home interior professionals study it for years and most are like me and don’t leave the house without a fan deck in their hand. We are passionate about color. And we know all of the tricks.

Color don’ts

· Rush to make a decision.

· Go with the latest trends.

· Pick color from a tiny swatch.

· Paint without testing the color on the wall.

· Pick a paint color before you have anything else in the room.

· Think only about the room that you are painting. Color needs to flow in order to work.

· Paint every room a different color.

Color do’s

· Pick colors that are found in nature. You can’t go wrong.

· Create a color palette and work from there. Consider your window treatments, upholstery, pillows, artwork and accessories. Color is not just the paint that you put on the walls. Think about the big picture.

· With paint, buy the best quality paint you can afford. It makes a difference. And go with the lowest VOC or no VOC.

· Color challenged? Lots of homeowners are…magazines, Pinterest and vision boards all help.

· And when all else fails, call a professional. Our job is to keep you from making mistakes.

· Consider the ceiling. I often tint the paint for the ceiling so that it’s not such a stark white. Just a little splash links the ceiling to the walls. And if you have coffered ceilings, take advantage of this element with color.

Be fearless when it comes to color. It changes everything. Including how you feel. And who doesn’t want a happy home?

Photo: Thibaut Design

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her article appears the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog