When we lived in Florida we built a brand new house. It was such a treat to have something so bright, clean, fresh--new. The walls were builder's white. In some rooms I added wall paper, but most of it was light with a small print and white background. The family complained when we came back from a trip that everything was too white, but I really liked it. One of the perks to me was that it was so easy to decorate. Choose a color in furniture, add an accent color, and it looked nice.
When we moved to Pennsylvania, we built another new house, but with this one we began painting right away. I didn't have any real reason for the switch except that times had changed and I was ready for a change. It is a big house, I do all the painting and it took a long time to get it done. By the first winter most of the main floor was done, but the family room and entry way were still white. That first winter was when I came face to face with my need for color.
Pittsburgh is a gray city. I'm not referring to the smog of the 50's. It is a clean city and very environmentally friendly. However, one of the reasons for the severe smog of the steel mill and coal mining days was that the atmosphere frequently produces a low ceiling. Smoke couldn't get out even if it wanted to. Today the air may be clean, but the sky still has a low ceiling and cloud cover is the norm. It is said that we are second to Seattle in precipitation although I've never verified that.
If Pittsburgh is a gray city, winter is a gray season. The sky is light gray. The ground is white. Sun is hard to find. The only break to the gray are the black tree trunks. Do I sound depressing? It's probably just because I haven't seen the sun in 10 days. That first winter really hit home. When I looked outside I saw..., ok, I've already covered that. When I looked around inside I saw... hmmm, exactly the same color. White.
My trips to Lowe's became more urgent. I still hadn't come to grips with the situation, but one day my daughter helped me clarify how I felt. As I told her about the 'next room' I was painting she asked the one question probably plaguing the whole family. "Mom, after living in a white house for 18 years, why are you suddenly painting every room in this house?" (Remember, she would have been happier if I had painted a few things in the old house, too!) Jokingly, I answered her, "Probably because I lived in a white house for 18 years", but the reality was white worked for me in Florida. When I looked outside I saw green everywhere, blue skies, sunshine, flowers. Color was abundant. The white walls, delicate floral wallpaper, were a retreat. It cooled the house from the vibrancy and heat of the outdoors. I loved it.
We've been here 3 years and every room has been painted. When I finally got the entryway and the family room painted I felt settled and at home. It was a huge mood booster. Many of the rooms are done in neutral or earth tones. The family room is the shade of cinnamon and has a welcoming warm feel. The entryway picks up the warm color of the wood floor. It glows. I love it.
As this winter drags on, it is the color of my walls that help me cope. It makes the house warmer, more inviting. On a sunny day, the house lights up, but on the gray days it wraps me in the feel of soft suede and welcomes me home. That is when I appreciate my need for color.
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Such an interesting comment - - one of which I've I've given any thought, but which makes some sense now that you mention it...
ReplyDeleteAs you know, our house in Hilton Head is pretty much all white (except for the soft peach in our great room). I don't mind it, and actually have no strong desire to add color, except possibly for the master bedroom and maybe the guest room (soft robin's egg blue for the master bedroom -- a light, soft green for the guest room). That may be because the blinds spend most of their time closed for privacy reasons, and the guest room is basically dark because the windows are small. I am unable to allow the outside in, and maybe I desire color for that reason - though not dark color. Yet -- for other rooms, so much of the outside comes into our sliding glass doors and sky lights, and I appreciate the white. So many people poo poo white walls -- but I am happy with them -- here anyway. (Our house up north is "so far gone", I don't know what I want to do with it!) I have never thought of how color affects my life and my mood. Interesting.....
The first time I discovered the effects of color on a mood was in college. Our dorm room had a lot of red in it. I loved it. But I noticed towards the end of the semester I gravitated towards a friends room. I felt relaxed and calm when I was in her room. In my room I felt like I was on sudafed. That was when I realized her room was done in ice blue and navy. I've paid attention to the rooms in my house and the color of the rooms in my workspace. I love red, but now I would never put it in my bedroom!
ReplyDeleteI"m hooked on HGTV (House and Garden TV), and I am amazed at how many people choose red for their dining room. My college roommate, Suzanne has a red dining room, and I had dinner there and found it kind of nice. Ray's parent's friends down here have a dining living space in red. She's a designer by profession, so her creations are a bit over the top - yet I liked them - just not for me, if you get my drift. As I think on it - I like red, but wonder how I'd feel about having it in a bedroom where I needed to be relaxed? A dining room is one thing - - a bedroom is quite another. Cool colors are traditionally more relaxing, and it's amazing how that holds true
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