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Most people do not complain about the sun shimmering on clean white snow, especially if they are looking out a window at someone else shoveling it! But often we are the ones shoveling the white stuff and the sun doesn’t shine every day. On those dreary days perhaps we should wrap our hands around a warm cup of tea and consider injecting our home with colours that radiate memories of sun drenched destinations.

Evocative Colour

There are also people we meet who radiate that type of warmth and energy. I recently had a visit at The Pantry from such a young man.  Our paint display caught his eye and very quickly we were immersed in a conversation about colour and the memories some colours hold for us.  He pointed to the small antique ladder I recently I painted with Fusion “Casa Rosa” milk paint and a blend of two other milk paint hues: Fusion “Hawaiian Hibiscus” and Homestead House “Spice”. The look of faded paint that I had achieved reminded him of buildings the British had built in his native India.

Rosehips: Garden Colour  Vitamin C in a cup

Why is it that here in Canada where we long for more sun, we hesitate to use such vibrant colours? And in places that have sun to spare, there is no hesitations to paint buildings with the brightest of hues? Why do we fill our gardens with colour but not our homes? Does Canada’s Northern European heritage still restrain us?  Most certainly there is a correlation between culture and colour. While muted colours seem safe, do bright colours perhaps reveal too much emotion?

“Casa Rosa” Milk Paint by Fusion

About 5 years ago when I was planning our kitchen renovation, I realized that pictures of rooms with bright colours made me feel happy. In the past few years I have been embracing brighter colours more. My latest painting project was the old ladder. I will admit only the desire to create a focal point in the store convinced me to push the colour envelope a bit further. But I must also say, the colour is really growing on me!

So where would you like to add some colour to your home?