Present2Sell - Devon Today May 2007
May There Be Light!
Now is the time of year when at last we sense summer' early stirrings that are all about new beginnings, fresh, green energies and clearing some space for the new to arrive in our lives.
Clean, Colour and Clutter are the stylistic Vitamin Cs of the season. If you only clean one thing this May, let it be your windows and sills.
The improved light into your home will lift your energy and refresh your view onto the emerging green of the season. After cleaning your sills, instead of automatically putting everything back as it was, practice some de-cluttering. Take a lead from what you see outside the window (illustrated below) and relate your objects to that, in colour, texture or shape. Return one thing at a time and place objects in groups of three for best effect. Symmetry calms the eye, asymmetry stimulates it - use this to balance your interior with your view.
Bringing the outside in creates a sense of space but you can make more space with clever storage. The Holding Company (www.theholdingcompany.co.uk) do a great range of stacking transparent boxes - you can see what's stored inside, they don't look clumpy, as solid boxes can, and they add visual interest if filled in the right way. Which would be, of course, with the right colours.
The key to using colour well is balance. Balance not only the colours within a room, but within the whole house too; a good colour scheme flows from one room to the next. This blending has the effect of making each space appear larger. The relationship between your home and its geographic alignment also matters. For example, if your room faces north, consider using the warm end of the spectrum and more intense hues. For south facing rooms where the light is warm, balance with cooler colours, like lavender. To avoid colour overkill, balance strong colours with harmonising neutrals but always in relationship to each other. For example, if your accent colour is in the blue/green part of the colour wheel, neutrals need to be from there too. The relative areas taken up with accent and neutral colours also needs consideration - a good general "safe side" rule is, the stronger the colour, the smaller the area.