Create joy and happiness in your life with interior styling

Recently I read the book ‘Happy, creating joyous living spaces through design’ by Designer Amanda Talbot. It is such a great interior styling handbook as well as a life philosophy guide; and I was delighted to share the same ethos as Amanda in the relation to interior design, colour and their relation to joy and happiness!

One of the first questions we ask Geelong clients is what they love to do, what makes them smile, and their favorite colour(s). Each answer is carefully taken in to consideration when working with the client’s interior design brief. A few simple questions that seem so obvious however when you start to take each of these answers into consideration for the home and they way it flows it is the basis of what makes our heart sing, our lives full of love and gives our home a sense of identity and joy.

It is said that colour can affect our mood, however the tones and pallet that will benefit us vary from person to person. According to Amanda Talbot “Colour is the most powerful tool when it comes to design; it can make or break a space. It can change your mood, making you feel happy, sad, energetic or relaxed.”  There are a few simple ways to bring colour into your home with out breaking the budget or getting a tin of paint out as well as find ways to please different colour preferences for the different people in your home / family:

• Artwork is a beautiful and meaning full way to inject colour into your home. Especially buying pieces that not only co-ordinate with your interior scheme but also stand out and sing on your walls bringing colour and light into your home. I like to buy art work that resonates with me and gives me a feeling of joy or calm. Depending on your space you may vary the mood of the art work you choose.
• Cushions are a such an easy and affordable way to change the colour and mood of your room. By changing the colour and pattern in your cushions you can give your entire living space or bedroom a complete emotional overhaul! I am a bit of a cushion addict and love to play with colour in this way. It is also a brilliant way to bring more than one colour into your space with out over complicating your interior style.
• Get Green! Indoor plants are such a beautiful way to bring in a lovely sense of calm with their varying shades of green. Green for most of us is a colour that evokes a sense of balance bringing harmony, rest, peace and calm into our lives. The relationship to the environment is an soothing factor when introducing green into your living space, there are so many beautiful indoor plants that thrive inside and retain their lush green shades.
• Lighting, especially natural light is a great way to bring happiness into your living spaces including optimistic colours such as yellow which remind us of sunshine. Open the curtains and buy a standard lamp or feature lamp to create a warm glow at night time; lamps are a beautiful way to create light and highlight the colours within your living space. Let the sun shine in!
• Memories, personal photos and vintage furniture, an heirloom from a relative or a special piece that reminds you of happy days is a wonderful way to create a sense of joy by connecting the past and the present. This is probably one of the most important part of creating a sense of home, a happy home, a joyous home and one that as an interior designer we love to work with so that your living space brings out the best in you and your family and creates a space for joy!

– Geelong GT Magazine