One of the easiest ways to make decorating enjoyable and painless is to do it 24X7 and almost unconsciously.
For example, I read recently that researchers at the University of British Columbia's Psychology Department carried out experiments to study the effects of colours on imagination. In this experiment, 600 students acted as subjects and performed a variety of basic cognitive tests displayed against red, blue or neutral backgrounds.
The differences were staggering. People taking tests in the red area were much better at skills that required attention to detail and accuracy. The scientists speculated that this was because people automatically associated red with danger, making them more alert and aware.
Blue too afforded some psychological benefits. Subjects taking the tests in the blue area performed better on tasks requiring some imagination. The difference was so marked that the blue condition generated double the output as the red condition. This too can be explained scientifically.
Blue automatically triggers associations with the sea and the sky. This leads to thoughts about the horizon and beaches. The relaxed state of mind enables us to daydream and pay attention to insights. How would you incorporate these facts into your decorating?
You could have two walls in a not too jarring red colour and two in blue for any area where you wanted a lot of both creative and analytical work- a perfect balance for a home office, or a room where your children do their homework
The point here is not to follow this idea but to note that you may come across useful decorating tips anywhere in your daily life.
This is something that professionals do too. American singer Belinda Carlisle was the lead singer of the most famous all-female bands, the Go-Go's is now something of a decor goddess. She now specialises in home goods and is a home goods designer.
Belinda says travelling in India, where she was surrounded by fabrics and colours inspired her to put it all together. She calls her new collection 'Belindia' . She followed her instincts and everything came out strikingly.
Carlisle considers her bedroom the most important room of her home because she does most of her work, and relaxes, on her bed. She covers her bed with throws and pillows adding or removing stuff as her mood dictates.
One need not be a Belinda Carlisle to be a 24X7 decorator. Since all of us are 24X7 mobile phone users we just need to click a picture when we see something we find attracts us. This can be at a hotel, a restaurant, an airport or even a friend's place. Most likely your friend will be tickled pink. This idea can then be worked into your own home decor.
For example, I read recently that researchers at the University of British Columbia's Psychology Department carried out experiments to study the effects of colours on imagination. In this experiment, 600 students acted as subjects and performed a variety of basic cognitive tests displayed against red, blue or neutral backgrounds.
The differences were staggering. People taking tests in the red area were much better at skills that required attention to detail and accuracy. The scientists speculated that this was because people automatically associated red with danger, making them more alert and aware.
Blue too afforded some psychological benefits. Subjects taking the tests in the blue area performed better on tasks requiring some imagination. The difference was so marked that the blue condition generated double the output as the red condition. This too can be explained scientifically.
Blue automatically triggers associations with the sea and the sky. This leads to thoughts about the horizon and beaches. The relaxed state of mind enables us to daydream and pay attention to insights. How would you incorporate these facts into your decorating?
You could have two walls in a not too jarring red colour and two in blue for any area where you wanted a lot of both creative and analytical work- a perfect balance for a home office, or a room where your children do their homework
The point here is not to follow this idea but to note that you may come across useful decorating tips anywhere in your daily life.
This is something that professionals do too. American singer Belinda Carlisle was the lead singer of the most famous all-female bands, the Go-Go's is now something of a decor goddess. She now specialises in home goods and is a home goods designer.
Belinda says travelling in India, where she was surrounded by fabrics and colours inspired her to put it all together. She calls her new collection 'Belindia' . She followed her instincts and everything came out strikingly.
Carlisle considers her bedroom the most important room of her home because she does most of her work, and relaxes, on her bed. She covers her bed with throws and pillows adding or removing stuff as her mood dictates.
One need not be a Belinda Carlisle to be a 24X7 decorator. Since all of us are 24X7 mobile phone users we just need to click a picture when we see something we find attracts us. This can be at a hotel, a restaurant, an airport or even a friend's place. Most likely your friend will be tickled pink. This idea can then be worked into your own home decor.