Colour equals happiness, expression and all the good things in life. Forget black clothing and grey walls, we've gathered 26 unique ways to bring colour into your wardrobe, home and lifestyle.
1. Try clever lighting
Let’s start with the basics: Colour is a visible form of energy created by light of different wavelengths and frequencies. There are seven shades on the visible colour spectrum – the familiar tones we see in a rainbow, while white contains the wavelengths of all visible colours.
“When light strikes our retina, it converts into electrical impulses that pass onto the hypothalamus, which in turn affects our hormones,” says author Dr Pragya Agarwal. “Different colours have different wavelengths and therefore they affect the endocrine system and, consequently our mood and stress levels in different ways.”
Pick up some colour-changing light strips and experiment with the effect different colours have on you in different rooms of your home. Alternatively, create your own by adding different shades of cellophane around your existing bulbs.
2. Make conscious colour decisions
Healer and spiritual coach Elyse Falzone shares the following colour tips:
“Whether you know the colours and their meanings or not, a very simple way to start your day with some colour healing is to stand at your wardrobe with an open heart and mind. Place both feet on the ground and take a deep breath.
Now scan through the clothes in front of you. When you feel your heart pull or your energy rise or hear, ‘pick me’, then that’s the piece of clothing to wear for the day. Take note of the colour. Trust that it is collaborating with you for a win!
Alternatively, you can plan according to your day using the following as a guide:
- WEAR RED: if you have a big presentation at work. It’s bold. It’s powerful and it represents being grounded with a strong foundation.
- WEAR BLUE: if you are nervous to speak. It will help to calm you and support your expression of your presentation.
- WEAR YELLOW: if you are visiting a sick friend or family member. It brightens the day, enhances the reflection of self and will lift everyone’s mood.
- WEAR PURPLE, ORANGE OR GOLD: if you are going with your friends for a fun night out. These colours are all associated with being creative, free and authentic.
3. Pick a bouquet
Two things that boost the mood? Bold colour and fresh blooms. Bring in some colourful flowers from the garden or treat yourself to a bunch from the florist (you can always make your own paper flowers!) Place them somewhere you and your guests will see them often for a happy dose of nature.
4. Try colour therapy
According to the principles of chromatherapy, the body is stimulated by colour and will work optimally when it is in balance.
Colour therapists therefore use colours to raise your body’s vibrational frequency and create inner harmony and healing via a range of non-invasive techniques. These include the use of coloured lights, fabrics, water, visualisations, crystals and sounds.
Try UK-based colour therapist Mark Wentworth or Momtaz Begum-Hossain or check out the directory at Find A Therapy.
5. Tweak your home furnishings
Even if you have opted for a calming, neutral shade for your rooms, you can still add warmth, colour and personality with accessories.
“Go neutral and add splashes of colour with cushions, rugs and decorative accessories,” says interior designer and creative director of Keyhole Interiors Melinda Kiss.
“[It] might seem like a safer option but it allows no room for mistakes and it forces you to be creative. It’s a versatile colour scheme so it’s great for people who need to re-use their existing furniture or don’t want to commit to a bolder design just yet.”
Interiors blogger and design consultant Melanie Lissack says: “Bring colours in with textiles and soft furnishings, such as cushions, throws or rugs. Add vibrant art on the walls in coloured frames. You can have a completely plain white room but it can look like a riot of colour if you just add in the right accessories.”
If you're a DIY-lover why not make your own colourful home accessories? Hook up your our free crochet wall hanging and add a rainbow to your walls.
6. Crack open the paint
Upcycle some small items of furniture, candlesticks or shelves with a fresh lick of vibrant paint. Depending on the size of your item, you may only need a sample pot or two.
We like the look of painting just the bottom of wooden chair legs or the risers of a flight of stairs. A small project with a huge impact! We show you how to upcycle a stool here on Gathered.
7. Shine bright
Let your jewellery do the talking. Scour charity shops and second-hand apps for brightly-coloured costume jewellery to accent your existing wardrobe. Or make your own, like these DIY tassel earrings.
Think neon pink necklace with a mustard-coloured dress, or zingy lime drop earrings with a Breton stripe top. Have fun pairing your favourite contrasting shades together.
8. Makeover magic
When was the last time you wore a bold red lip? Or choose a vibrant shade for a manicure? It’s such a simple, fleeting choice that can make a huge difference to your confidence.
Brands like Trinny London offer fun colour-matching tools on their sites so you can shop shades that suit your particular skin, eye and hair combo.
9. Accessorize!
Apply the same thinking to your bags, belts, scarves and hats (use our free floppy sun hat crochet pattern to make your own). Often the easiest way to inject colour without spending a lot is to go for a couple of statement accessories.
10. Have your colours done
It’s all the rage again – matching your cool or warm tones or finding your ‘season’ has come straight back from the mid-80s to inform your shopping habits and help you make winning choices. It’s also really fun! Visit House of Colour to find a colour analyst near you and enjoy a workshop with your pals.
11. Surround yourself with colour
Leona Howard (who you may know as Leona Baker of Indie Roller) is a business coach who’s recently launched Joyful Selling for Creative Professionals and hosts the Joyful Selling podcast.
She says surrounding herself with sunny shades while she works keeps her inspired. “I affectionately dubbed my home office The Rainbow Room – a creative sanctuary,” explains Leona.
“I feel inspired the moment I walk in. I’ve divided the walls into different project spaces to encourage me to fill them with colourful fun.”
12. Make a mood board
Manifest that colour in your life! While Instagram, Pinterest and magazines will undoubtedly be the first places to look for colour combinations you love, having a bunch of screengrabs stashed on your phone or laptop is never as good as having a physical moodboard put up in the room itself.
“Collect images of looks you love. If you’re planning a room makeover, order some large format colour brushouts and look at them vertically against the wall, in different lights,” explains Creative Director and co-founder of Beuwerk Colour Bronwyn Riedel. “People often look at their colours horizontally on a desk, but the colour will look differently on the wall.”
13. Paint walls and murals
“Colour is everything in a room,” says Bronwyn Riedel. “It’s the first thing you experience... it gives the personality of the room and determines how the light will refract, which gives the space its feel. Painting is the most cost-effective and fun way to change your spaces,” she says.
“Even if you are renting, you can always paint it white once you leave. Go with what you love, it’s important to feel happy in your home.” With that in mind, try this fun abstract acrylic painting to add to your walls.
14. Hang up more art
A quick way to inject more colour into your home is to invest in some bold art, whether it’s abstract painting, zingy screenprints or woven wall hangings.
You don’t even need to spend a lot of money either. Eell-chosen message-free artist’s greetings cards will do the trick along a shelf or framed on the wall. Or paint the frames themselves in different hues.
15. Paintbox effect
Treat yourself to some new art materials and see where the inspiration takes you. A fresh packet of colouring pastels or a watercolour paint palette, a bag of multi-coloured beads or a stack of colourful paper can jump-start your creativity.
Don't worry if you've never used pastels before, we show you how to use oil pastels here on Gathered.
16. Reach for the dye
Whether it’s tired clothing or furnishings, dyeing them a different colour creates a whole new look. Why not apply the same idea to your craft materials?
“I started dyeing yarn so I could be more involved in my makes,” explains Daisy Forster of Devon SunYarns.
“Often I knew what I wanted the end project to look like, but didn’t have the right shade. The inspiration comes from what’s happening on the yarn as it’s dyed. It’s a fluid process that evolves throughout the making. If I’m stuck I look outside – nature always gets colour right!”
17. Spend more time in nature
On that note, get outside! Let the colours of your surroundings lift your spirits whether it’s the pretty road-side flowers or the tonal shades of tiled rooftops.
Once you start looking out for more colour, you’ll find it in abundance. Green is known for representing new beginnings and growth, with many of the same calming attributes that blue has, while incorporating some of the energy of yellow – it’s no wonder forest bathing is a tried and tested wellbeing exercise.
18. Go on a colour walk
Pick up your camera – whether it’s a digital SLR or your phone and head for the most colourful area of your locality to appreciate the joyful hues and take some arty snaps.
It’s a fun group activity especially if you’re bringing together people who don’t know each other well and can help you make connections with others.
19. Group by colour
Arrange items in your home by their shade. Think rainbow book spines and see how the order lifts your mood. Alternatively, check out the beautiful work of photographer and stylist Caroline South and be inspired by her ombre collections of found objects and everyday items. What can you bring together in your own home?
20. Plant flowers
If you have a garden, a patch of green space or a window box, plant some bulbs now and watch for the colourful petals to appear, tended and cared for by you!
If you don't have an outside area, fill your home with colourful house plants and make them their own DIY painted plant pots.
21. Eat the rainbow
They say the healthiest way to live is to eat an array of colourful foods: greens, orange carrots, red tomatoes, yellow corn, purple cabbage… fill a plate with the rainbow and feel virtuous indeed!
22. Hang up prisms and crystals in your windows
Capture sunlight and enjoy regular rainbows being thrown around your room with window prisms hung at varying heights. There’s something quite magical about them and the soft glow will inspire you to take a moment and pause.
23. Take regular trips to your nearest art gallery
Make colour-hunting a regular solo date with trips to your nearest galleries. Really immerse yourself in the experience and notice how the masters use light and shade, or how colours shift when placed by different tones.
24. Take a painting class
Sit at the canvas yourself by taking an art class where you can gain some hands-on knowledge about colour theory. You may find your own niche through layering colours, mixing them or working with the colour wheel to find harmonious or complementary shades in your own work.
Alternatively, you can teach yourself! We have a huge range of how to paint tutorials here on Gathered including this beautiful monochrome painting for beginners.
25. Take part in online colour challenges
Nervous about putting yourself out there? Meet other colour-inspired makers on social media via photo challenges, craft swaps and by using hashtags.
“Seeking out colourful people on Instagram is how I’ve met some of my closest friends!” says Aww Sam’s Sam Ushiro. “Everywhere I travel, I meet makers who love colour as much as I do, or who want to incorporate more into their work.”
Look up these colourful ‘grammers too: Fritha Quinn is a lifestyle blogger with a passion for expressing her joy through colour. You can find her @tigerlillyquinn and take part in her hashtag #dresscolourfully which has over 52K bright and beautiful posts.
Zeena Shah is another colour-lover and stylist at @heartzeena who started the #colourmeupmonday hashtag and the popular #instarainbowchallenge with fellow fashion-lover Natalie Wall @talliwall.
26. Dopamine dressing
Perhaps the most obvious, everyday way to inject more colour into your live is to do so through your wardrobe. NewYork-based lifestyle blogger Sam Ushiro agrees.
“For me, living colourfully is living authentically. Not only does it allow me to express my mood through colour – like pink and yellow on days I’m excited or happy – but it also makes me stand out in a crowd.”
Wearing vibrant outfits boosts your brain’s reward centre. You don’t necessarily need to go on a shopping trip – add beads, ribbons, embroidery or patches to your existing clothing or reach for the Dylon to give a light-coloured item a new lease of life.
