Each year ICI ColourFutures™ presents their colour of the year based on one dominant trend. The trend for 2011 is “Appreciation” and the colour they believe “best sums up the prevailing mood, attitude and fashion of the time” is Yellow!

Looking at yellow in colour psychology terms, it is the colour connected to our emotions. Relating this to nature, yellow is the colour of sunshine. When we see the sun our spirits soar, leaving us feeling happy and joyous. When our spirits are lifted we are full of self-esteem, self-belief and optimism.

Like any colour it’s important to pick a tone that resonates with you. You will know if you have picked a yellow tone that doesn’t resonate with you as over time you may feel your self-esteem dip or feel fear or anxiety. You may also lose confidence in your own ability. The term “Yellow bellied” refers to a lack of self-esteem.

Here are examples of four different types of yellows. Which one resonates with you?

Making a splash
Yellow can freshen up and bring happiness to any space. You may like to painted a wall or just add a splash of colour in a rug, cushions or flowers if it’s a colour you find too bold.

Ideal rooms to use yellow in are those that could benefit with lightening up or where there is little or no natural light such as a dark hallway. Great for breakfast rooms with the feeling of starting the day in sunshine!

Bright and cheery breakfast room.

Calming, subtle yellow for an elegant hallway.

Warm yellow with a hint of black to compliment harmonious colour scheme.

Cool (blue based) intense yellow works perfectly with black.
No doubt this will be the scene of many stimulating and
lively conversations and meetings.

Causing an irritation
When we sleep our bodies are rejuvenating and restoring, ready for the coming day. If you have a yellow bedroom the opposite will be happening. Your emotions will be stimulated resulting in depriving yourself of a sound night’s sleep, possibly waking up irritated. As babies and children are more sensitive they will feel these negative effects even quicker. Best to avoid using yellow in the bedroom. Look at using calming, relaxing hues such as blue for a restful night’s sleep.

So when it comes to using yellow, find a tone you can relate to, that you feel comfortable with, not just because it’s in fashion….

Given these austere times, what better colour to pick than Yellow – the colour of optimism and hope, as it will be these qualities that see us through….

Wishing you all a happy, joyous 2011
Lots of Love,
Karen x

Karen specialises in holistic interior design & colour psychology www.karenhaller.co.uk

Credits
ColourFutures
KarenHallerInteriors
Inspirationforhome
decodingdecor
Sunset.com
chapmaninteriors

Sparkles, twinkling lights and colour! It can only mean one thing. Christmas is on its way! If we haven’t already, now’s the time when we all start to think about how we can decorate our homes.

Whether you choose the more traditional colours or follow this year’s trend, each colour has a meaning both psychological and cultural. Here’s a quick explanation of what your colour choice means and some ideas how you can use them when decorating your home.

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Colour Symbolism
Colour symbolism is usually related to religion or nature, so it comes as no surprise the traditional colours of Christmas are steep in colour symbolism.

Looking at the traditional colours of Christmas, red represents Christ’s blood, shed during his crucifixion. Green represents eternal life, specifically the evergreen tree and how it remains green throughout winter.

We are lucky to have a wide range of colour choices when choosing our decorations. Here are some of the more popular colours and their positive psychological properties.

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Colour Psychology
Purple – luxury and opulence
Silver – elegance and sophistication
Gold – luxury and high quality
White – represents all that is pure, as snow
Red – warm, stimulating, making your festivities full of life!
Green – calming, balancing. Pair this with red if you don’t want things to get too lively
Dark Blue – safe, traditional and trusting

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Breaking with tradition

If you are looking for something on trend, 2010 Christmas colour trend is blue. If you are looking for comfort and reassurance during these uncertain times, look at using dark blue. Dark blue for a more sophisticated look while a light turquoise will give a sense of fun.

Last year’s trend colour purple, is showing no sign of waning. As yellow is the complimentary colour to purple, harmonise this with the same tone of gold and you’ll have sheer indulgence.
Not only is there a break in tradition with colours but also style, like this upside down Christmas tree from John Lewis. Now that’s really turning things on its head!

This upside down Christmas tree is certain
breaking with tradition

A light touch
When it comes to decorating, if you love Christmas but don’t want to over indulge in decorations, then think of creating vignettes, focal points of small displays. This could be from a simple wreath on your door, decorating your mantelpiece, or a table centre piece. A chandelier or pendent light will dazzle dripped with decorations. You could have your own switching on the lights celebration!

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Even your everyday objects will love dressing up!

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Create a mini tree by spraying twigs in your chosen colour. Once dry, put them in a vase with filling to stand the twigs upright. Hang with lightweight decorations to complete the look.

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Create your own decorations to match your décor

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Colour Inspiration
Not sure of what colour scheme to use. In this example the gold mirror was used as the colour inspiration. Then you can create your own decorations from everyday objects; spray them gold (such as ivy and lettering, twigs and nuts). Add twinkling tea lights to complete a classy and stylish look.

Create your own decorations to match your décor

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Tradition Colour combinations
For some there’s only one colour combination for Christmas and that’s green and red. You just know it’s going to be a Christmas full of nostalgic family traditions.

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A traditional Christmas theme

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No matter how you choose to decorate your home, whether that’s traditional, classic, quirky or with flashes of the avant garde, style to suit your personality… and celebrate!
Wishing you all a safe and joyous Christmas

Lots of Love, Karen x
Karen specialises in holistic interior design & colour psychology www.karenhaller.co.uk

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Credits
Stagehouse
Idealhome
Livingetc
Housetohome

The indulgence of daily pampering, oh what bliss. . .

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Other than cleaning our body, the bathroom is the ideal place to pamper ourselves. Relaxing with natural light, music, surrounding yourself with colour and aromas is the ideal way to de-stress and take some time out for ourselves. It’s all about nurturing the senses.
If this sounds like your dream bathroom, here are some tips how you can easily create your own spa bathroom at home.

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Healing Light
Our bodies are best nourished from natural daylight. When a room is flooded with natural light we feel energised as it has a positive effect on our health. So bring in as much natural light and air as possible.

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The absence of windows needn’t be a reason for not bringing light in. The next best thing is using daylight blubs which mimic as closely as possible the qualities of natural light.

Flooded with natural light.
Note the handy bench, making it easier to scrub,
shave & buff to your heart’s content!

Music
Playing music can help put you in the right mood. You may wish to be soothed and relaxed for a quiet night in, or play music to energise you, getting ready for a fun night out.

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Colour
Colour evokes a mood, a feeling. Surround yourself with colours that are supportive for you. Here are some colours you could use and the positive feelings they can invoke:
Turquoise (dark blue/green) – soothing the mind
Turquoise (light blue/green) – creative thinking
Aqua (green/blue) – refreshing, energising
Light Blue – calming, restorative
Green – calming, balance
Brown – grounding, safe, security
White – cleanliness, clarity of thought, no distractions (If white doesn’t feel right for you, Ivory, Oyster or Cream also elicit the same mood. Just pick the right one for you).

Showering in blue light, gently waking up the body.

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Painted white allowing no distractions,
other than to pamper oneself.

Nourish Naturally
To get that true healthy spa feeling, use natural products. Natural bristle brushes and loofahs to exfoliate, sea salt mixed with pure essential oils, natural soaps and hair products, finishing with unbleached cotton towels to dry off.

Nourish. Be kind to your body.

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Candles
Having a bath by candlelight provides both a relaxing atmosphere and gives your eyes a rest from harsh artificial lighting. If you have the space you may even want to add a candelabra for a touch of glamour.

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Ideally choose eco-friendly candles, such as those made from bees wax. Bees wax may be more expensive, however being a harder wax they last longer. As bee numbers are decreasing it’s a great way to support the bee-keeping industry. Paraffin wax is made from petroleum, creating indoor air pollution. So if you see black soot when burning your candles, you’ll know you are burning paraffin based wax.

Please remember: avoid putting your candles near anything flammable, a draft or an open window, or leaving the room whilst the candles are lit.

Soothing light.

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Essential oils
Continuing the sensory experience you may like to put a few drops of your favourite essential oil into your bath. Always choose a pure essential oil as many household products are filled with artificial scents that may make your eyes run and give you a sore throat.

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Less is more
It’s very difficult to relax when you’re lying in the bath and all you can see are those unsightly cleaning products. Hide these away in your utility area or kitchen. Turn your bathing products into a display solving the clutter and storage conundrum.

Handy portable storage holding all your
pampering products – all within easy reach.

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Having created your spa bathroom at home there’s no excuse to not pamper yourself daily. With your favourite glass of wine or warming cup of tea and your favourite magazine in hand, shut the door, indulge. . . ahhhh bliss. Just beware, you just might not want to leave!

Lots of Love,
Karen x

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Karen specialises in holistic interior design & colour psychology www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk

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Credits
Living etc [http://www.livingetc.com]
Karen Haller interiors [http://www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk]
Lisa Madigan styling [http://www.lisamadigan.com.au/ content/bespoke-design-styling]
care2.com [http://www.care2.com]

More and more we are finding we’re in need of an office at home, whether we are working from home or just need a place to store all our household paper work.  You’ll be surprised how an office can fit into the most unlikely of spaces – under the stairs, a widow alcove, a hallway, or a cupboard.

Even the simplest of home offices can benefit from integrating the following 5 elements, making sure it’s a place you’ll want to spend time in.

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1.  Creating the right environment for you

Making a work space at home gives you the perfect opportunity to design and style to suit your own personality.  You may need a clear, clutter-free minimalist space or one that encourages inspiration with notice and mood boards and surrounded by things you love.

If peace and quiet is important to you, if at all possible, locate the home office away from the main activities of the house such as the kitchen, TV room, playroom, any space where there is likely to be lots of noise.  This will allow you to work undisturbed whilst allowing the rest of the household to carry on as normal.  You’ll also be able to close the door at the end of the day, helping you to make that mental ‘end of working day’ transition.

Office in a cupboard – simply close the doors and your room is restored

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2. Personalise your space with colour

Create a colour scheme that suits your personality and your needs.  You may find you need to have clarity and focus, or be creative.  Or perhaps you need some extra motivation to get that paperwork completed quickly.

Here are some quick tips on colours you could use and the positive feelings they can invoke:
Red – energy and motivation
Dark Blue – focused thinking, concentration
Light Blue – creativity
Turquoise – communication, self expression
Yellow – optimism, happiness
Orange – fun, sociable and joyful
Green – calming balance

Colourful, personalised work space

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Using colour to create the right mood for you.

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Interior Designer Annie Doherty cleverly created her office in an otherwise unused hallway.  Her choice of white and a green accent was to allow the colours to visually flow from the living area.  Annie also likes to swap out her coloured accessories when she feels like a change.

Annie’s clever hallway office

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3. Pole position

The best location for your desk is near a large window, giving you the benefits of natural light, fresh air and a view.  Other than getting up at regular intervals to stretch your body, it’s just as important your eyes are regularly ‘stretched’ by looking at a distance point.  If you can, place your monitor/laptop at least 25 inches from your eyes, preferably more.

Alcove office – bright & light with a view

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4. Sitting Comfortably

How often do we find ourselves sitting at our desk only to find the hours have flown by?  If you make one investment, make it your chair.  One that is right for your height and weight, supports your lower back behind the pelvis and encourages upright posture. Ideally you’ll want it to be adjustable in height, the tilting angle and the arms which can go up and down to ensure elbows are in the correct position.

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5. Storage

Good practical storage is key to having a well organised work space.  Where there’s a place for everything and it’s all easily accessible.  Make it as creative as you like especially if your storage is out on display, such as glass jars, wicker boxes, or folders covered in your colour scheme.

Lots of easily accessible storage with the most used items close at hand

I hope this article has inspired you to create your own personalised home office.  Where do you think you could create yours?  Remember, they can spring out of the most unlikely of places!

Lots of Love,
Karen x

Karen specialises in holistic interior design & colour psychology www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk

Credits
housetohome.co.uk
potterybarn.com
Stagehouse

Article by Karen Haller

Finding it difficult to find art to match your décor? Have you thought of making your own? It doesn’t have to cost the earth to create your very own original piece of artwork. Photos, fabric on canvas, framed mementos, wall stickers or child’s paintings to name just a few.
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Planning your creation
To create a piece of art that will complement your décor, start with looking at the room’s overall style, for example, classical, minimalist, quirky, whimsical or feminine. Then look at the colour scheme and pick out the colour/s and proportion you want to use. Finally, consider the size of artwork in comparison to the wall space available.

Now it’s just a matter of creating your masterpiece. Here are just a few ideas to get your creative juices following.
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Framing your loved ones
How cute these canvas photos look of this little girl’s pet highland terrier. Simply take a photo and have it put onto canvas. If you want to take your creativity a step further, experiment using different effects as Ros did with these images to make the photo look like it had been painted with a large paint brush.

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Ideal Home has an online service to make it even easier for you www.idealhomeart.co.uk

Daisy the highland terrier, the inspiration for the canvas photos.
Credit – Ros at Styling Places

Fabric & frills
We all have a box tucked away that’s full of fabric remnants, ribbons, sparkles and pretty things. To create this piece of artwork, simply stretch fabric over a ready-made canvas and staple on the back. Then have fun adding your trimmings in the style and colours to suit the space.

Layered fabric with ribbons in colours to harmonise with the room’s décor.
Credit – Stagehouse

Interactive wall art
A really fun way to decorate a wall is with chalkboard stickers. You can put them on your kitchen wall for your shopping list, leaving a note or just to say hello! You can even have your own custom-made design. Just check first that your wall surface is suitable

There are lots of different shapes & images to choose from.
Credit – Etsy.com

Budding Artist
Children love to paint and draw, bringing home their latest creations from school. Why not frame their favourite by using clip board frames to easily swap out with their latest creation. Or ‘commission’ a piece from them in the colours to match your décor.

Personalised art wall – mix of photos and children’s artwork.
Credit – housetweaking.com

Framing mementos
The most unlikely things can be turned into framed works of art. Do you find it difficult to throw away favourite cards, perhaps even keeping bits of pretty wrapping paper? Instead of having them hidden away why not frame them to enjoy. Even pages from old books that are falling to pieces, don’t throw them out, there may be beautiful illustrations such as botanical flowers or maps you can frame.

This framed series of old maps compliments this stylishly elegant room.
Credit – Elle Décor

Whimsical wall stickers
The amount of wall stickers now available is staggering. The challenge is not to get lost for hours looking at all the possibilities! This wall sticker of butterflies illustrates you don’t have to do much to add interest to an otherwise plain wall. And if you feel like a change, all you have to do is peel them off and apply a new one! Just check first that your wall surface is suitable.

Simply adding a wall sticker instantly adds interest to an otherwise plain wall.
Credit – decorsticker

Take a look around your home, you’ll be surprised what you have packed away that would look beautiful framed and on display. Just bear in mind the room’s overall style, colour scheme and the size of artwork in comparison to the wall space available.

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So let your imagination run wild and bring out your inner artist!

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Lots of Love,
Karen x

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Karen specialises in holistic interior design and colour psychology www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk

Article by Karen Haller Interiors Ltd

Have you found yourself bringing home beautiful treasures from your travels, flea markets or whilst out in nature, but been left wondering how to display them?
Styling is the art of creating a visual impact with beautiful displays of collectibles. It’s about personalising your space with the objects and those special finds that you love.

If you’ve ever wondered how to display your favourite things, here are 5 tips to get you started.

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1. Clear & clean
The best way to start is by clearing out the room, including everything off the walls. That way you can start from a blank canvas. It’s also the ideal opportunity to do a good clean and throw out. That’s probably not the first thing you wanted to hear, but it will be worth it.

Then look at what you have. If you love it, then show it. With essentials that you don‟t need to put on display, store it. For the rest, bin it or give to charity.

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2. Make a display of it
How you group your objects will give a different feel to the room. Grouping in even numbers or pairs gives a look of harmony and balance if you are looking to create an elegant style. Grouping in odd numbers will give a more relaxed, informal, quirky look. You’ll be creating what is known as vignettes, small collections of interest.

If space is limited then why not turn your everyday items into a beautiful display.

Group your treasures that are similar in themes, textures or colours. Themes could be collections from your travels or similar objects such as photo frames. When it comes to textures, how it feels to the touch – smooth, matt or rough.
It’s very easy to stray into the realms of clutter. Less is more.

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3. Light & Shade
When it comes to selecting the colours for your room, try to keep the colours within the same tonal group. All colours are either warm (yellow based) or cool (blue based). They then fall into one of four colour groups – clear and bright (no black or grey added), muted with grey or black or bold and intense.

If you want to try out a new colour but you’re not sure if you’ll like it, the safest way is to bring it in as an accent colour.

4. Experiment
A great friend and fellow stylist Lisa Madigan is right when she says “Be brave…trust your instincts… don’t be afraid to mix old with new. Don’t take it too seriously, have a bit of fun!”

Remember, this is all about experimenting, if you don‟t like it just change it. Even professional stylists experiment until it feels right.

5. Love your home
If you nurture and love your home, it will nurture and love you in return. Take the time. You’ll be amazed where you’ll find your next treasure. It’s not about how much it costs, but that you love it. It may be a shell off the beach, or a find at your local flea market or charity store.

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Take a rainy day and try out your new styling skills. I’d love to hear how you went.
So remember, if you style in a way that is an expression of your authentic self, you can’t go wrong!

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Happy Styling!!
Lots of Love,
Karen x
Karen specialises in holistic interior design and colour psychology www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk

With all this glorious summer sunshine, here are a few quick and simple ways to bring this wonderful light into your home.

The most perfect light to bring into a room is natural light. Throw open the curtains and let the light flood in.

If you have a room without windows such as a bathroom, this needn’t be a reason for not having a bright, light room.  Think about installing a sunpipe, which allows natural light to flood in even on a cloudy day.  Sources: www.sunpipe.com, www.ripple.ltd.uk.   The next best thing to natural light is to use daylight blubs which mimic as closely as possible the qualities of natural light.

Equally, light can be brought into the room with the use of colour.  Look for hues that are at the lighter end of the colour palette whether that is a tint, tone or shade.
Source: www.modern-house-design-ideas.blogspot.com

Mirrors are a really simple yet effective way to increase the level of light.
They reflect light back into a room, creating the illusion of space.
Source: www.luxury-interiors.blogspot.com

Not only do we feel energised and healthy living with natural light, it’s also a great way to reduce our electricity bills as well as being kind to our planet.

Enjoy basking in the light x

Karen specialises in holistic interior design and colour psychology www.karenhallerinteriors.co.uk

I was thrilled when MACS magazine contacted me and asked if I wanted to write for their interior designer section, especially since we share the same philosophy around eco-friendly, sustainability and being kind to the environment.

I‘m looking forward to keeping you up to date not only on the latest trends, but also how to create a healthy home packed full with your own individual style.  I’m passionate about colour so I’ll be featuring tips and ideas along the way too.

This blog is for you -  your home, your personality, your colours, your style.  So if you have any questions about interiors or colour don’t hesitate to contact me karen@karenhallerinteriors.co.uk.

With love,
Karen x

Article wirtten by Sophie Morris

www.marksandspencer.com

Article written by Sophie Morris

Wall Paper designs are worth digging around for. When I was pooling through designs in answer to a question poised I found myself captive for hours.

Wall Paper is not to be tarnished as a timely trend, its here for as long as you want it. With graphic designers all over turning their designs to the walls at the moment you can float with the tide of creativity.

Here’s a blend of big names and small gems to get started.

Marcel Wanders collection for Graham Brown harbours designs for all occasions from passive pastel patterns to dramatic emblems that literally pin women to the walls.

www.grahambrown.com

Trove Wallpaper Design – New York based design duo have a collection worth building some walls for. Their products are created using non-toxic wax-based coatings, which makes them even better.

www.troveline.com

Check out Sian Power who featured in Design Now!’s graduate exhibition. Her quirky designs are one of a kind.

And for an age-old favourite: Nina Campbell design– the mother of all wallpapers

www.ninacampbell.com

Never forget Kath Kidson and her feels-like-home wallpapers that feel like they did when you were young.

www.cathkidston.co.uk

Article by Sophie Morris

February is the season of big love, with Valentines Day neatly perched at the centre, sparking a celebration.

Whether you love your best friend, your siblings or your better half – February is the month to tell them. Express it in every way you can – send cards, leave post-it love notes on their iphone, spell it out in alphabets – this month is about the over exaggerated celebration of all things lovely.

Like attracts Like. When we do good, we feel good, and these feelings of goodness embrace us and attract more of the same. With this in mind, be as nice as possible this month. Take the time to be aware of everything you are putting out there and make a conscious effort to ensure that what you do is wrapped from head to toe in love.  As long as you are giving it out, you’ll be sure to get it back.

Article by Sophie Morris

If you haven’t got a garden, or the time to maintain one, get some window boxes in your life. Rocket gardens sows the seeds for you – Order a ‘kitchen garden’ and they’ll send you the essential herbs for you to grow at home, and to make things even easier, send them the dimensions of your space and they’ll fill it.

www.rocketgardens.co.uk

If you do have a garden, you can go one step further and have your eggs made for you:

Omlet.co.uk have a modern, easy to clean and safe range of chicken houses, making it easy to keep your own chickens. They designed the eglu for the town garden, the first time chicken owner, the family and the eco-savvy individual. They wanted it to be as easy as looking after a goldfish but more rewarding than owning a dog (you get eggs with chickens!). Keeping a couple of chickens in your garden doesn’t require a large investment of money or time, but you do get fantastic tasting eggs and a good feeling inside.