How to Create the Right Mood for Any Room

It's always nice to ready about how other people interpret color palettes. Come enjoy this week's guest post from Candy Wright.

About the Author: Candy is a mum of two boys (who don’t show much interest in interior design), however, Candy loves adding new bits and pieces to her home to create that mood she is looking for. She lives in the UK with her family and can be found blogging at www.myperfectlifestyle.com. 

She is a stay at home mum who loves to blog when she isn’t attending to the needs of her lovely boys.There are a number of design elements that work together to help evoke the mood in a room -- lighting, color, the way the furniture is positioned, types and textures of fabric, patterns and even the way a room smells all contribute to the overall feel. Learning effective ways to combine a variety of design and decorating techniques will help you to create the perfect mood you've been envisioning for every room in your home.

Romantic

Victorian Era design is often associated with romance. Its extravagant use of luxurious fabrics such as velvets and rich tapestry in brilliant shades of burgundy, red, gold and brown all combine to give a room a chivalrous feel. To add that elusive element of romance, incorporate floral motifs in mottled pinks, reds and antique white in the forms of framed art, vintage linens, throw pillows and bedding. Scatter delicate accessories around the room -- old perfume bottles, rich flowery-scented candles, Silk ribbons, gilt frames and fresh pastel blooms from a summer garden.

Cozy

Small spaces tend to feel cozier and more personal than large ones do. Use dark colors to bring walls closer together -- chocolate brown and dark forest green, combined with darker neutrals such as taupe -- these colors set the perfect mood for cozy when you warm them up with curtain fabrics, rugs, throw pillows and tablecloths in the spicy colors of the Orient: orange, gold, lime green, and fiery red. Invest in a few candles scented for your favorite comfort foods like sugar cookie or pumpkin spice, set the dimmer switch on the lighting panel to low and settle down with your favorite prime time television and a steaming hot cup of tea.

Happy

It's easy to feel happy in a bright, airy space such as a kitchen. Light and bright is the way to go when you want to create an upbeat, positive vibe in a room. Consider using colors such as butter yellow, mint green and sky blue, combined with white or natural trims, to help evoke feelings of well being. Bring in interesting patterns in the form of cheery, Mid-Century Modern wallpaper, eclectic art and interesting textures such as chenille, bamboo or bark cloth. Take advantage of natural light sources in this space by opting for simple window treatments that emphasize, rather than conceal, your windows.

Modern

Bring a modern feel to a room by filling it with the hard, straight lines of sleek furniture. Use materials such as leather, chrome, light-colored wood, steel and glass. Less is definitely more when decorating in a modern style, so go as minimalist as you feel comfortable with. The monochromatic color scheme of blacks, grays and whites work well in this type of space. Use them in wall colors and floor coverings. Accent your design with little pops of vibrant color in the accessories -- lamp shades, wall art, branches, vase filler, and throws.

Spa-Like

Soft, neutral colors that lean toward either the cool or warm end of the spectrum will help you lend a spa-like atmosphere to your bath. Gray, cream, soft blue, light green or any combination of these colors paired with stark white is soothing to the eye. Avoid stark contrast when you're going for a relaxed atmosphere. Choose soft colors that gently meld into one another; luxurious, plushy towels and rugs; comfortably scented soaps and candles such as fruit, sandalwood or clean cotton; and wall art and accessories that speak of warm memories.

Serene

Shades of blue are calming, evoking feelings of peace and serenity. Possibly this is because the color blue is reminiscent of water -- ocean waves methodically pounding against a beautiful shoreline or the calm, tranquil blue of a lake stretched out endlessly to the horizon. Rooms decorated in shades of blue invite your mind to relax. Imagine a neutral wall color such as antique white or gray and a space sprinkled throughout with window treatments, rugs, pillows, candles and fresh flowers in various hues of blue that range from sky blue to indigo.

Designing a space around a certain mood is a relatively easy project once you understand the principles of how color, light, texture and other design elements correspond with one another.