It's amazing what a little bit of color can do for your soul.

How a single coat of paint can literally transform a room into something spectacular and completely lift your spirits.

It's also why it amazes me that most people paint their walls white!

Trust me, I know all about color; it's what I do for a living. Color really does lift the mood. Studies have proven it.

Different cultures have symbolic meanings tied to various colors.

They say babies will cry more in a yellow room. I've heard of prisons painting their cell blocks pink to calm the inmates. According to the Chinese culture, red symbolizes luck. To paint your front door red will welcome happiness and good fortune to you in the new year.

Bizarre, maybe. But mood affecting and interesting? Absolutely!

The majority of my customers come into my shop simply to BE in the rooms. The absence of white, and bold explosions of color really amaze them and make them feel good. It gives them an example of the possibilities out there.

Each room has a different theme and different colors painted on the walls. Most of the shades chosen for these rooms are very versatile. We are able to change with the seasons simply by altering the merchandise within. No repainting necessary. Something that could be accomplished in your own homes by changing out pillows or throw blankets according to seasons, or moving one piece of furniture to another room and switching them out.

What surprises me most is how much fear people have in painting their walls a shade other than white. Really, it's not that hard. It's just paint. if you don't like it, you can always go back to neutral.

Start with baby steps and do only one wall a different color. I like to do this anyway. For example, a solid red room may be a little much, closing off a space and making it appear smaller. So I typically paint only one wall red, then the other walls a nice cream color.

I am constantly changes things up in my own home simply because I love to experiment.

I understand that it's not always an easy task to do this, but I am a quick painter and will usually just move all of my furniture to one side of the room, throw drop cloths over everything and have at it! I think it's fun.

Here is an example of my living room when it was red.

And another when I tired of it and wanted to change it up to a warm yellow.

The look of the room completely changes by adding or subtracting accessories.

I chose to make it a more sedate room and remove some of the color. while still keeping it fun, fresh and funky.

My most important words of advice would be "don't over-think it." Half the time people fret over which color to choose.

I would suggest choosing maybe something from your closet that you love. A perfect color on a sweater, a fabric swatch from a pillow, a color from a favorite piece of art.

I found one of my most favorite colors ever by matching up the color from a watch I bought years ago in Aruba. (Coriander seed, by Behr paints.)

Now, there will be times when you might make a mistake. I made one last year when I painted my kitchen with blackboard paint.

Thankfully the room got a lot of sunlight, but the color was really oppressive. I loved how the art work popped on the walls, but the color was too dark even for me. So I tried a lovely light blue, and transformed the same room into a restful Swedish looking vintage modern space, which I love.

So, my suggestion for you this New year, (or before) is try something new! Step out from your comfort zone and paint a room a different color other than white. You might just be amazed at how it makes you feel!

When I'm not running around painting anything I can get my hands on, I can be reached by email , or found rambling on and on here or here.