I'm in the mood...

via Marie Claire

As a psychotherapist, I am a professional student of mood.
Our mood is transient, based on feelings we have at the time,
which in and of themselves are a complex stew
of varied, and sometimes conflicting, ingredients.

via Stinemos

Interior spaces have great power to influence our feeling states.
Style sets the tone of a space and contributes to its mood,
and the mood is related to
the associations we possess, the memories conjured up for us,
and the dreams that are inspired.
Other factors that contribute to how a room feels
are lighting, color, texture, sheen, furnishings,
 scale, and how sparse or cluttered it is.
Dim lighting is easy on the eyes and invites relaxation.
Softness in furnishings and color creates a sense of comfort,
as do pieces that are perfectly scaled to the size of the room and for adult bodies.
Clutter can feel chaotic, but austerity can feel cold.

via The Design Files

Rooms that magnetize me are moody ones, with drab walls, 
time-worn finishes,and loads of visual texture, 
sprinkled with hints of refinement.
Add a sparking chandelier to that mix, and you've got me every time!
I associate these spaces with listening to the music of 
Eric Satie and Franz Liszt, with reading tragic love stories,
with afternoons spent writing in my journal,
and nights of candlelit passion. 

via Marie Claire

And then there are the rooms that suit my desire for reverie.

These spaces are light, aptmospheric, ethereal.  

They seem to be spaces where dreams are launched on the wing,

where poetry and music take flight.  

They speak of spring and warm breezes,

of birdsong and butterflies,

of crisp white flowers. 

via Pottery Barn



Light has a magical power on mood.  Bright spaces inspire me to create.
In winter, our need for light is even greater.
Many people who experience some form of depression tend to have
a worsening of their condition in winter, 
mostly due to the lack of sunshine.  
Rooms like this one above evoke thoughts of afternoon tea with close friends,
of spreading out piles of decorating books and magazines to scour,
of projects to be hatched.  

via Pottery Barn

This room is also a congenial one, both bright and warm,

just like my favorite people!

It is a space where happiness abounds and comfort rules, 

a place where it's okay to put up your feet,

sip on a cocktail, and share your funniest stories. 

via the beautiful life

As you can see, my tastes in decor are as varied as my mood states, 

(and this is not to say that varying mood states necessarily equate with pathology).  

We all have times where solitude is required, along with times where

we need to be around others.  

The challenge in decorating a cohesive house is in accommodating those

divergent needs, in balancing private spaces with public ones,

all in a style that reflects who we really are

and the mood we hope to foster when we walk through the front door.

I invite you to consider the impact of mood on your spaces and 

the way your spaces influence you feeling states.  

Changing any element in a room, from the way it is lit to the color scheme

will affect the way it makes you feel.

Playing around with these elements is half the fun of decorating afterall!

Until next time...

Anne