My favourite places in the home are the family room and the dining room, and often these are shared spaces, which is wonderful. I love this space because everybody comes together to sit down, watch TV, and have dinner together.
These spaces are the primary point of focus in the family home, in addition to the kitchen, and deserve extra attention, as they are the spaces we tend to spend the most time in as a family, and the colours here are critical to the quality of the experience we will have in these spaces.
Even though one may not immediately think that the colours are off in a room, as long as they are generally pleasing to the eye, the energy of a room is about more than just looking pretty. It’s about comfort, the ability to relax, and a feeling that it is safe to connect with one another. And that can change so much for a family!
How to encourage family to spend more time together, with a simple design change:
1. Make sure the feeling of the room fits the use
The family room and dining areas should be warm and welcoming because they directly influence bringing people together and the quality time they are immersed.
There are times I see very dull or neutral colour palettes in these areas and I can tell there’s not much happening in this area of the house. You may think a very neutral colour across furniture and the walls will be helfpul, but the dullness only creates more dullness. Do you want people to be very mellow and resigned? Or do you want them to open up and feel warmly welcomed?
For the family dynamics to work and for communication to open up, the colours play an integral role. Sitting down occasionally to watch a show, like you might in a TV room, is not the same as hanging out and having fun on a daily basis.
2. Remember that everything brings an energy
Another element that matters is the energy of the different objects in the room like art, flowers, crystals, furniture, and the like because they all have their energies. What are you trying to accomplish? Do these accents add a sense of life, personality and fun?
Or were they chosen to “blend” and be neutral? Think about how this comes across and what it all represents, even subconsciously, to the people in the room.
3. Choose a colour palette and build from it
The best colours for family and dining are warm colours and shades of orange, yellow, green, or red. These colours create excitement and are energizing on many levels.
Select the shades based on what tones appeal overall to everyone at home, but remember that balance is key. Let these shades remind you of the warm days and summer flowers. You don’t have to spend a fortune to redo the decor and repaint the walls; you can even change just a few things.
4. Accessorize the area
Instead of changing all of the upholstery, paint or floor coverings, add accessories like pillows, throws, rugs, happy pictures, a few crystals, and flowers. Flowers do a good job of positively shifting the frequencies by bringing in new energies and bringing the space to life.
I prefer fresh flowers and strongly recommend that you avoid dried ones as much as possible—they are lifeless, and somewhere inside we may internalize this. So if this is your excuse to go buy fresh flowers every two weeks, just do it.
Consider bringing in some sparkles by adding something shiny here and there! Get started and go slow—try a few things at a time and see how that feels. You can also play with curtains or add accents to your windows. Even a nice rug in the area will make a huge difference.
I like to mix and match even with the cutlery and placemats. I have plates and bowls in different colours; that way not everything looks the same and it adds variety.
5. Appreciate the sunshine in the room
It is time to now look at your family room and explore ways you can bring more sunshine in so it is inviting for family and visitors alike. They will all feel the difference and the shift in energy, whether they are conscious about it or not.
