Now’s the time to take paintbrush in hand and recharge and refresh the forgotten places and spaces in your home with unexpected jolts of colour. Guess what? It will refresh you, too!

What’s the real “living room” in our homes? The kitchen, of course! And though kitchens are designed to be primarily purposeful, filled with cabinets, shelves, and closets to help us stay organised, who’s to say you can’t give them a romantic lift by brushing on delicate pastels? Be inspired by the soft shades of hydrangeas and delicate roses or the palettes of the French impressionists who kept nature’s hues as their special colour charts. And, of course, you can explore online the endless colour alchemy created and shared by your favourite contemporary artists, interior designers, and architects. Go ahead, now’s the time to take time out to have a little fun adding colour to all the places and rooms we call HOME!

Because your home has become such a personal companion, even in some ways a genuine witness to some pretty remarkable stay-at-home days and ways of living right now, wouldn’t this be a good time to give it some extra painterly love? And what about choosing something as unexpected as the inside of a closet? Whether it’s a clothes closet, a bathroom cabinet, or a storage closet for serving pieces, compotes, wine glasses, or candlestick holders, what a difference colour can make as a backdrop for all your personal treasures. Pick a shade that is bright and unexpected, like a mint green, ballerina pink, or even a daffodil yellow. When you open the door—what a surprise! Everything inside will suddenly spring to new life.

Like the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán, be daring with colour! Make the entrance of your home—apartment or house—more inventive and welcoming. Consider adding a bold graphic like the stripes swished on the wall here. Then hang a collection of fun hats or artwork to mix it up even more. Hallways between rooms are often neglected. Liven them up with stripes or any kind of painterly pattern. Even just a surprising colour as a backdrop for family photos or children’s artwork can create a unique environment taking you from one room to the next. Happy painting!