Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I don’t even like pumpkin spice lattes and I still find so many things to love! ;) I prefer the cooler weather and feel so elegant dressing for it, the crisp air smells so good, Halloween is my favorite holiday…I personally don’t have many complaints about this time of year. But for a lot of people, including plenty of my friends and clients, fall means the onset of seasonal depression.
If you live in a colder climate where daylight hours shorten and grey skies become more prevalent, it can definitely get to you! It’s completely natural for the weather to affect your mood. Thankfully, there are things you can do in your living space to help combat the blues.
Marcella Velvet Sofa, Urban Outfitters.
Think about integrating color! I’m not talking about throwing in bright neons if that’s not your thing, but some colors can add a little lightheartedness while still behaving like a neutral. What does that mean - ‘behaving like a neutral?’ It means that color is a great foundation for your color palette, goes with nearly anything, welcomes other patterns and finishes intermingling with it, and doesn’t drive ya crazy if you stare at it for too long. :) A great example of a color that does this is BLUSH.
Blush, sometimes referred to as millennial pink, is a baby soft hue of pink. It’s got more character than true nude, and it feels cheerful and playful - the perfect anecdote to dreary days. I recommend fully DOING IT - as in go velvet or go home. A perfect example of this is this gorgeous sofa by Urban Outfitters. It’s sophisticated but so much fun.
Faux Monstera Plant, World Market.
Another thing you can do to help is bring some greenery indoors! Plants help raise your vibe and pull your brain back into sunny-weather mode. But, if you’re anything like me and were born without a green thumb (RIP to all of those poor, poor plants I’ve unintentionally murdered) you can still create the effect by bringing some faux greenery into your living room. Consider something tropical, like this faux Monsterra plant from World Market.
Let there be light! Make sure all of your rooms have ample lighting, especially those without some type of overhead lighting. Consider flanking each side of your sofa with a lamp so that every place you sit is well lit (that rhymed :P ).
LIGHTING HACK - use Phillips Hue bulbs where you can to create artificial sunlight! I personally have these bulbs all over my house and I love them. You need to purchase a Phillips Hue bridge, follow the easy steps to connect your bulbs to the bridge over your wifi, and then BOOM - you can play around with the color of your light! It might sound silly, but there are so many variations of white and you can find the one that feels best for you - Hue has preset “sunlight” options. You can also set “scenes” and timers so that you can customize the light you want, when you want it. Bonus: if you get the color changing bulbs, they make for a ton of fun when you’re throwing parties ;) or ya know, when you want purple-colored kitchen lighting on a Tuesday afternoon. You do you!
And lastly, make sure you have comfy pillows and throws at the ready. If the weather’s gonna suck, then making your living space a comfortable retreat should be first priority! Hang in there this fall and winter, and try some of these ideas out if you start feeling a little down.
Until next time!
Xo, Regina