apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's no mystery that certain colors evoke different emotions from people. Red rooms are said to bring out the fire and the passion (meow!), while grey rooms are there to calm us and yellow makes us want to give the whole world a hug. (awww)

Taking the time to couple that color theory with your favorite family photos can be a great combination.

Most the time when we travel, (unless you fall into the extremely lucky group) we are only able to visit that location once or twice in our lifetimes. We then spend the rest of our days gazing longingly at the photo snapped of the great memories we made.
Do you want to be wrapped up in that Hawaiian sunset again, or feel the strength of those mountains in Alaska and maybe feel the waves of Barbados that keep calling you from afar? Here's how...

Sit down with a collection of photographs from your trips, or the best summer parties or adventures. Pull ones aside that make you really miss the place or time the photo was taken. Was it the way the sun warmed the side of your Grandparents barn as it fell lower in the sky? Or the way the grass gleamed with dew on it, first thing in the morning? These will be what will make you feel most comfortable in your finished space.

If you aren't lucky enough to have a home copy of Photoshop on your computer, you can click over to Adobe's Photoshop Express and use their (Free) services online.
You will want to take your digital file from your camera/computer and open it up in your program of choice. Next open a blank document to serve as the location for your new color palette.

Using the color selector tool pick up colors that catch your eye first. Select the color you like, and switch over to your new document and paint a patch of color. Be sure to look in shadows for accent colors that accompany your main colors.

Once you have all of your colors chosen you can either print out your colors or send your image to the local drugstore's photolab to have a "photo" of your color palette printed off. Sometimes this method can be more true when you are trying to match colors and doesn't cost you usually more than a quarter.

By keeping your photo with you, be it in your purse or glove box, you will have it on hand for your next shopping adventure. Keep an eye out for textures and colors that would dress a room to reflect the feeling of your last family picnic, where your son fell asleep in the arms of his grandmother on the front porch. What can be more comforting than that?

Be featured on AT and send us pictures of the rooms you design from your photographs!

Photos above via Flickr by: spencer k. s., chadly7, G E L, and ZachT