At the end of last week I was spending a lot of time thinking about color and how it affects life. When I was younger, I used to hate the bright, warm colors of red, orange, and yellow, and quite often had no use for brown or black either. They were too bright, almost overwhelming. They stood out, and I wanted to blend in (which is very hard to do when you have red hair). I’ve always been a big fan of the cool colors of blue, green and purple. They’re relaxed and mellow, and not intimidating in any way. But I’ve come to realize that now, depending on the situation, I love all colors.

I was watching Rachael Ray (as I do quite frequently) and fell in love with another piece of her cookware when she made tamale bowls in a bright orange bowl. Since my husband and I have started buying smaller casserole dishes meant to serve one person instead of an entire family, I thought, “Maybe I’ll order those!” Then came the question of color. What color do I order? Nearly all of her stuff comes in orange or blue, and often red and yellow as well. I debated for far too long over why I shouldn’t order the orange, because it fell into my old pattern of not liking orange and I already own another set of her dishes in blue.

This got me thinking, what colors don’t I like now, because apparently I have a new appreciation for orange? Then came the realization that each color has its place somewhere in my life.

Bold, warm colors belong on my plate at dinner. Food should be bold and exciting, even if it’s something as simple as macaroni and cheese. If your meal is monotone, serve it on a bright dish, like a red square plate. If your food is colorful, buy some good white dishes to display your meal.

Cool colors represent me and my personality. I am usually a laid back person. I go with the flow and try not to worry about anything that I can’t solve on my own. I wear a lot of blues, greens, and purples, with a lil yellow and brown thrown in for variation. I also consider myself down to earth, so the yellow and brown make even more sense to me when thought of in that context.

Earth tones remind me of the Earth, and so I like my steady, supporting things to be in earth tones. My husband, one of my most dependable rocks in this world, looks best in shades of green and brown. My house, which I consider my safe zone, is painted in cream and brown with a red accent. My bedroom is decorated in blue and brown, which represents my most comfortable color combination.

How does color affect your life?