Creating a home that feels instantly welcoming and deeply comfortable can seem like a mysterious art. For some, it appears effortless: a well-placed quilt softens a chair's angles, cushions echo tones from a beloved painting, and the room's flow feels natural. For those still searching for that perfect serene ambience, design professionals offer concrete strategies and insights.
The Magic of Colour in Creating Ambience
Colour is a foundational element that profoundly shapes a home's mood and atmosphere. Maria Killam, a colour expert based in Langley, British Columbia, calls it "a magical thing that can make you absolutely love your space." The key, she emphasizes, is selecting the precise hue that unifies all other elements in a room.
Killam, who runs an edesign business, has developed her own colour system and a specialized neutral colour wheel. These tools help homeowners choose paint colours that connect furniture, flooring, and finishes into a cohesive whole. She advocates for viewing colour as a timeless component, more enduring than fleeting neutral trends.
Beyond Paint: The Essential Layers of Design
While colour is critical, Killam cautions against expecting paint alone to carry the entire design. "People want paint colour to do all the heavy lifting, but in actual fact you need art, pillows, coffee table books—all those things to make your home feel alive," she explains. A paint colour isn't enough to bring that feeling into your house.
She champions a holistic approach where lighting, artwork, and decorative accessories work in concert with the wall colour to build a visually appealing and personal environment. When she moved into her current home three years ago, Killam used mood boards for every room, planning where existing art and pieces would live to inform new colour choices, like painting tray ceilings a soft lavender to match a painting's tones.
Injecting Personality with a Feel-Good Hue
In her own home, Killam confidently incorporates her favourite colour: yellow. Science suggests yellow can stimulate serotonin production, a neurotransmitter linked to happiness and calm. She introduces this cheerful hue throughout her space, from a yellow bench and rain boots in the entryway to a custom yellow sofa in the living room.
The citrus colour continues in the wallpaper (Thibaut's Jardin Bloom) and on walls painted Benjamin Moore's Hannah Banana in her dressing room and a vestibule. This intentional use of a beloved colour demonstrates how personal preference, guided by expert understanding, can create a uniquely serene and joyful home.
The consensus from experts is clear: achieving a serene home is a layered process. It begins with a thoughtful, connective colour palette but is fully realized through the curated collection of objects, textures, and art that reflect the homeowner's life and personality, transforming a house into a true sanctuary.
