The World's A Palette! For March 2015

Colour Stories

Go places with colours!

This month, we take you through an incredible journey across the 10 most colourful places on earth that will blow your mind away! Experience the most unusual colours that haven’t even made it to the Pantone list yet!

1. Morning Glory Thermal Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Morning Glory Pool is a hot spring named after its sapphire colour, similar to the colour of the Morning Glory flower. This thermal pool in the US boasts of exuberant colours, a result of bacterial colonies inhabiting its walls. The area is prone to heavy seismic activity that also has the pool erupting as a geyser.

2. Hitachi Seaside Park, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan

The Hitachi Seaside Park is best known for the “Nemophila Harmony,” a flower festival held in May celebrating the blooming of over 4.5 million translucent blue Nemophila (baby blue-eyes) flowers. The park is also home to 170 types of tulips, over a million daffodils, and myriad other flowers!

3. Fly Geyser, Northern Nevada

No, it’s not a painting! It’s for real. It’s the Fly Geyser. As a result of well drilling in the 1960s, a poorly capped well began spewing dissolved minerals. What you see is a pile of those minerals layering up over the course of years, forming pillars. The colours on the pillars remind you of the vibrant colours of a rainbow. Sadly, it’s on private property (though that hasn’t stopped people from extensively blogging about how to find it!).

4. Village of Manarola, on the Cinque Terre coast of Italy

The prettiest of pinks, the ombre from sunsets, Cinque Terre coast in Italy has the most soothing amalgamation of hues. Cinque Terre, which means “the five lands”, is a portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, consisting of five villages built on terraces that overlook the sea. In the picture, you see the Manarola village.

5. Santorini, Greece

Santorini is every discerning traveller’s dream. Bristled with pristine white and blue buildings, it soothes your senses. And as the sun goes down, you see a spectacular glow of orange and red in the cliffs. The blue coastline compliments the architecture like a perfect symphony.

6. Jodhpur, India

Jodhpur is another great example of how colours can give an entire city a distinct look. What began in the olden days as a practice started by Brahmins (high priests in the Indian caste system) in order to distinguish them, is now become a popular trend among city dwellers.

7. Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, Africa

Bo-Kaap or formerly the Malay Quarter was one of the original hubs of Malay culture in Cape Town. Today, the city looks like a colourful canvas, full of blocks painted of bright colours. If you are feeling the blues, then Bo-Kaap is where you should head. The property just goes to show how innovatively colours can be used to create a happy mood palette.

8. Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

The reason this manmade structure has made it to this list? Well, the picture says it all. It is the ‘Saint Basil’s Cathedral’ in Moscow. Yes, a cathedral! The building is shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, aptly painted with warm and vibrant colours. What’s surprising is that the design has no analogues in Russian architecture. It has now been converted into a museum.

9. Dallol, Ethiopia

Averaged at a scorching 94 degrees Fahrenheit, this Ethiopian town is known to be one of the hottest places on earth. The fascinating hydrothermal deposits lend the landscape a unique blend of earthen colours. Back in the 60s, it was a mining settlement but now it’s abandoned.

10. Rio Tinto, Spain

The Rio Tinto is a river in south-western Spain. It flows from the Sierra Morena mountains and gets its red colour from dissolved iron deposits due to the river’s high acidity (pH2), a by-product of heavy mining activity.

Colour Trivia

Colour Facts For March 2015

1. Colours are beautiful, fascinating and literally add shades to our lives but it is also true that they inspire fear in some. Yes, you heard it right. There are people who are afraid of colours and this condition is known as Chromophobia. Chromophobia is the rare and irrational fear of colours which manifests itself in different ways in different individuals. Some people with this condition react to certain colours, whereas others might try to avoid colours altogether. The treatment of this phobia is a slightly complex process, involving techniques like systematic desensitization and exposure therapy.
2. Amongst other things, it seems scientists are also acutely interested in the colour of the universe. In 2001, two scientists determined the colour of the universe to be greenish-white but in 2002, they changed their observation. In their second paper in 2002, they concluded that the universe was slightly beige-white in colour after considering the spectral range of light from a large volume of the universe. The most interesting part follows now, as the colour was displayed in a Washington Post article and suggestions for a new name were sought for this new colour. From several suggestions sent in, the name chosen for the colour of the universe was "Cosmic Latte"!
3. Most of us, if not all, are aware that blue is the most favourite colour around the world but what many of us don't know is that blue also stands for love. It is because of this reason that many brides choose to carry or wear something blue on their wedding, a symbol of their love for their husband to be. Blue not only denotes love but also stands for loyalty and faithfulness, another attribute which is an extension of love itself. Thus, brides try and incorporate a little blue to show their loyalty, honesty and love to their better halves.

Colour Quotes For March 2015

• "Colours speak all languages."

  - Joseph Addison

• "The picture will have charm when each colour is very unlike the one next to it."

  - Leon Battista Alberti

• "A color is as strong as the impression it creates."

  - Ivan Albright

Colour Tips For March 2015

1. Our first colour tip today is going to begin with the most obvious but difficult task one comes across while painting and it is none other than choosing the right colour. The best tip that we can give you here is to keep it simple or go absolutely crazy, because anything in between is never good enough! If you are a fan of all things classy, then opt for two neutral colours paired in contrast with each other, like olive and pale grey. But for those wanting to go the whole way, pick multi-coloured artwork using all the colours of a rainbow tastefully for a stunning end result!
2. Colour not only makes your house look lovelier but also has the power to heal your spirit and sooth your soul. Here are some soothing colours which will transform you to a different world. We will start with blue, which is the most obvious relaxing colour, transforming one to a Zen like state of mind. A soft shade of cream with a subtle touch of red will also lend softness to your room, along with making it a happier and optimistic place. The warm feeling of having the Sun on your face can now be transported to your house! Use a pale but clear yellow to turn your house into an abode of clear thinking, hope and possibilities.
3. Accent walls are the next 'in' thing but add your own twist to this trend and make your ceiling the accent wall of your house. The trick is to use neutral colours for your wall and then let the unexpected colour pop up on the ceiling and add an interesting depth and charm to your house. The accent ceiling will create a vibrant focal point. The more experimental ones can go in for designs which can range from small motifs to bold designs, depending on the size of the room and height of the ceilings.

World Of Colours

Colours & Emotion For March 2015

1. Colours are not merely the means of adding vibrancy to our environment and each colour goes beyond what meets the eye. There is a strong connection between what colours represent and what our subconscious mind thinks of it. A case in point is the colour purple, which is a mixture of sombre blue and active red. The colour has traditionally been considered as the colour symbolizing royalty and dignity but on an emotional level, this colour has a starkly different meaning. It is described as an "unquiet colour" and is often associated with mystery, mysticism, imagination and spirituality.
2. The colour grey is often relegated to a category of being a dull colour by some and an intensely gorgeous colour by others, but there is another fact to this colour that many are unaware of. This colour stands for exclusivity according to our subconscious; it is also blessed with the quality of enhancing the psychological response of any colour it appears with. Moreover, grey has a deep connection with creativity and is considered to be the colour which intensifies the creativity of imaginative people.

Colours & Fashion For March 2015

In this section, we have almost always covered tips and tricks for women and totally neglected the other sex. Well, we are trying to mend our ways starting today! Red has been considered the domain of the fairer sex for years now, but going by the Spring/Summer collection of Dolce & Gabbana this season, the bold and vibrant red is the go-to colour for men. Red is often a tricky colour to carry off, especially for men, but there is a solution for that too. For those of you taking baby steps in this direction, keep the use of red restricted to one statement-making element, like a crimson coloured crew t-shirt with blue denims. For those of you who are certain of your reds, go ahead and play with more than one piece of red and stand out wherever you go!

Colours & Gems For March 2015

1. Red jasper is a rather interesting and powerful stone with the ability to help a person develop deep insights and calm their emotions. It is a highly important stone because of its power to negate any evil energy and send it back to its source. Red jasper has this power because it increases the life force in your energy field, thereby stabilizing the aura by creating a better energy flow within your energy field. It is also known to bring immense luck to people wearing it and is especially considered lucky for aspiring actors.
2. All of us have special gemstones which prove lucky for us; today, we have the names of some gemstones that are beneficial for certain situations. When in need of protection, one should turn to agate, whereas for luck in business, malachite is known to be very effective. For those who have a lot of worries and need some help getting rid of them, opt for aquamarine. Those stuck in their career or waiting for that big break should try and wear a garnet for luck in their professional life. Some of you may want to improve your marital life, for that you should wear rose quartz or emerald.

Colours & Nature For March 2015

1. If there is one part of nature that can dazzle us with innumerable colours alone, then it is the birds with around 9-10,000 species! The surprising thing about birds is that it's the males who are more vibrantly coloured to attract mates, while the females are more soberly coloured. It is believed that female birds are sombrely coloured so that they can stay closer to their homes, to guard their homes as well as the eggs. During crucial periods like nesting, females blending in with their surroundings were found to have an evolutionary edge over the brightly coloured ones.
2. Life was initiated in the oceans. With as many as 100 million species - from the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, the blue whale to the tiniest bacteria. But the most beautiful of them all remain the diverse variety of fish in our oceans and seas. As the magnificent rays of the sun bestow upon the ocean, it unveils the colourful underwater life. The most vivid colours come out on display as if the ocean was their canvas. The sight is one to behold for a lifetime, colours ranging from deep hues to the brightest of corals, there is a species to please every taste. The Mandarin fish, for example, is a brightly-coloured member of the dragonet family and leaves you in awe of the hues it possesses.

Décor

A Few Things To Keep In Mind While Painting Your Home!

Choosing wall paint is of utmost importance, this time around we decided to help you in getting your basics correct, so take a look at these tips before taking the painting plunge!

We keep bringing you home décor tips but this time around we thought of helping you in getting your basics correct. The basic that we are talking about here is your wall paint; yes, you heard it right, because wall painting isn't as simple as picking out your favourite colour and painting your walls. Choosing wall paint should take time and patience as it is of utmost importance; let's face it, if your walls look tacky, there is no way you can make the rest of the house look classy or elegant or even presentable!

The first and absolutely foremost thing is to not make painting your walls the first thing on your to-do list. You need to buy fabrics, carpets, upholstery and some basic furniture and then see what goes best with your overall décor scheme. The next mistake you should avoid making is to not choose a paint colour based on what it looked like as a paint sample at the store under fluorescent lights. Thou shalt also not decide on paint, fabric or floorings on your visit to a store and carry samples home to see what they look like in your home!

Do not make the mistake of choosing your favourite colour as the colour for your walls as you may tire of seeing it so much, but with that said, it doesn't mean that you settle for tepid shades if you have something bold in mind. Remember, the key to a good looking house depends on how good a balance you are able to create. Also, pay some attention to the psychology of colours, as in, using red or orange for play rooms and not bedrooms. This is something we have discussed in detail in past editions. Last, but not the least, do not forget about colour undertones and never force a colour scheme to make things match.

Quick And Easy Home Decorating Hacks!

Instead of paying someone to decorate your house, why don’t you do it yourself?! It’ll be fun, we promise you!

Home is where the heart is and our hearts are set on making your homes the most perfect places to hold your hearts! Home décor is a taxing task and more often than not, you run out of ideas and think that it's time to turn to professional help. We hate to be the ones to break it to you but interior designers too do not have any specific magic formula to revamp your home. They just play along with their creativity and imaginations, keeping in mind some basic rules. So, instead of paying someone to have fun while decorating your house, why not just do it yourself!

Let's start you off with some of the basics; we're sure you will get your imagination to do the rest for your home décor. The first rule is to always allow breathing space for your furniture and space them out so that they can stand out. This way, it's also better for your budget as you can pick a few quality statement pieces, rather than hoarding up on junk. Most of us get this wrong but hanging artwork at the proper height is a very important aspect of making it look stunning. So, next time around be sure to hang it around 60 inches from the floor.

We know how cool a themed décor looks, even so, we suggest that you resist the urge to go all theme-y with your interiors and instead put together stuff which plays off each other, rather than matching with each other. The last thing you need to remember is that you need to play with the lighting around the house. Use a lot of layered lighting, dim and bright lighting as one central lighting fixture will never have the same magical result as layers of lighting. Above all, don't forget to add something personal to your décor scheme, something that will bring a smile to your face every time you look at it.

Timeless Home Décor Tips!

Here are some classic home décor ideas that will lend a timeless appeal to your home.

All of us would love our homes to look straight out of an interior design magazine but that is a little difficult, given that the pages keep changing! What we mean to say is that home décor trends keep changing and it's not feasible for most of us to change our décor with changing trends all the time. In such a scenario, we thought of coming up with some classic home décor ideas which will lend a timeless appeal to your home. The best part of a timeless décor scheme is that it allows you to play around with the latest trends and transform the look of your home from time to time.

There will be never a time when this has been said enough, minimalism is your best friend in all aspects of home décor. Beginning from not crowding your shelves to having furniture in proportion with the size of the room, in other words, refrain from overcrowding. Every season brings with it that one colour which you have to have to make your décor pop out, but it isn't practical to get your walls done in orange, yellow or green each time trends change. So, we suggest that you stick to accessories, like throw pillows, vases, flowers or other artwork for that dash of pop.

It will be better if you start buying furniture that is meant to be used and not only admired, get rid of those coffee tables and angular chairs to make room for some pretty practical furniture. Next, we come to the most important aspect of home décor, i.e. lighting. Firstly, make sure that you allow enough natural light into your house. Choose window drapes that let in the sun and if the place does not have much natural light reaching it, opt for quality lighting that lends a natural looking glow to your place. When going for wall paint, ignore the latest trends and settle for the classic shades like plum, caramel or ochre, as they lend a classy and cosy feel to any space.

Last but not the least, nothing looks better than a clutter-free and organized home and for this, you need to have smart storage options. Incorporate storage cases in as many furniture pieces as possible and make it a part of your design aesthetic. Most importantly, have fun while doing up your space and go trendy with items that can be replaced easily from season to season.

Colours & Ancient Sciences

Feng Shui For March 2015

Feng Shui is a powerful tool to balance out your health problems and can take care of any health complications you or your family members might be going through.

We have been often telling you about how to add Feng Shui to add wealth and prosperity to your home but today we will focus on your health. After all, health is wealth indeed! Feng Shui is a powerful tool to balance out your health problems and can take care of any health complications you or your family members might be going through.

Applying Feng Shui to a house should be one of the first priorities as it creates a good foundation for a healthy life and can also help boost your energy levels. The first thing you need to do for your house is ensure that it receives good quality fresh air. This occupies the #1 spot in Feng Shui health tips and you can keep your windows open, use essential oils and air purifiers to cleanse the air because breathing in pure air is very important.

Feng Shui considers light as the number one nutrient of our body and considers light nutrition very important. Thus, combine carefully co-ordinated indoor and outdoor lighting with Feng Shui colours to give your body the right light nutrition. Last but not the least; make sure that your house is always clutter-free because if it is not, then no number of wind chimes can negate the depressing energy of clutter.

If clutter is an issue, you have to figure out ways to get rid of it to stop it from draining out your energy and leaving you feeling low. Once your clutter is taken care of, you can move on to the more advanced forms of health-related Feng Shui.

Reiki For March 2015

Reiki helps in weight loss by stabilizing your appetite and making us better aware of the body's nutritional needs.

Reiki and its mental and health benefits are widely known to all but what many of us might not know is that it may also help in weight loss! Yes, you heard it right; Reiki can help in losing weight by balancing the energy flow around the body. It promotes weight loss by stabilizing your appetite and making us better aware of the body's nutritional needs. This, in turn, will help you in controlling and overcoming unhealthy cravings and help you in making healthy food choices.

Although it's exciting to know that Reiki can help you with losing weight, it is important to understand that it is not an overnight process. It will help you understand your body after only a couple of sessions and it may take several sessions to develop the will power to control your body's cravings. Reiki needs enough time to act on your body because only then can it help in tuning the energy around the organs in such a way that they can process food better.

It is not to be mistaken that Reiki does not need you to exercise; it is mandatory to have an active lifestyle to effectively lose weight and there is no way around that, however, Reiki can speed the process and support your healthy lifestyle. It is also worth to note that yoga works well with Reiki and one may try doing both for exceptional results.

Reiki is especially beneficial for weight loss in people who have acute eating problems and can help in making them move towards better health. There is also another interesting line of thought which says that weight is a barrier we put up to protect ourselves and Reiki can make us feel comfortable and confident enough to let go of this shield. So, all of you who are not looking for a quick fix but for a long term health solution, Reiki is your go-to option.

Vaastu For March 2015

Vaastu as an ancient science is extremely helpful in trying to negate negative energies and ensure mental peace, which in turn is the key component of a healthy lifestyle.

Vaastu, as an ancient science, is extremely helpful in trying to negate negative energies and ensure mental peace, which in turn is the key component of a healthy lifestyle. Vaastu remedies can be extremely helpful in curing the numerous health problems faced by people because of various factors like lighting, colours, plants, placement of furniture and even the shape and the size of the building one lives in.

It is a well-known fact that buildings built on Vaastu principles have a positive effect on the outcome of the people living and working in those buildings. When done right, occupants display a clear thought process, make better decisions creatively and feel more happy and healthy than people living under bad Vaastu conditions. To benefit from Vaastu principles, it is important that you strictly incorporate a few Vaastu principles in your life.

The first thing you will need to do is to make sure that you never keep your head to the north while sleeping and preferably keep it towards the south or east for restful sleep and a healthy life. Try facing the north or the east while working or studying because it strengthens memory, as well as helps in taking faster and better decisions.

You should ensure that you do not face south or south west while cooking or eating, instead you should be facing the east or west for better digestion and a healthy body. While devoting or praying, face the east or the west. It would be best if you could keep a basil plant in your house to purify the air. It is also important to sleep on a proper bed to avoid heart or brain related health disorders. So, ensure that you sleep on a wooden bed with storage space and avoid sleeping on a metal bed, under all circumstances. Try these little Vaastu tips and notice the change in positive energies among the occupants of your house.