Inspiring Colors for the Rainy Season

As we transition from winter into early spring, hopes run high for sunny, warm days and the sounds of spring birds chirping everywhere. Quite often, Mother Nature has a different agenda. For us living in the Northeast, it’s not so often that the end of March kicks off spring beauty with a bang; it’s more like a slow, rainy crawl. Yes, the rainy season is upon us. That time of year, from March to mid-April (at least), we receive lots of precipitation and gray, hazy days, albeit with hazier sunlight than during the depths of winter. 

Sometimes, when we anticipate a seasonal transition that doesn’t happen at the pace we desire (it usually never does), it can feel extra tiresome finishing out the last legs of the race. For all my readers who live in climates where spring arrives early in full stride, bless you. For others who live in regions like mine, as a color specialist, I wanted to give you some inspiring color ideas to keep the hope for spring alive and keep you excited for what will come around the corner, even if the rain won’t let up!

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Learn More About The Early Colors of Spring!

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Inspiring Colors – Contrasting the Grays of the Rainy Season

As I look outside, this very second as I write this piece, the atmosphere is a light, hazy gray, and yes, it’s raining (again!) It’s that in-between-season overcast weather. The sun is strong behind the clouds but cannot break through. It feels like weather purgatory: not rainy enough to be a complete washout or pleasant enough to make you feel like hiking or enjoying outside activities. It’s these very moments that inspiring colors/pops of inspiration around the house can bring the spirit up and raise the energy of an otherwise dull-feeling day. 

Here are some inspiring ideas and colors/color combinations that I suggest you deploy around the interior spaces of your home during the gloomiest points of the rainy season! 

Add Life to Your Home!

It’s like fighting the season off by taking it head-on. I suggest adding color and brightness to your home any way you can. Add fresh flowers, additional lighting, and splashes of color to create a happier vibe that will brighten your spirits. Lighting in a space and brilliantly colorful flowers are two possibilities we often take for granted. Adding these temporary splashes of color can make a substantial difference in your home! 

Adding Colorful Solutions to Brighten Your Spirits

Sunny Yellows –  While this is a “no kidding,” obvious recommendation, I cannot overstate the power of yellow when contrasting with gray weather. Warmer yellow colors speak to our instincts and help fool our minds into feeling like we’re surrounded by sunlight, basking in its warmth. 

Yellow is known for its ability to uplift the mood and create a sense of optimism. To lighten up the space, try incorporating yellow throw pillows, curtains, or area rugs. If you need a longer-term blast of color, add an accent piece or two that will brighten your spirits even when the sun comes back out!  Even a neutral space can benefit from a splash of color in the corner of the room. 

Shades of Orange  – When I think of shades of orange, the word that comes to mind is cheerful. Orange is a cheerful and bold color. It contrasts across the color spectrum from blue, so it’s a great option to juxtapose cooler-feeling, damp days. It brings vitality to any space, whether highly saturated like a rich tangerine or a soft pastel hue; orange effectively counters low-energy spaces.  

If you’re skeptical about deploying orange in your color schemes, try swapping in some color where you’d least expect it! Try switching up your linens, like using orange sheets, or you could swap your placemats for a light orange hue, like a creamsicle.

An Array of Pinks – For me, pink is the spring color to rule them all. It’s a friendly, loving, charming embrace of seasonal transition, uniquely dominating lots of spring plant life. Think of the cherry blossoms synonymous with the DC reflecting pool and perhaps your backyard. Think of the royal, carmine-pink glory of the late spring bloom of rhododendrons! 

Pinks emerge from the earth in the spring, full of vibrant life; this is why pink colors are perfect for embracing in the home during the glut of the rainy season—they remind us of what’s to come. 

Graceful Greens – The greens of the earth return in the spring, which is something we can thank the rainy season for – lush greenery. For me, I like to embrace the bolder greens in spring; this doesn’t mean there isn’t a space for mint-like softer greens, but to combat the gray doldrums, I’ll go for bolder greens, like lime green or chartreuse greens; greens with high saturation points and bolder energy. 

If you’re like me, you’ll have plenty of green plant life in all shades in your home, so try dispersing them into different areas that need some color and life. Illuminate the plants so they don’t fade into the recessed shadows of your home. The color and texture of plants can be something to show off, for sure!

Brighten Yourself: Brighten Your Mood! 

Surrounding ourselves with happier colors can mean decorating your space, but it can also mean wearing colors that will brighten your spirits! Wearing a color that brings you happiness or joy will carry that mood to you by surrounding yourself with that color. Wearing a favorite sweater in bright coral or teal can affect your mood, and is worth a try! 

Inspiring Colors – Spring is Here

Whether it feels like spring or not, we’ve arrived in the season. All the wet weather of the rainy season pays off in the end, with beautiful, lush, healthy plant life to make those sunny days extra special when we venture outside to enjoy all that spring has to offer. 

So tell me, what colors help you get through the dreary weather and become excited for the sunnier days to come? I’d love to hear your choice of colors! Also, if you want to arrange some lively spring color palettes, check out my Color911 color app; there are dozens of professionally curated palettes to match whichever springtime mood you’re in.