I get it; it can be hard to greet January with a smile and wink, thinking about how the days are cold and the nights long; January can be a challenging month on the psyche. Unlike November and December, there’s no festive food, holidays to look forward to, delectable treats, or vacation time with family and friends to distract from the more challenging conditions.
As you know, I love painting visual pictures for the imagination to help my readers grasp the color concepts that I’m looking to share. We all have colors that immediately pop into our minds when we think about the lush fall color palette; rich oranges, reds, browns dance across the imagination as we imagine walking in an apple orchard or trick-or-treating with little ones. We all have colors that we picture synonymously with the holidays; traditional reds, greens, and metallic accents, although I gave you new colors to be excited about this year! But what colors come to mind when thinking of January? Are there colors in January that aren’t depressing but actually inspiring!?
You know me, I look for positive inspiration from colors at all times of the year, and January is no exception! January is a beautiful month, a month where nature is at rest in a deep slumber preparing for the new cycle of the year. Snow-covered hills, pink and blue skies, roaring campfires against the night sky, and dramatic sunrises and sunsets; the beautiful natural scenes and color palettes January provides us are not only worth appreciating but gathering inspiration from and bringing into the home!
To revisit the theme of painting visual settings in the imagination, take a walk with me on a cold January afternoon and discover the palettes that hold remarkable beauty!
I live in the Northeast, a region that’s no stranger to cold winter days, snowfall, and dark nights. But that’s what I love about it – so much variation of natural splendor all within one year! I invite you to stroll with me on any January afternoon to absorb the beauty of the world around us!
The snow has freshly fallen the day prior, and we bundle up to head out for a long mid-afternoon stroll and finish back at home as dusk settles in. We walk through trails that range from the wooded forest, pond sides, and ocean views. The skies are brilliant, clear blue hues that meet a stark stop at the white sunshine – the winter sun is bright and powerful at 2 pm, and gone is the warmer softness of fall afternoons; the sunlight is stronger each day.
As we walk through freshly melting snow-covered paths, the range of colors is staggering. From the underbrush to the oaks and pine trees thawing, brilliant natural greys, browns, and soft beiges peak out under the white melting snow. Deep forest greens from the pine and moss grab the eye’s attention as we continue strolling down the path. Even the rust-colored leaves past their prime add to the winter color palette! Imagine that we come across a meadow that sits gently next to a pond. The pond is like glass and perfectly echoes the pale gold-wheat color of the dormant meadow against the sky. A few standalone maples and oaks grow tall against the sky, their looming silhouettes against the setting sun as we move along.
The latter half of the walk takes us to the woods and fields to beach dunes overlooking the Atlantic ocean. It’s twilight now, and pinks, purples, greens, and even some faint sunset gold are strewn across the sky.
The snow melts over the sand, revealing the cool yellow and beige sands beneath. The waves are deep blue, only with wisps of lighter greens and whites at the tops of the curling crests. After walking along the rocky shore until the sunset, we turn back towards home, where an outdoor fire and tasty warm drinks await us! Clearly, the January landscape can be as inspiring as any other time of year!
Bringing these January colors into the home is not as difficult as you might think! If you can remember/feel your emotions when experiencing these scenes in nature, you can translate them into spaces in your home.
I have found clients of mine enjoy the presence of earth tones when in the study, office, or other workspaces in the home. Using earth-tone colors can help us reconnect with nature while working inside. Remember the walk in the woods with all the light earth tones exposed under the melting snow? Why not bring that to the office!?
Imagine this; the walls are a very soft, creamy yellow, contrasting against the crisp white of the window trim and the warm tones of a stained wood desk. Pops of pine-green sit on the desk in the form of table lamps and blotters. The office chair is deep earth-brown, and natural light comes in from all angles from neighboring windows. The aura is far from office cubical – the space now gives a light and airy feeling of freedom amongst nature!
When I think of the ideal den, these words come to mind: comfortable, cozy, warm, retreat, isolated and safe. What a tremendous opportunity to use the twilight hues from our beach walk and create a warm and wonderful atmosphere.
Picture this, a sectional sofa and love seat sit by a roaring wood stove, both are deep slate blues, and they have end tables with copper lamps sitting on either side. The walls are painted deep warm burgundy red, pops of a paler blue-gray sit upon the furniture as throw blankets and pillows. Thick, hazy, coppery red candles sit on the window sills as the night sky engulfs the windows. Both ethereal and comforting simultaneously, this den is the perfect embodiment of the magic to be found in January colors.
If there’s one point I want to leave with you, it’s this; inspiration is where you look for it, and there’s plenty of color inspiration to be found in January. If you decide the month doesn’t exist and want to lock yourself away inside, it’s a missed opportunity because I know you can find joy, creativity, and warmth from the beautiful scenes January offers us. You just have to be willing to look!
Please see my accompanying piece on winter colors if you enjoyed this blog! As always, please share some of your favorite January color stories or memories with me!
