"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."

I moved from New York City in the Fall of 1989 because I missed nature and wanted to return to my native Louisiana. My heart breaks for my New York friends and their families. To not have the comfort of feeling safe in your own home is a reality I can't even begin to fathom. Most of us are so fortunate to be able to spend time outdoors in nature. Spending time in nature can help us heal and refocus our lives.

Now more than ever, it is especially important that our homes become our sanctuary which is why I try to bring as much of the feeling of outdoors, inside. One of the best ways to begin, is through the use of color.

Color is light and energy: The most powerful door to emotion, yet the least expensive tool for creating an environment. By simply changing the color of a room, you can literally transform your life.

Color therapy is a growing field. For decades, studies have been made on the effects of color on our emotions. Red, for instance, is the color of power, strength, action, passion and desire--the epitome of vitality, energy and independence. It is an excellent background for rooms used socially. Many factories and commercial kitchens use red to promote energy for physical activity. However, red is found sparingly in nature, so follow that lead and use it sparingly in your home. It is known to increase your heart rate, so a touch of it might inspire passion, but too much moves us up the scale towards aggression. I often use red in powder rooms and hallways since not much time is spent in each. The earthier brick and clay hues are easier to live with.

Orange is also associated with energy. It brings thought (from yellow) to action (from red), thus promoting balance, unity and wholeness. Orange is a vibrant color linked to health and vitality. Also associated with enthusiasm and optimism, it is a good welcoming color for hallways or where conversation needs to be stimulated. It inspires self-confidence, encourages pride, and has a freeing action on the consciousness, providing a release of gifts and abilities. As it lies between red and yellow, it has an effect on both the physical well-being and the intellect. It carries physical energy tempered with common sense. It is a cheerful, warm vibration which removes fears or inhibitions.

Gold is the color of divine awareness, spiritual healing and positive change. It raditates love, compassion and understanding to all who come into contact with its radiant light. Gold symbolizes a degree of perfection, the completion of man's process of transmutation from the base metal of instinct to the realization of the divine spark within. I chose it as one of the main colors in the B&B suites at Shadetree Inn in St. Francisville. The testimonials in the guest journals attest to the special qualities of the color gold.

Purple, also associated with spirituality, is a truly regal color but should be used with discretion or in small doses as it can be tiring on the eyes. A shade of it would be good for a meditation retreat. It is a color of artistic ability and philosophy. It can produce a high state of exhilaration, but is followed by a letdown or intense state of irritation. A dark, more earthy shade of it would make a very quiet bedroom and it would add grandness to living rooms. Research shows it is also very good for curbing anti-social behavior. Bright purple, however, has a lot of red in it, so it is more related to the energy of fire.

The color violet is found on the planes of consciousness associated with the great masters of music, art and literature. It raises personal values, seeks perfection in life, and encourages self-sacrifice and work without selfish aims. Its qualities of spirituality and calmness make it a great background color in rooms. However, as it vibrates at a much higher frequency (due to the red in it), it is not quite as calming as blue or green.

Pink is a calming shade of red and is good for a bedroom because it is very feminine and nurturing. Its healing qualities make it good for children and convalescents, and is supportive for divorcees. Pink has sedative qualities so it is good for places where you want serenity and for people who have difficulty sleeping. It is a very loving color that dissipates anger and creates a supportive environment.

Turquoise is bold and compelling yet restful at the same time. It is a shade often found in countries where the light is bright and strong. It can be a good color for a living room or bedroom, stimulating but not tiring on the eye. Turquoise is an ethereal, healing color that is particularly useful in reducing stress without depleting energy.

In my last newsletter, I wrote about the healing qualities of green and blue. Green being the most healing color of all and blue creating calmness, tranquility and serenity. Since then, we have created more paint colors in my new line of Full Spectrum Paints. I've categorized them into these three categories: "Nature's Palette" which consists of 11 earthy hues, 7 "Ethereal Mists" which are much lighter and contain the qualities the name inspires.The third category, 7 "Magical Gems", consists of colors I use as a form of "color therapy". As the name implies, the hues are vibrant jewel tones, to be used in small spaces where you want to create a "jewel box" effect. As long as you are painting the inside of a closet or cabinet, for instance, treat yourself to a little color therapy. I can't begin to tell you how great it feels everytime I open my kitchen cabinets and see a beautiful "Ruby" color, or open the linen closet which is a vibrant "Turquoise".

Our Full Spectrum Paints are available in "Lifemaster 2000" which is independently certified as VOC free as cited in Natural Home Magazine and Environmental Building News. This paint uses a more expensive, solvent-free colorant system to achieve richer colors. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are harmful to you and the environment. When exposed to sunlight, VOCs produce ground level ozone, a major contributor to air pollution, indoors and out--harmful to both human health and agricultural crops.For more information and pricing on our Full Spectrum Paints, visit our online brochure: Full Spectrum.