Colors can help bring us out of the doldrums or create a relaxing mood where stresses melt away. This science is well-known and practiced in restaurants, medical facilities, spas, and by color therapists to produce the desired results from the human subjects. It sounds very scientific and impersonal, but it is truly a good thing when this science is used to bring warmth and comfort or relaxation and joy into one's home. Red, yellow, orange and brown have been proven to stimulate hunger, so that's why many of the restaurants we visit use these same colors on the exterior and interior of their buildings. Doctor's offices can create fear and anxiety in patients, so colors such as light blue and gray are used for a calming effect. Spas and resorts where upscale services are provided usually use natural color tones such as sandy beige, bamboo green, or tree-trunk browns to get clients in touch with nature and bring an air of relaxation.

One way to bring cheer into your home is to buy dried flowers for some of your rooms. Bright orange and magenta dried chrysanthemums are gorgeous large-plumed flowers that make a huge impact when combined together. Using opposite colors on the color wheel is just one of the tactics that color therapists use to bring their clients into a better state of mind. For example, blue and yellow are opposites. Orange and purple along with red and green are at opposite ends of the spectrum and are natural compliments to each other. Try and use colors that are far from each other in the color wheel and you'll create a more eye-catching arrangement of dried flowers.

If you're looking for a more de-stressing vibe in your home, try making soothing sand and dried flowers arrangements for your living room coffee table, dining room area, or bedroom night stand. Take a large glass bowl or hurricane glass and fill it part-way with sand and then add polished rocks, driftwood, seashells, dried lavender stalks, and faux grasses. Another popular favorite is a clear glass container of river rocks and lucky bamboo shoots. They offer visual interest with their curvy appeal and a bright green, cheerful splash of color to whatever room they are in.

Another way to bring color into your home is to buy or make wreaths filled with dried flowers. If you'll make the wreath yourself, buy dried flowers that appeal to you. Whether you're drawn to delicate blooms or giant, dramatic ones - whatever you fancy is what you should choose. Yellow, oranges, magentas, and reds give energy to a room, while blues, greens, and browns bring relaxation. You can make a different color theme into each room to accommodate the activities for that space. Relaxation from fragrant dried lavender is excellent for the bedroom where sleep occurs. In the kitchen or dining room, brighter colors can be used to stimulate conversation and energy.

No matter what your mood or the season of the year, colors can transform your entire being. Go from sad to cheery or from stressed to calm in mere minutes by using strategic splashes of color in your home!