Every winter, many of us get a little depressed due to the lack of sunshine, gray landscape, and short days. While some people take vacations to a tropical location to feel better, some can’t afford a vacation or are unable to get away. A few small changes to your interior can really help lift your mood and brighten the long, dark evenings.

The addition of warm or tropical colors to your palate gives an instant lift. A bit of orange, yellow, or bright green can totally change the feel of a cold or drab room. The use of pillows, florals, and other accessories can also add warmth and vibrancy to your décor.

If your color scheme is neutral, try adding a bit of lime or Kelly green to evoke feelings of spring and rebirth. If you have a blue and white theme, the addition of bright yellow is striking and really heats things up, and those with brown or green themes can add a bit of orange for cheer and a little spark.

A few well-chosen accessories can really make all the difference in how a room feels. Go for tropical fabrics like raw silk or embroidered cotton, and choose summer flowers for a lift. Who could feel blue with big bouquets of sunflowers or daisies nearby? Along with the flowers, some green plants or a palm tree can give new life to a dead space. You can take a room from cold and sterile to warm and inviting in no time with just a few key pieces.

Lighting is also an important factor to consider in the winter months; switching to higher wattage or warm-colored light bulbs helps to brighten up the area and add even more warmth. Open blinds or shades that are usually closed, and let the sun shine right in. If you’re worried about fading, a protective film can be applied to your windows that can cut glare while protecting your furnishings. Draw or remove heavy draperies, and replace seasonally with a cheerful, colored sheer.

Put up a few travel posters or prints of exotic locales or fun, bright artwork to liven up the walls. Images of far away places can relieve stress and give us an outlet for daydreaming, thus escaping the dull, gray winter of central Illinois, if for only a few moments. Mental images have a profound effect on our mood and on our outlook.

Start a fire, light a tropical-scented candle, or spray some citrus-scented room freshener for some instant aromatherapy. The right scent can alter your disposition quicker than anything else.

If you’re still in the dumps, put on some Jimmy Buffet or Bob Marley, turn up the heat, put on your Bermuda shorts, and have a Hawaiian luau, complete with a kiddy pool filled with sand and a beach umbrella. You can create a mini vacation right inside your own home. You could even invite over some friends and make it an annual winter event.

We all take mental cues from our surroundings that effect our psyche, both consciously or subconsciously. Why not add some spark to your home this winter and chase away those winter blues-once and for all? TPW