Last weekend I stood up for my sister as her bridesmaid while she married the man of her dreams; it was a beautiful event set in the mountains of Banff at a charming chalet surrounded by friends and family.

Since my siblings and I are all in our 40s and 50s a wedding at this point is a very special occasion, one of joy and tears as we celebrate and reflect on life. I wanted things to be very special for the happy couple so I went out of my comfort zone on a few issues; 1. I wore a sleeveless dress. 2. I accessorized with pale lavender.

For those of you who know me I don’t do sleeveless at ALL and I have never worn lavender in my life, expect for maybe those crazy velour jumpsuits my mom made me wear as a little girl.

I wanted the bride to have her day and of course her wedding colours so I went forward out of my area of comfort to accommodate my sister’s wishes. What surprised me is the amount of people who raved about my dress AND the colour lavender on me! Maybe it was just the social norm to compliment the wedding party but I truly felt wonderful in the dress and in that colour!

The argument can be made for branching out and trying something new in designing your home, even with a colour you have never used or think you don’t like.

I am breaking out of my routine in my new home by introducing a moody, delicious shadowy teal colour called C2 Titan. It is a colour I have seen in a few friends’ and clients’ homes and I have the opportunity to use it in my lovely new home! Teal has never been a colour I’ve used in decorating but I am eager to use it with copper and delectable espresso brown in this place.

I realize that I have recycled colour schemes over the years and this is a new foray into colours that I have never used before. I am surprised to find that it is energizing and very exciting to decorate with these new colours. Like wrapping myself in lavender – it is an unexpected and inspiring colour selection that has unexpected and inspiring results!

So do it! Swath yourself in lavender, paint your bedroom teal green and accessorize with a colour you claim to hate. I have women stop me in stores to admire my new orange purse; they exclaim ‘I love your purse!

I hate the colour orange but your purse is gorgeous!’ It makes me laugh to myself, that a colour they hate could cause such an emotional reaction. Try it. Experiment with the colour you react to emotionally and go for it! Claim a new and undiscovered design palette for yourself and watch your creativity take off! You have no idea what you are missing out on until you ‘try on’ a new idea or colour.

There are endless combinations and designs for you to consider when livening up your home. Be brave, take a big step forward and try something new and incredible. Stop and consider new patterns or colours instead of just passing them by.

Change is refreshing and invigorating and can result in something you could have never imagined falling in love with.

Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.