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Dark rainy climes: do you go bright, or dark?

ironkurtin

Veteran

As some of you may know, the plan is to move from Austin, land of heat, to Portland Oregon, land of rain, in 2014. Since I quit Big Tech, I have purged all the Big Tech dressy items from my wardrobe and only kept the things I loved most for my new freelance role. Most of these are in my limited color palette, which runs dark: black, gray, dark blue, some dark greens, burgundies, browns. And a lot of white for summer. These are my happy colors.

However, I am wondering if they will turn into my seasonal affect disorder colors in the drizzly PNW. My plan is to paint my house cheery colors inside and have lots of bright accents at home, just not to WEAR them.

Anyone here find they dress to counteract the weather? Do I need to start looking for a bright red trench?

Dressing

29 replies

Latest reply was from

rae

(website)

Veteran

I've never lived in a rainy climate, but my very good friend lived there for college. I cannot imagine her donning super-bright colors ever, just not her personality. You could grab a bright umbrella if you find yourself SAD.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I live in Seattle and wear both brights, pastels and neutrals year round. My bright wool coats - of which I have four - help to create a cheerful mood on a grey day, of which there are too many to count. After days in neutrals I crave colour. I wear lots of shades of white too - because they are bright. I am the opposite of the New Yorker who wears black and grey each day. Greg on the other hand is THAT New Yorker. For colour he adds ink blue.

Our house is also very colourful. We have bright red outside doors, bright walls (lots of white walls with the brights too) and extremely bright cushions and art work. We also have white furniture and bed sheets - because white is bright. It makes us happy. We could not live in a neutral interior, and others of course, would not dream of living in our colourful interior. Horses for courses - always. Also, we do not have curtains anywhere in the house. We have huge windows and prefer to let in all the light. Feels modern and minimal.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Angie, that is what I am hoping! I need windows. And I am really hoping to look at water. That cheers me up no mater how bad it is outside.

Alassë

Veteran

Move and see? You're pretty neutral-oriented....

K. Period.

Veteran

Purge and add after you've been here a year. Your darks and neutrals will be perfectly appropriate around Stumptown. You've probably noticed it during your visits. You can add brights when you need them. However, if you never felt drawn to brights in Austin, I'd be surprised if weather alone would draw you to brights in Portland!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

K. Period is right. You need to re-asses when you are living in OR. Who knows what your colour mood will be like then. YES. We are surrounded by water in Seattle and it helps a lot.

fern

Veteran

Yes, you will have to adjust to the light here. We just did a home renovation to add big south-facing glass to our kitchen - totally worth it.
Our house has bright colors too, as Angie described. My friend says, of gray on gray houses here (and there are some!), "How do you even find that house in the winter? It would disappear."

I don't dress in brights but I did get this old Anthro sweater, which I wear specifically to laugh at the rain.

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Elizabeth P

Veteran

"For colour he adds ink blue." Dying over here.

Totally in agreement with K.P. Halifax can be pretty dreary, and it's easy to "hunker down" in black and navy when it's miserable out. Like today. But I like colour, and white, and do find it gives me a boost in all the greyness

Greyscale

Veteran

I love winter (rainy or snowy, depending on location) because my favorite blacks and greys seem to fit the weather. Maybe once in a very rare while I'll add a pop of color to brighten the day, but usually, the dark colors make me very very happy. But for interior decorating, I go as bright as possible - not bright colors but pure bright white with lots of fun accents. I've found that my space affects my mood immensely, so my main priorities for apartments are big tall ceilings and big tall windows that make it feel lighter and airier.

(Of course, those Victorian ceilings and windows are currently leaving my living room unusably cold and drafty...)

catgirl

Veteran

For me it's not about dark or bright as much as warm or cool tones with your interior spaces. Our living room was a light cold grey, and once it was painted mango and deep red it felt about 20 degrees warmer and cozier.

ironkurtin

Veteran

@Fern - so funny, because I just bought the tunic below specifically to layer in Portland winters!

I agree with everyone that colors inside the house are HUGE. In my Brooklyn loft we had beachy colors - soft yellows, some aegean blues, plus sandy tans for the tile. Even in winter it was bright and lovely in there. Huh... now that I think about it, this tunic is a way brighter reflection of my old kitchen!

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fern

Veteran

Yes! -and you can hang that tunic on the wall, outside the closet, for sunny ambiance.

ironkurtin

Veteran

@Fern - no way, not with my minimalist boy. I'll just have to look at it in my closet.

AnnieMouse

Veteran

I don't live in a drizzly climate because I know I would go bonkers, but when we have rainy periods, I find myself reaching for the brightest colours in my wardrobe to perk me up. But I'm a colour fiend! I agree with those that say wait til you get there and assess how you feel

And congrats! My best friend just moved to PDX this month and is loving it!

gryffin

Veteran

IK - I think the most important thing is to decorate in a way that speaks to you. You need to use the colors that make you happy just thinking about them. Also, for me light is the most important thing. If you want a good read, anything by Sarah Susanka - "the not so small house". She talks about light and it is especially important light coming from different directions. If you can't do that with windows, mirrors can help. I prefer muted colors but my walsl are the color of "filtered sunlight". I find sconces, lamps, over head - making sure you space has adequate light, preferably on dimmers to be a big help. I think you need to fill your space with things that speak to you and reinforce your ideal of calm, tranquil and soothing - color, light, texture. I prefer windows undressed or just a little swag for softness if you can get away with that for privacy. If you make your space a little personal shrine (if that makes sense) I think you will always find tranquility and calm there. Also you might want to check out Lauri Ward's "the use what you have" decorating books and the domain book of intuitive home design (ps I'm a visionary and we make little shrine to be happy and grounded). These books really helped me make my home a sanctuary of peace. They helped me understand light and how to make my home a place that would regenerate my spirit not matter what the weather, season, situation. Hope this helps. Good luck.
http://www.amazon.com/Domain-B.....id=1387392
http://www.amazon.com/Use-What.....617&s
http://www.amazon.com/The-Not-.....11&sr

PS forgot to address the clothing question. Sorry got caught up in decorating! I still dress in neutral - black & gray because that is what I love independent of season - yes, summer too. But I fill my spaces with muted filtered light, art, silver, beautiful objects and colors that make me happy.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Interesting question! I think the answer is totally going to depend on you and you alone. You may find the grey drizzle of Portland doesn't affect your sartorial preferences. Or you may be happier splashing colour everywhere. You'll find out!

I live in rainy Vancouver, Canada, and personally love dark neutrals. My happy colours sound similar to yours. The interior of our house is painted in soothing pale neutrals. I had a deep red bedroom once, and never wanted to spend time in there (which is weird, because prior to that I'd always spent lots of time in my bedroom reading). I eventually figured out that the colour of the room felt oppressive to me. Repainting solved the problem.

One thing that IS important for me, especially with our climate, is sufficient natural light. Our house has many windows and a southern exposure, so it's always bright in here.

Deborah

Veteran

My colour palette remains the same year round and we can have very grey dreary winters (I love them). However my home is more colourful. Not crazy but a lot of white and neutrals with strong accent colours. We have one sofa that is green and another that is purple :).

Thistle

Veteran

When I lived in Seattle, I didn't feel my color palette change because of the weather. I felt like I liked what I liked regardless of the weather.

Of course, your ymmv.

Classically Casual

Veteran

A couple of more ideas to beat the "drearies"

take Vit D supplements all year 'round (we're pretty much all deficient up here)
if your schedule is flexible enough, get outside for quick walking (or running) breaks all year. The weather radar is so good now, that one can sneak in dry walks most days. It rarely rains all day long without stopping. It makes a huge difference in my mood if I've managed to get outside to breath fresh air and get the endorphins flowing.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Yup, yup, and yup! Sounds like great advice. I'm excited!

rachylou

Veteran

What I've always liked for overcast climes are greys with a touch of acidic colour - citron, pink. Maybe a little mustard. Really sunny colours give me a terrible sense of dissonance.

Windchime

Veteran

Interesting question and responses! I live in a part of the midwest where we have a lot of " lake effect" overcast weather in winter and early spring. For me, too, it's essential to have warm colors in my home--green, gold, burgundy, and cream--and lots of light. I don't think I choose my clothing colors in response to our often-gloomy weather, especially since working with wardrobe capsules. I do wear colors besides black and grey, but that's because I love color.

Good luck with your upcoming move; that will be a huge change for you!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

See what I mean by our bright walls and artwork. Exhibit A and B. We have lots of white walls too. But there's the odd very bright wall throughout the house. And white furniture - couch and dining room chairs - attract the light and keep things airy, cozy and modern.

I don't think we would change our taste in interior design if we moved. It's been the same in three countries with different climates. You kind of like what you like. You'll be the same probably, Dana.

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carter

Veteran

IK, how exciting! I don't live in a gloomy climate, so no advice. But I do love change! Enjoy it!

Angie, you rock the Betty Crocker look!

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

I'm with Angie and the others whose tastes don't change with different sun/cloud levels. I don't find that PDX's clouds affect my mood at all so far (and I don't think I'd ever use the word "gloomy"), probably because most of my life I lived in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, where it's not only pretty cloudy a lot of the time, but much colder and icier and messier with dirty snow. To me, this weather (which frankly we haven't had a lot of over the past year) is lovely. 45 in January? YES PLEASE. (BTW, last place we lived was in super-sunny Silicon Valley.)

However, my tastes do change with the style and lifestyle climate a bit. As a freelancer myself, I don't really do "business" clothes anymore, casual or otherwise. I'm picking up more of a sporty thing right now, but new-sporty (sleek), not old-sporty (boxy, floppy, sloppy, ugly-colored and otherwise aesthetically impaired).

(Hmm...and my trench is black, with some small silver details. But I don't wear it that often, 'cause it makes me look...a bit businessy. Got it when I still needed to look that way sometimes. So, I'm also working on styling my more businessy things to fit the mood here.)

PS, that tunic is cool! Blue and yellow has also been a fave of my mom's for kitchens. Plus we are part Swedish in background. Heh.

When you get here, ironkurtin, maybe us PDXers should meet up and see WWW (what we wear).

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Sounds to me like you have a handle on what will work for *you,* which is the only thing that matters in this equasion. There's no right or wrong way to dress for dreary conditions. I often get comments when I wear my red winter coat or purple fall trench, but a totally different set are drawn to my black puffer or charcoal tweed cape. Even though I can't see the colours myself, I enjoy having that kind of variety on hand to reflect my ever-changing moods. But you have yourself figured out, and your strategy sounds perfectly reasonable. Best of luck with the move, btw. What a life change!

ironkurtin

Veteran

Thanks for dropping in on an older thread, Michelle! I'm really looking forward t the change, to be honest. As crazy as it sounds I love dreary weather - I love coming back inside where it's warm and bright and cozy.

ManidipaM

Veteran

I do change colours with the seasons. But like Rachy I find brights dissonant in pouring rain for the most part. I tried it for many years before giving up. And it doesn't boost mood either unless you look down a lot or meet MANY mirrors.

I put the brights on my plate and whites on my walls and in my windows instead.

I do prefer at least one bright item in raingear for visibility in pouring rain though. Pink boots. Fuchsia umbrella. Yellow raincoat. Red bag. Not all together.

Anonymous

I have to match the sunlight, oddly. To me it feels odd to wear a bright color in a cloudy day and viceversa. As far as decor, I think I go more with what I envision once I see the space. I do like neutrals with a pop of color, generally. I also need a white wall somewhere.