Fresh Start Whites, Lights, and Brights

I thought that I would be very sad to see the Christmas season go, but I love that feeling of lightening that comes with packing away all the decorations. Suddenly our home feels sparse and filled with light (especially since our Christmas tree was right in front of our living room window). We still have the fire burning so it can seem cozy, but it's fresher and airier and lovely in its own spare way.

The quality of light during this time of year is subtle and beautiful, not so much on the super gray days, but on the ones with at least a little bit of sun. It's cool and quiet and fresh, unobstructed by leaves on trees. It's the best part about the cold winter months. About this time every year, I get the urge to paint all our walls white like a few of my favorite rooms:

Apartment Therapy

 Life In The Fun Lane  

(I've been hearing about her blog for a long time, but only recently delved into it. Wow! Incredible, incredible transformation)

 or at least something ultra light and fresh:

 Yvestown Blog

As much as I love deep colors, I cannot see a fresh bright light room without feeling an enormous sense of calm...they're like the visual equivalent of a deep breath. Perfect for January, which I'm really trying to use as a time to re-embrace simplicity.