Vacations may not last forever, but there’s a way to hang onto the vacation sensation long after you get back home here to the Annapolis, Maryland area. How? By weaving colors characteristic of the places you visit right into your home décor!

Painting a room in colors that recall favorite destinations is a way of savoring your trips and recapturing the good “vibes” you felt while you were away. And that can be great for your mental health.

It’s a proven fact that the color of one’s surroundings can have strong psychological – and even physiological — effects. That’s why many restaurants are painted red (it increases our appetite) and breakfast rooms are often yellow (it improves our mood in the morning). Vacation colors work in a similar way.

We all have fond memories from our best vacations. Decorating with colors that – even subconsciously – bring those trips to mind can literally make us happier.

If you’re pining for a place you’ve visited, close your eyes and picture that scene in your mind. No doubt, certain colors jump out at you:

· Beach vacations are typified by bright blue skies and sparkling green or blue water, often accented with brilliant white sand.

· Trips to the mountains may summon up memories of light and dark greens, with spots of blue or brown; or, if your visit was in autumn, you may envision an array of rustic reds and shades of burnt orange, with yellow highlights here and there.

· Desert vacations are usually characterized by a palette of warm earthy colors – various tans, terra cotta, perhaps some sage green and gray — likely punctuated with classic turquoise, or bright red.

Your personal color recollections may or may not match these common impressions. But whatever your takeaway from your time away is what you should replicate in your vacation color scheme at home.

Start with the wall color: The primary hue should be emblematic of the place you’re channeling — for example, bright blue for the beach, or dusty tan for the desert.

But you need not apply just one paint color to your walls. If a second color is strong in your memory, consider introducing it on an accent wall. Or, if your home has chair rails, apply one distinctive color above the rail and a second one below.

Woodwork and trim present other possibilities. Colors from your vacation with secondary importance can be used on window and doorframes, baseboards, and every sort of built-in (bookcases, shelving, and the like).

And don’t feel compelled to stop when you finish your painting. By all means, try to capture the style of your special place by selecting furnishings, fabrics, and accent pieces that mirror your memories.

Working with vacation color can be emotionally fulfilling, not to mention a great deal of fun. It’s a great way to create an area in your home to which you can retreat and experience your best travel memories… over and over again!