1.) Painting the inside of a lampshade. I've heard that painting the inside pink can warm up the compact flourescent bulbs--but I have the kind of lamp where the inside of the shade is exposed. I'm thinking metallic gold.
2.) So yes...I have large expanses of blues and greys on the walls. Also, most of my furniture is square. So I'm thinking of trying to find something in a natural material, with a bit more fluid of a shape--like a natural wood side table or a mirror framed with shells or stones.
3.) Another option is to go with pops of colors from the opposite side of the color wheel throughout the room. My blue walls could easily be the backdrop for an orange or yellow accent.
4.) Finally--pattern. Mixing patterns is something from which I have traditionally run, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. When mixing patterns, 2 of these things should be the same about the patterns: scale, color, or the pattern itself. If you have two paisleys that are the same size, but different colors--that's okay. Stripes and polka dots with the same color scheme and approximate scale are okay. A large-scale damask and a small-scale plaid with none of the same colors....that's not going to work so well. Another hint here is to choose an odd number of patterns to display. (This actually goes for all accessories.)
Mixing patterns doesn't necessarily "warm up" the room, but adding texture always adds another dimension, which is essentially what you're trying to do anyway.
If you try any of these techniques--feel free to share pictures! I will post mine as I work on them!
