What’s the best way to enjoy the rain? From inside, of course. The wetter it is outside, the nicer and cozier you feel watching out the window from your dry and warm home.

There’s no denying, however, that sometimes it’s nice to spend time in a space that gives us that fresh rain feeling without getting wet. The following spaces make that happen with good design decisions. Would you like a rainy day even in sunny Arizona? Let’s see how to make it so.

Take a look at the photo to the left. What design elements come into play on a rainy day? Start with the color. This blue typifies the rain – cool and lively – not too light, not too dark, but both darker and lighter blue tones replace blacks and whites.

Next, notice the reflections – rain makes little mirrors of the sidewalks and anyplace that collects water. Instead of the shadows you expect in sunlight, you get blurred reversed views of the people along the sidewalk.

Finally, look for the small dots created by the water falling. Nothing is simply one solid color – everything has variations in shade and texture.

Now, look at the photo of the restaurant to the right. Yes, you have a similar blue – color is one of the quickest ways to capture a mood. But there’s more that links this space to rain than color.

Check out the flooring. The large tiles are reflecting in a way very similar to the sidewalks in the photo above. All of the lights in the ceiling and above the bar also show their counterparts on that flooring. Finally, you get the contrast of light and shadow that echoes the photo above along with color variations in the flooring itself. This room really is a rainy day.

Want the same mood at home? Well, you may not desire quite as much reflection, but these tiles shine. The shades of blue and small tile choice mimic the pattern and texture of a rainy day. Even the mirror above the sink reflects the tiles so that it looks almost like a contained wall of water.

Cool blues, texture and color variety, and a shine that reminds you of looking at yourself in a puddle before your foot hits it and splashes the image away. Make it rain.