The DIY-Fueled Trend That's Replacing Sophisticated Home Decor

From velvet sofas that create subtle opulence in your living room to stone-drenched bathrooms for maximal elegance, luxury is a timeless and popular interior decorating style. Modern sophistication has many subsets of decor styles, too, from contemporary to mid-century modern. However, primary play — the latest decor trend – includes design elements such as contrasting trim, door murals, and hand-painted walls and doors, which create a total juxtaposition to their luxury counterpart. Primary play decor challenges simplicity and the sleek, clean modern elements that are staples of sophisticated decor. Instead, it encourages playfulness and a variety of whimsical elements to shine through. Primary play is all about breaking the contemporary design rules (who says you can't paint on your walls and still have a classy home?) and having fun while adding funky design elements to your home.

As the name suggests, primary play is defined by the use of bold primary colors, whimsical furniture and art pieces, as well as fun DIY projects, like painting surfaces and furniture as a way to convey playfulness to your decor. Ultimately, the trend empowers the designer to channel the creativity of their inner child. Primary play prioritizes fun over sophistication by adding a youthful touch to rooms without looking tacky or unruly. If you want to let loose with this new decor trend, there are a few design tips and tricks to keep in mind.

It goes without saying that bold colors play an important role in primary play. Funky rugs, lamps, decorative bowls, and other decor items that feature vibrant patterns, such as red, orange, and blue, can add a youthful elegance to your space. You might opt to choose an accent wall featuring one of the primary colors to make a bare space pop or to help define a specific space, especially if you have an open floor plan. For furniture, you may want to consider adding bright orange or red ottomans to your living space or bold green and blue dining chairs with a matching rug that complements your kitchen or dining area.

Remember, this decor is all about vibrant fun, but you don't necessarily have to cling to the primary colors to embrace this trend, especially if you typically lean on neutral tones in your home. For example, you can incorporate multiple bright colors that are muted in hue to tone down some of the vibrancy if that's more your thing. Color blocking is another simple way to put a fresh spin on a minimalist design. In fact, white walls and neutral tones can look gorgeous juxtaposed with a bright yellow or blue staircase or an abstract painting with primary colors. Beyond adding visual intrigue, color blocking can also add depth to your space, as it can create the appearance that a room is bigger than it is.

Another way to channel primary play — and your inner artist — is through paint projects. Murals, hand-painted furniture, and self-made artwork using bright, bold primary colors are all components of this trend. Since primary play is all about childlike inspiration, consider adding a mural wall to a room that you consider to be too tame or could use a playful touch, such as offices, entryways, or even your dining room. You may also bring the fun to a room that is dedicated to it, such as painting a mural in family and game rooms. The key here is painting beyond a single color and playing with different creative painting techniques, such as geometric patterns and sponge or splatter painting, to express your personality.

Colorful murals aren't the only way to express your creativity. Per primary play, you can paint decor items, such as furniture, and DIY your own artwork to add accent pieces that show off your inner child's creative expression. If you're worried about primary colors overwhelming your space, you may want to incorporate subtle elements, such as color-blocking furniture and using neutral walls to lay your vibrant murals against. You can use bold colors to paint any kind of wood furniture you may have, including dining chairs and console tables, to add depth to a neutral space.

Primary play is for anyone who wants to bring fun elements to their space. You don't necessarily have to totally redecorate or scratch your current home design — in fact, primary play can be a beautiful addition to the style you already have. It's an especially endearing decor style for a contemporary or modern design. Mid-century modern decor, specifically, is an excellent choice to use with primary play because the vibrant hues can easily elevate neutral and lend a pop of color without being too overwhelming. Plus, mid-century modern already implements warm colors such as mustard yellow, burnt orange, and cherry red, so you would just be building off of that by adding pops of vibrant shades.

Beyond that, primary play can seamlessly match the vibe of different maximalist decor. The use of bold colors and fun patterns can add a youthful touch to the opulence and dynamism of the design, where color is already a major player. If your home decor veers toward maximalist, you may consider elevating the shades you already have with their complementary parts, such as adding a bright red or orange vase and decorative bowls to a green credenza, or violet decor items to a yellow coffee table. Alternatively, you could also consider trendy shades, such as bold color trends you'll be seeing more of in 2025.