How To Make Regency-Inspired Paint Colors Work In Your Modern Home

If you love Jane Austen and Bridgerton, regency is a style you're familiar with. One way to add some of it into a home without making your interior look outdated and gimmicky is to use colors instead of furniture. Regency-inspired colors are dusty and romantic, and they can work wonders in modern homes. You just have to know how to go about it!

First things first, what even is Regency style? The Regency era was a period in British history from 1811 to 1820, and it got its name because of the "Regency Act" which appointed George IV as the prince regent. During that time, the fashion shifted towards muted colors and more relaxed dresses, and architecture became more contemporary. Because of movies, shows, and books set during that time, "Regencycore" is a style that's gained prominence in both fashion and interior design. If you love how this looks but don't own an old British cottage or castle, don't worry. By using paints, you can bring a touch of vintage charm from 200 years ago into your home. 

So when we talk about Regency-inspired paint colors, we're thinking simple, muted, and dusty tones. This can be a rosy peach, dusty greens and blues, a rusty yellow, and various shades of muted oranges. To build contrast, these palettes pair well with gold accents and deep browns, which call back to wood floors and gilded frames. These are stunning shades that look great in today's homes because they add color without overpowering an interior, but it does require some know-how to make them look polished and intentional. 

To make vintage colors like these Regency-style ones work in a modern house, you have to work with what you have. Painting a room is supposed to be a cheap makeover, so we don't recommend that you gut your entire home. Instead, look at the colors that you already have: are there any rooms that use muted tones, deep brown woods, and rich jewel tones? Those are your best bets for a Regency-style makeover. If you have bright red cabinets or 1970s-style decor in a room, it might be harder to add dusty pastels into the mix. 

Once you've identified opportunities for a Regency-style paint job, try to choose colors that work with the space. Picking the perfect shade of paint doesn't just depend on your tastes. If the room doesn't get a lot of direct light, some dusty greens and blue might make it feel cooler and darker. Instead, you could use pinks and peaches as a way to warm it up. On the contrary, large and sunny rooms would look great with the aforementioned earth tones. Another option is to use these shades of paint for DIY furniture makeovers or to covers smaller items like frames, molding, stair banisters, or window and door frames. 

To tie it all together, don't hesitate to obsess over the details — think crown moldings on the ceiling, millwork on baseboards, golden frames for a gallery wall, or rich jewel-tone carpets on the floor. Look for opportunities to add patterns that use those Regency-style colors, whether it's with wallpaper, a luxurious couch, or some tone-on-tone wall friezes.