How To Use Bold Colors In A Home
Are your all-white walls begging for a pick-me-up? According to Apartment Therapy, there are many reasons to fill your living space with bold and creative paint colors. While it can be overwhelming to start filling those white or neutral walls, color can make you feel happier and more energized in the long run. If you're feeling creative, why not paint murals on a wall or paint one wall a specific accent color? To start small, decorate a kitchen with bold colors like decorative plates before unleashing color into the whole home. Flowers are also an effective way to add vibrancy to a home.
Hot pink, yellow, and green can easily liven up a room. Try painting the hallway a bold color to attract attention. People who prefer a neutral wall scheme but want to add color can add colorful furniture to a living room. Place bright pillows and cushions onto sofas and couches for flair. Adding pops of bold color to the home is fun and can be done with different tips and tricks.
Go for a statement wall color
A straightforward way to incorporate color in a home is by painting walls a bright color without overpowering the interiors. According to AK Painting Powerwashing, you should create an accent wall with a solid wall without doors or windows. This tip allows the color to catch the eye without the viewer being distracted by other elements. An accent color will look great on a wall that doesn't have any paintings or mirrors.
Unsure of where to begin with color on your walls? An array of color combinations will complement one another (via Shutterfly). If you desire a city feel, mix dark green with red brick. You can create a more peaceful environment by mixing navy blue with brown and light pink. Navy blue adds depth, while light shades of brown and pink produce a feeling of softness and fragility. Bright pops of candy red apple colors look excellent paired with white stripes or baby blues. The effect is retro and provides an old soda shop vibe. Favor an ocean-themed aesthetic? Cobalt blues look crisp and cheery and are perfect for pulling off a nautical look (via Apartment Therapy). Dark purples like grape tones are original and bold. Want to bring the outdoors indoors? Add the color chard for a jungle effect. Want a burst of orange? Find shades of bright orange to produce a sense of warmth and boldness in your home.
Add drapery
Every house has windows in need of curtains. Why not choose popular curtain styles to liven up a living or dining room space? According to Decoist, you can incorporate dark-colored curtains without using black drapes. Try to mix dark blues with light pastels to create a comforting vibe. Blue curtains also look good against orange and yellow walls and create a retro '60s aesthetic. If blue isn't your favorite color, try dark reds, purples, and browns in your interior design.
Want light and bright curtains? Yellow is a cheerful and relaxing color to try for your window treatments (via DesignRulz). Need help sleeping? Light green and blue or turquoise curtains can induce sleep and alleviate anxiety if placed inside a bedroom. Try to incorporate light shades of pinks and purples into the bedroom to evoke feelings of passion and love. Whatever your preference, colorful curtains can make a room feel warm and welcoming.
Play with sofas and couches
Sofas and couches are usually focal points in the middle of living rooms. If you're planning a family get-together or watching TV, comfortable yet colorful couches are must-haves. According to Articulate, choosing a sofa or couch for your home can be challenging. It's a big decision that can make or break the main room. While there are people who prefer to match their sofa to their wall color, this may not always be the best choice in the long haul because then you're stuck with a specific color palette.
Paint the wall a neutral color like tan or gray to offset colorful couches. Warm colors like reds, oranges, and pink look pleasing against a brown or tan backdrop. Blues and greens mix well with gray or slate-colored walls. Since the living room is a place of peace and togetherness, think of the psychology behind your colors. For feelings of serenity, buy a couch in a teal blue. A fire engine red couch will instantly energize your space. Think about which fabrics feel most comfortable when purchasing a sofa. Velvet, leather, and wool are all soft materials perfect for your furniture.
Bring in pottery
Ceramics are a sure way to spruce up any room with an artistic and colorful vibe. According to Houzz, you can try adding plants in ceramic pots and vases. Find these accessories at a home decor store or secondhand shop speckled or coated with an ombre glaze for a unique effect. When decorating with colorful ceramic pottery around the home, keep similar colors together. A group of ceramics in mint green will look excellent on a shelf against a white-colored wall in the living room. Try to maintain balance by arranging similar colors together on shelves. Keep blues with blues, greens with greens, and so forth. Want to decorate an office desk? Place a tight-knit group of small ceramics on one side of the desk. You can arrange ceramics on shelves and furniture depending on the style aesthetic you prefer, whether modern, rustic, or vintage.
Incorporate ceramics into your kitchen based on color schemes (via Curbed). Why not add black and white ceramics to a kitchen with neutral or dark shades of color? A kitchen with boldly painted walls and brightly-colored window frames could use a sprinkling of ceramics for fun pops of color. Look into what kitchen design best fits your mood or personality.
Incorporate paintings
What better way to add color to the home than by incorporating artwork? According to Decorilla, large statement art pieces make sense in big rooms. Placing big art pieces in a small space may cause the room to look overcrowded. Unsure what kind of theme to have with paintings for the living room? Look for series art like diptychs or triptychs, which have two or three pieces that follow a particular theme. Diptychs or triptychs featuring city buildings or skyscrapers will look fantastic on a colorful apartment wall. Create the perfect gallery wall in your living room with themed art. Incorporate outdoorsy themes or seasonal elements to help your home reflect its surroundings.
Soft, abstract landscape paintings fit well in bedrooms and produce a calming feeling, especially at night (via The Spruce). Light washes of blue and creams in landscape paintings are a better choice than paintings with loud red and orange colors for the bedroom. Establish a bakery or fruit theme in your kitchen by hanging artwork featuring bread and fruit baskets filled with apples, oranges, and bananas. Want to add artwork in a bathroom? Incorporate shadow boxes of beach and summer vacation scenes for a sunny ocean aesthetic.
Consider ceiling color and lamps
Painting a ceiling or adding a chandelier adds color and light to rooms. Why not paint the ceiling the same color as the walls in your bedroom? According to From House to Home, this style creates a cohesive flow between the walls and the ceiling. If the bedroom has a specific wallpaper pattern, paint the ceiling to match the wallpaper or be original by painting it a contrasting color. If the bedroom walls are yellow, paint the ceiling blue or red. Instead of staying with solid colors, paint the ceiling with intricate designs in gingham, plaid, and stripes. It's a fresh take on a basic painting project.
Stick to the original room theme when selecting a lamp for the bedroom (via SFGate). For example, a child with a ballerina-themed room may prefer a ballerina slippers lamp, while a kid with a sports-related room may prefer a basketball lamp. Tattered or worn-out lampshades may need replacing. When purchasing a new lamp shade, seek out white or ivory-colored lampshades instead of dark-colored ones. Light colors transfer more brightness from the lamp. Pick a contrasting lampshade color compared to the lamp's base color to add color. For example, you can mix a purple lampshade with a green base for a unique look.
Look for kitschy children's art
Who says kid's refrigerator art can't add vibrant colors to a room? According to Organised Pretty Home, you can try drilling screws on opposite sides of a wall to place string with clothing pegs to hang children's artwork. You can purchase string and clothing pegs at any craft or home store. Once you find picture frames, use spray paint to color them differently. Go for bold colors in electric green or hot pink. Want a more professional look? Buy new picture frames in wood and metal. Go digital to cut back on clutter and scan children's artwork to print and add to the frame. Picture ledges are another unique way to display children's artwork.
Want to go big with children's artwork? Install a cork gallery wall and use thumbtacks to display children's artwork (via HGTV). This look is clean and intentional, and you can switch the art without hassle. Want to be crafty? Install a dowel rod on a wall with rainbow-colored ribbons in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to hang your artwork by clothing pegs. For a subtle touch, tape children's small art pieces into the cabinets of stereos or cupboards to create a wallpaper effect. This style won't cause clutter and reminds children what their art looked like at different ages.
Liven up your kitchenware with color
Are you tired of using plain-colored plates or neutral-colored silverware? Spice up mealtime with colorful utensils. There are many ways to DIY instead of buying new dishware. According to Live Colorful, an adorable way to paint wooden spoons is to add polka dots on the handle. You'll need to find a paint palette, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, chopsticks, and sealant at a hobby store. Place the wooden spoons or forks onto a placemat or old newspaper to avoid staining tables or tablecloths. Brush paint onto the utensils from the paint palette. Let them dry for about a half-hour before painting a second time. Two to three coats should suffice to prevent any wood from peeking out. Use the chopstick to dip into the paint and make small dots around the handle. Give the utensils a day or two before using them to eat.
For cleaner lines of demarcation, paint wooden utensils with painter's tape on the handle (via Within the Grove). Painted wood utensils and kitchen accessories are great to give to family and friends who recently moved into a home and need kitchenware. You can also decorate ceramic plates and cups using acrylic paints and cover them with a glaze hardener. Stay with a color theme by painting utensils and dishes in varying shades of pink, or go for eye-catching primary colors in red, yellow, or blue tones. You can also create more intricate designs by hand.
Freshen up children's playrooms
Add color to a children's playroom at home by painting the walls or adding cute decor. If there isn't enough space for a playroom, creating a small corner of toys in a living room adds color to an otherwise neutral room. While bright colors are a sure way to add spark to a children's playroom, some parents may favor neutral walls or plain wallpaper if they aren't ready to commit to a full-blown playroom, as stated by Extra Space Storage. If you don't want to make large-scale changes to your walls, paste glowing stars and other cute decals onto a playroom wall. Colorful toy cubbies and bins are ideal for organizing children's toys. For seating areas, gather comfortable cushions and bean bags for little ones. You can find most playroom items at furniture stores.
Want to try something original? Create the perfect accent wall in a playroom with faux green grass (via The Spruce). Children will love the sensory feel. Want to have rainbow colors in a playroom? Arrange books artfully on a shelf in rainbow shades while hanging up professional rainbow prints on the walls. Make a multi-colored watercolor wall with paints or wallpaper to replicate the look.
Tie everything together with a rug
Rugs can make or break a room. According to The Spruce, you should use them to define dining room and seating areas. Create balance by using floor coverings in different sizes to avoid being too uniform or static. When buying rugs, select complementary colors with a specific color scheme to match within the living room or bedrooms. Try to pair subtly patterned rugs with rooms that have busy wallpaper patterns. A neutral-colored rug will complement a room with red and orange flower prints. On the contrary, you can add rugs with loud designs to rooms with subtle wallpaper designs.
Feel free to play with colorful rugs and room designs. When designing a dining room, match the furniture to the rug (via Into the Wash). If the rug features a mix of orange and yellow colors, find a yellow dining room set with matching chairs to bring harmony. Try contrasting shades of color by mixing a baby pink rug with grayscale furniture or wall designs.
Paint a bookshelf
Have a collection of books? You can give them a home by finding a secondhand bookshelf and giving it a makeover. According to House Mix, you can refurbish a brown bookshelf to fit your personality and needs. When buying a used bookshelf, try to sand it down to remove any nicks and imperfections. Use water and vinegar to clean it before painting. Choose any paint color for the bookshelf. While there are people who favor white, you can go for a bright color like purple, orange, or green to stand out. Paintbrush rollers work best because they cover areas thoroughly, and you can wash and reuse them again without having hardened paint settle in the bristles.
Want a simple repaint for a bookshelf? Stay with one color, and be sure to get every spot when painting (via Bedroom Style Reviews). Want to try something out of the ordinary? Paint the top half of a bookshelf one color and the bottom half a different color. Use complementary colors or contrasting colors for a funky vibe. Another fun painting style is painting the insides of a bookshelf's compartment in assorted colors.
Color the stairs
Add a little bit of color by painting the stairs in your home. This style can liven up a home sufficiently without going overboard. According to The Spruce, you can make your stairs more colorful by using techniques like color blocking. Try to paint the runner of the stairs a bold color while leaving one side a lighter color. You can do this by painting the runner cerulean blue with a banana yellow. Though it may sound risky, try painting each stair the color of the rainbow with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Ever wallpaper the stairs? You can accomplish this style by finding wallpaper at a home improvement store and pasting it onto the stairs. Try going for geometric or starburst prints for a fun look.
One of the most innovative ways to use wallpaper in your home is by creating a mosaic stair design (via Homes & Gardens). Unsure of how to paint the stairs? Tie it all together by painting them the color of the wall in your home's front entrance. If the entryway walls are blue, paint the stairs the same color to bring together the design scheme. If you don't want to go crazy with color, consider adding a highlight by painting a single stripe. The stripe can be an accent color in bright pink, orange, purple, or yellow.
Create a bathroom theme for children
Bathrooms don't have to be colorless and sterile. They can feature a theme or have a wild color palette. Why not turn a children's bathroom into a place of fun? According to Decorated Life, colorful rugs and toilet covers are good accents for a children's bathroom. Bath towels and washcloths don't have to be white. You can find neon bath towels in pinks, oranges, yellows, and greens. Bath towels with animals or cartoon characters are also a fun choice. Since children are still growing, buy a step stool, keep shelving low, and install faucet attachments to let them reach water easier when washing their hands, brushing their teeth, or taking a shower.
Why not add funky wallpaper to a children's bathroom? Flamingo wallpaper print is cute for a bathroom (via The Spruce). Nautical and beach themes are popular for children's bathrooms as well. Add in a faux porthole and hang it on a wall. Find blue wave wallpaper or paint waves along the room's border to produce an ocean feel. Bright pops of pink with otherwise neutral-colored sinks and walls are an ideal way to add color. Allow children to be artistic and install a chalkboard in the bathroom so they can make their own drawings. Printed wallpaper with doodle designs is another top choice for the bathroom.
Decorate a bedroom headboard
Who says a bed headboard can't make a statement? When designing a DIY headboard, the possibilities are limitless. According to Better Homes & Gardens, you can decorate a headboard with nailhead trim along the upper rim to add spice. Florals are ideal during springtime, but you can decorate with them year-round. Consider finding a headboard with a flower print in daisies, roses, or tulips.
Want to find a unique headboard? Look for a step-style headboard and decorate it with colorful, patterned pillow covers and bedsheets. Try to mix and match the designs with striped and polka-dotted sheets. If you prefer a simple wooden headboard, dress it up by decorating around it. You can also add colorful paintings around the headboard. Paint the bedroom walls in lively peach tones or cheery pinks. Another way to add originality to a plain headboard is to drape decorative fabric over the top. This style is a fancy way to spruce up your bedroom.