Until recently, homeowners and real estate agents alike were filling rooms with muted neutrals. These shades of white, tan, gray, cream, served to create a soft and subtle atmosphere in which to live and work. Neutrals do match most furniture and decorations, so it’s also logical to paint a home’s walls in these hues and add complementing decor. This keeps options open for future redecorations and rearrangements.
However, things are beginning to shift in interior design. While neutrals are still the preference for some homeowners, others are bringing bolder colors into their homes. There are many different ways to incorporate color, providing homeowners with exciting new options when it’s time to redecorate.
Too much color can become overpowering, though, leading to a space that has too much happening visually. If you’re interested in incorporating color into your home, the following tips can help you add it in a way that it doesn’t become overwhelming. After all, there’s a fine line between tasteful and gaudy.
Go for Bold, Not Loud
Many people assume that bold choices mean bright colors, but this is not necessarily the case. A deep, rich green, for example, will likely serve you much better than a bright shade of tangerine. Dark green is just as unexpected and can be equally as unique as orange, but it doesn’t carry with it the same kind of showiness.
Bright colors can be great for small accents such as pillows or pieces of art. If you are considering a piece of furniture or a paint color, opt for rich and full-bodied colors.
Keep It in the Color Family
A classy way to bring variety into your space is to use different tones of the same color. Similar to the paint swatches you find at the hardware store, these often have varying shades to choose from, all of which have the same undertones and come from the same color family.
Consider using a light tone for the wall, a medium tone for any alcoves or shelves, and a dark tone for accents. This brings a significant amount of color with the guarantee that the shades will work well together.
Look to Nature
Nature provides us with all sorts of beautiful color palettes that flow perfectly together. Think of the countryside during the winter or the forest on a summer afternoon. Both landscapes are rife with hues that would look incredible in an indoor space, just as they dazzle us outside.
Houseplants and flowers can even provide a starting point for your color palette. Pothos or prayer plants are common houseplants with mixed hues of greens and pinks on their leaves. Those shades can act as inspiration for your color theme. Other plants to draw inspiration from might include orchids, palms, succulents, and even wildflowers.
Incorporate Art
Choosing colors for your home can be intimidating. There are so many to choose from, and it can be difficult to know where to start. For some people, it’s easier to begin with a piece of art or décor and build around that. This way, you can bring out the piece’s colors and create an entire room around a palette you already feel comfortable with.
This approach to color selection doesn’t just apply to artwork, either. You can go through the same process with a pillow, blanket, tablecloth, wallpaper, or anything else that catches your eye.
Trust Your Home
Many people forget that certain colors may naturally work best in their home’s atmosphere. Consider the undertones of your trim, flooring, and even the view outside. A home’s undertones can narrow down your choices if you don’t know where to begin. For instance, if your home’s wood has honey-colored undertones, warm hues will look best in the room. If you have gray flooring, cool tones may work best in the space.
Use the Color Wheel
It may seem basic, but the color wheel is an essential part of design. Use colors that are complementary or analogous with each other and with existing parts of your home. Consider the above example of warm, honey-colored wood flooring. Yellow and orange are complementary to blue on the color wheel. Blue hues, therefore, would complement your home’s wood and make both colors pop without seeming out of place.
If you want to bring in several colors, consider a triadic color scheme to jumpstart your selection process.
The 60-30-10 Rule
When you are incorporating color, it’s best to follow the 60-30-10 rule as you create your design. This means 60% should be your dominant color, 30% should be your secondary shade, and 10% should be the accent. This ensures your colors aren’t competing for attention in a way that is off-putting or noisy.
If you’re feeling undecided about what your dominant color should be, it may help to keep 60% of the room as a neutral shade. Then, add two additional colors, making one your secondary shade and the other your accent color. This allows you to create a beautiful and colorful look without being too risky.
Use Small Accents
If you are unsure of where to start, begin with a simple accent. A pair of bold pillows or a new piece of art are low-stakes options that can create an extraordinary difference in your space. As you become more comfortable, you can add more pops of the same color, or bring in a second hue and build your color scheme.
CRT Studio Can Help
Ultimately, interior design is not about what’s trendy this season. It is about matching your surroundings to your personality. Though bold colors can feel intimidating, they may also help you to feel more at home in your space.
When you follow the above tips, you can incorporate the colors that match your personality into your home. This lets you design a space that brings both joy and sanctuary to you and your family. For help creating a colorful home, contact Rob Turner of CRT Studio by calling (407) 440-4446 or emailing rob@crtstudio.com.