7 Ways to Get a Colorful Home Without Going “Gaudy” – San Diego Union-Tribune

By Jennifer Barger

The Washington Post

Gwyneth Paltrow’s beige-on-white California mansion. Cream-colored curly chairs for sale at big box home stores such as CB2 and Pottery Barn. Taupe and gray on all things home renovations by Property Brothers and Chip and Joanna Gaines. So far, 2020s designs seem to have remained neutral.

“People are afraid of making costly decorating mistakes or being judged by others, like someone coming to their house and saying, ‘Wow, did you upholster your couch in acid green?’ “, explains Nick Olsen, an interior designer from New York. “This pushes them toward softer, neutral colors or no color at all.”

Studies show that using color in residential environments can improve people’s moods and make them more efficient. But you don’t have to paint all your walls bright blue or buy a hot pink sectional sofa to brighten up your space. Here’s how to add color to your home without making it look like a fun house.

To soften

Ballet pink ceilings, pale green walls and whisper blue ceilings all bring more life to rooms than basic white. “When people say they don’t like color, I think what they mean is shout color: red, traffic light yellow,” says Annie Elliott, an interior designer based in Washington, DC.

Instead, try less intense shades. (Think shades at the bottom or second from the bottom on paint cards.) Test any color you’re considering by gluing painted pieces of poster board – or larger sticker samples ( available from many paint manufacturers or on samplize.com) – on walls.

Examine the samples on each surface you plan to cover at different times of the day (and night) to see how natural and electric light affect them. Some interior designers or paint store experts will conduct painting consultations in person or via video; expect to pay $100 and up per hour for an in-home consultation or around $50 per hour for a video consultation conducted by representatives from brands such as Farrow & Ball and Benjamin Moore.

Get inspired by a print or work of art

You can pay thousands of dollars for an interior designer to come up with a subtle color palette for a space. Or you can do it yourself using a fabric, rug, or “hero” piece of art as inspiration.

“Start with something that has multiple colors: vibrant upholstery, a multi-colored rug,” says Olsen. “It defines your palette and does the work for you. Then take the colors out of that, perhaps by placing lamps and pottery in one shade and a lampshade or slipper in another.

“I often push clients toward a bright painting or print, even if a space is more neutral,” says Nicole Lanteri, a designer based in Arlington, Virginia. “Art is not the biggest room in your house. You don’t sit on it. It just appears, and you see it for what it is.

Use color in unexpected places

Lesser-seen and less-used areas of your home can be great places to experiment with bright accents. (Think metallic blue tiles in a powder room, a rainbow-striped comforter on the guest bedroom bed.) “If neutral tones are safe comfort food, then color is spice, which gives flavor and life to a home,” Charles explains. M. Boggs, associate chair of interior design at Savannah College of Art and Design.

“I like to paint ceilings and interior doors in colors that contrast with the walls,” says Olsen. “I’m currently putting Tiffany blue in a client’s closet, which will make her shoes look great.” Wall and window trim are also ripe for a pop of color.

Add a touch of wallpaper

For many homeowners, an entire room covered in wallpaper can seem overly dramatic. But sticking a pale-colored canvas on a single wall adds drama and interest without looking too crazy. You can also use wallpaper to cover the back panels of a bookcase or hutch.

Elliott steers customers toward grasscloth, a woven wallpaper, often in a solid color. “It adds a lot more texture than paint, but it’s still quite subtle,” she says.

Look to the great outdoors

Natural surfaces and shades are coming back into fashion in home renovation. (Think warm wood kitchen cabinets or unpolished stone floors.) Part of the reason? Materials found in nature basically go with everything. “I love using green houseplants to add color to a room,” says Lanteri. Or fill a vase with pastel dried flowers.

Go beyond just a “pop” of color

Although a single strand of turquoise beads looks stunning on a simple black or white blouse, adding a pop of saturated hue to an otherwise neutral piece can seem jarring. “It’s easy to have an all-gray living room and just throw a few royal blue pillows on the gray sofa,” says Elliott. “But it’s more fun — and less of a sense of disruption — to also bring in a rug with a bit of blue, or perhaps reupholster a fabric accent chair with similar shades.”

Also remember that rooms in the same house must communicate with each other. Weave subtle pops of similar colors throughout your space, such as with navy walls in a home office to echo a sapphire velvet sofa in a large room.

Paint your furniture

Buying a smaller piece of furniture in a cool color – or painting a bookcase or end table in your favorite shade – brightens up a space.

“I’m a big fan of painted furniture in a room full of dark wood,” says Elliott. “You can hire a professional who will use a sprayer to give the furniture a glossy coat. I use Unique by Ruth. You can also DIY, especially if you apply a matte finish or visible brush.

In rooms with brightly painted or upholstered furniture, keep the wall paint subdued. “If furniture is brighter, it will stand out better if it doesn’t compete with strong, saturated wall colors,” says Boggs. “Choose wall colors that complement the rooms but are less saturated.”