How to Add Color to Your Room the Right Way: 8 Expert Tips
Transforming Your Home with Color:
Secrets for Stunning Spaces
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.”
Trends tend to swing to polar opposites. For the longest time, gray was the popular choice of color for interiors. Today we are seeing a return to color, and as a lover of color, I couldn’t be happier!
This article I will discuss surprisingly effective ways to use color in decorating with more visuals from my F.R.I.E.N.D.S. mood board challenge with the #edesignsisters of Phoebe’s apartment. I will show you ways to instantly makeover and refresh your apartment.
In the end, you will walk away with creative ways you can improve your colors choices in decorating.
Table of Contents
1.Designer Secret: Upper walls
2. Designer Secret: Repeat accent color three times (odd numbers)
3. Designer Secret: Colorful murals
4. Designer Secret: Mix your metals
5. Designer Secret: Colorful gallery wall
6. Designer Secret: Paint your doors
7. Designer Secret: Use a lot of white
You’ll also enjoy reading these articles:
1.Designer Secret: Upper Walls
If you want to go bold with a color, you don’t have to use it on the whole wall.
Here Sherwin Williams Shamrock paint was used on the upper wall, and Sherwin Williams Faint Coral was used on the lower wall where the _____ is. The faint coral color is almost white, with a whisper of peachy pink. Knowing it was going to unify the space by going around all of the open floor plan, it was only necessary to use a small portion of the bolder color.
Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design
2. Designer Secret: Repeat accent color three times
Repeat an accent color three times. You can see in this floor plan that I achieved this several times. The yellow was repeated on the 1) wall, 2) area rug, and 3) the window treatment aka draperies. This repetition was also done with pink. 1) The desk chair was custom upholstered in a bright pink fabric, 2) there is bright pink in the area rug underneath it, and 3) the accent chairs on the opposite wall are a muted pink.
3. Designer Secret: Colorful murals
Start with a mural.
Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design
A mural can be the inspiration for your color palette if you don’t know where to begin. You can use shades of the colors in the mural, or pick colors that are complimentary in the color wheel. See How to Use the Color Wheel for Decorating.
4. Designer Secret: Mix your metals
It’s ok to mix your metals.
As shown in the dining space below, there is a mix of gold and silver. It’s ok to have a mix. As long as you don’t go beyond two, or maybe even three finishes, you’re in the clear!
Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design
Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design
5. Designer Secret: Colorful gallery wall
Add color with a themed gallery wall. Stumped on how to add interest to your space? Go for a clean grid layout with a colorful, themed gallery wall such as the one I used in my design above.
Continued below….
Pin to Save and Share
6. Designer Secret: Paint your doors
Painting all the doors a dramatic, bold color such as turquoise or even a sophisticated black helps to co-ordinate an open floor plan layout. In my home, we painted all the doors black on both sides. White doors are boring and overdone. You can paint the trim as well or keep it white.
7. Designer Secret: Use a lot of white
Use plenty of white. You’ll notice that although this space is colorful, there is also plenty of white utilized to give the eye rest. From the almost-white paint color below the shamrock green, to the black & white area rug, to the sofa, to the chandelier, to the draperies - white allows the colors to stand out!
8. Designer Secret: Stick to your main color palette
Go all out but stick fairly close to your main color palette. This is especially true in an open floor plan. Go wild but with restraint. Make refined choices. This may take some experimentation, and that’s okay.
Related Reading: How to Stylishly Decorate a Room with White Walls
Shop the Look
Take home looks from my re-imagined space for Phoebe Buffay with picks from her dining room, sitting area, and the rest of her apartment!
(Refresh the page if the link to just the mural is not showing directly below this statement.)
Phoebe’s Apartment Lookbook
Comments welcome! Please click here.
Would you like me to put together a customized design for your home?
Let’s schedule a discovery chat.
Reader Favorites
I love reading comments from my visitors and try to respond in a timely manner! Please let me know what you think or what you’d like to see next!
Affiliate Disclosure
Copyright Act of 1976 Section 107 Fair Use Disclaimer
Related Reading
Say Hi on Instagram
Renovating your home can be an exciting journey, especially when looking to create a space that truly reflects your personality and needs. However, without the right planning and guidance, what starts as a simple project can quickly spiral into stress, disagreements, and unexpected expenses. In this article, we break down 12 common mistakes homeowners make when tackling renovations on their own—ranging from undefined design styles to decision fatigue—and provide expert tips to ensure your renovation is smooth, stylish, and stays on budget. Learn how to avoid these pitfalls and create the home of your dreams, without the hassle.