Do you want your home to look like every other basic neutral home in your neighborhood, or do you want your home to be different and reflect your fun personality?
If you tend to wear khaki pants and a white polo shirt on the weekends, then decorating your home in bright and bold colors is probably not for you. If you wear fun colors and bold prints when away from work (or maybe even at work), then you should probably decorate your home the way you dress yourself.
Decorating your home with bright and bold colors can give it personality and make it unique & special, but it requires careful planning to avoid it looking juvenile or having an overwhelming look.
Many people love vibrant bold & bright colors, however are hesitant to use them in when decorating their homes because they are afraid of their home looking like a preschool classroom or a clown college.
Perhaps you are scared of decorating because you are afraid that you might not like the result in a few years, however you know that you don't like what you have now.
Here are some tips & tricks for decorating with bright and bold colors in a sophisticated manner that does not look juvenile.
Unique Colors
When decorating your home with bright & bold colors, avoid using exclusively primary colors (red, yellow, blue) as much as possible since they feel childish, juvenile, and simplistic. You can use one or two primary colors, but make sure to mix in other colors to give your home a more mature feel.
Also use fewer plain secondary colors (orange, purple, green) since they also look a bit basic.
For the best results, decorate your home with more unique variations of colors, such as vibrant turquoise, aqua, emerald green, butter yellow, electric orange, camel, fuchsia, mauve, teal, chartreuse, lime green, pink, rust, mustard yellow, steel blue, bright navy, and gold.
These colors are truly unique and special, which makes an interior design feel more mature and sophisticated.
Don't be afraid to mix things that don't seem to go together to see how they look. Sometimes decor looks great together, however it is not following any of the typical design "rules".
Colors As Accents
In order to keep your room from looking over stimulating, consider decorating your room using larger furniture pieces in basic solid neutral colors (white, black, gray, brown, beige, wood tone) and add in your bright and bold colors using accent pieces and unique accessories.
You can decorate with bright and bold colored pillows, an accent chair, an ottoman, curtains, and accessories.
Your bold and bright accent colors should be approximately 1/4 of the colors you see in your room (unless you are daring, then feel free to make 1/2 or more of the room bold & bright colors).
Pattern and Texture
To make your bright & colorful home feel more adult and less juvenile, decorate with more mature patterns (paisley, damask, large scale floral, tartan, chevron, animal prints in accurate colors, and solids) instead of juvenile patterns (polka dots, basic small scale plaid, small repeating floral, cartoon style animal silhouettes, animal prints in unique colors).
Avoid the overuse of patterns that reference your geographic location, such as fish patterned wallpaper at a home near the beach or bear graphic pillows at a home in the woods. Some pattern that references your location is charming if well constructed, however you don't want to go overboard and make your home look like a tacky gift shop, do you?
Mix and match patterns in coordinating colors to create a dynamic and eclectic look that reflects your unique style and personality. Place things together that don't typically complement each other and see how it looks. It might look amazing and different and wonderful or it might look weird - you never know! Experiment until you love it.
Texture is very important for adding depth and visual interest to your decor, especially when working with bright & bold colors.
Decorate your room using a variety of textures such as velvet, leather, wool, and metallic finishes to create a rich and layered look that add sophistication to your home.
Instead of decorating with a plain and basic cotton or polyester fabric, consider using a more mature textural velvet, chenille, or satin.
Don't forget to add neutral colored textural items, such as a wicker basket, wood floors, a collection of hard back books (remove the paper jacket unless it is precious), exposed brick, or metallic candlesticks to offset some of the bold colors.
Unifying Piece
For the best result, decorate your room with something that creates a unifying color palette.
That item can be a large piece of colorful art, colorful wallpaper, or a colorful rug.
The unifying piece should have many colors in it that are repeated throughout the room.
Decorate your room using at least 3 colors from your unifying piece and use each of those colors in at least 3 places in your room to create a cohesive color story. Also consider adding lighter and darker versions of each of your 3 colors for a more complex color palette.
You can add colorful accessories to repeat colors in throw pillows, books, lamps, vases, flowers, or whatever other accessories you prefer.
Consider the Lighting
When decorating with bright and bold colors, you must have above average lighting in your home in order to highlight your decor and add sophistication to your space.
Opt for plenty of natural light by ensuring that your curtains are hung where they cover the wall and only the tiniest bit of window when opened to maximize the lighting in your room.
At night, and to supplement natural lighting during the day, use artificial lighting such as pendant lights, floor lamps, and wall sconces.
Refer to this article for more information about lighting.....How to Use Different Types of Lighting in Your Home to Make It More Interesting.
Select the same color temperature of light bulb for all light fixtures in your room to set the mood that you want and create a nice even glow. You can even get light bulbs that you can change the color temperature with an app on your phone to change the mood without changing the bulb.
Accessorize Thoughtfully
When decorating with bright and bold colors, make sure to use accessories very carefully so you don't overwhelm your space or make it over simulating.
Start by adding a few special and unique accessories with vibrant hues that complement your color scheme and add visual interest, however don't overpower the other decorative elements in the room.
Your accessories should add your personality to the space and maybe even create focal points in your room . For more information on creating a focal point in your room, see the article How to Create a Focal Point in a Room.
After incorporating a few special decor pieces, stand back and see how you like your room. You might want to move a few things around or remove certain items that don't have the look that you are after.
After you have your special items in place, you can then start incorporating other pieces, one by one, and evaluate as you go to see if you like the look or if it is too much.
Experiment with different items in different places to create the perfect combination for you and your home.
Remember that your home is never really finished being decorated. Just as you add and remove clothes from your wardrobe over time, you should also add and remove items from your home decor occasionally. Make sure to stand back and evaluate each room in your home on occasion to keep it looking fresh.
You might also like these articles:
No More Mistakes! The Foolproof Guide to Picking Paint Colors
The Impact of Color on Mood: A Guide for Decorating Your Home
Interior Designer Tips & Tricks for How to Add Color to a Neutral Room
