Decorating with bright colors is a fantastic way to infuse your home with energy, personality, and vibrancy.
If you find the colors beige, gray, white, and creme boring, you might want to decorate your home with bright and bold colors.
Consider your wardrobe when decorating your home.....do you wear khaki pants and a white shirt regularly, or do you dress in bright and bold colors?
Do basic off-white colored walls make you feel comfortable and safe, or do they look extremely drab and boring to you?
People are often intimidated when decorating because they are afraid to make a mistake or they want to play it safe for the next potential buyer of their home (even though they have no intention of selling anytime soon).
Your home is yours, not the next owner, so make it what you want it to be (else you are basically renting your house from the next owner).
Don't be afraid to do something different, even if it is not typical for your neighborhood. People will appreciate your unique approach to interior design and they might be inspired to use bright and bold colors in their homes also.
It's crucial to approach decorating with bright colors strategically to avoid overwhelming looking interiors.
Here are a few interior design tips, tricks, and techniques for mastering the art of decorating with bright colors to create stunning and impactful interiors that reflect your unique style and personality..
Less is More
When decorating with bright and bold colors in your home, select 3 different dominant colors per room that will be your color scheme, but be cautious of using more.
If you have more than 3 bright and bold colors in your room, it can start to feel like a circus and be overwhelming.
Use the 3 colors in different proportions, such as your #1 color can be 50% of the dominant color in the room, your #2 color can be 35% of the dominant color in the room, and your #3 color can be 15% of the dominant color in the room.
For a more interesting interior design, also consider using a lighter and darker version of each color to create more depth of color.
Once you have 3 dominant colors in your room, consider adding 1 more color at a time as an experiment, but make sure you are willing to remove that extra color if the interior design is no longer what you desire.
Skip Primary Colors
For a more sophisticated look in your home, consider skipping the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and decorate with blended colors instead.
Decorating with exclusively primary colors in a home can often give the look of a preschool.
Select color shades (a darker version of the color + black), tones (a more muted version of the color + gray), and tints (a lighter version of the color + white) for a more sophisticated color scheme.
Opt for more unique colors, such as emerald green, rust, mustard yellow, deep purple, teal, turquoise, coral, fuchsia, saphire blue, burnt orange, lime green, aqua, and plum.
Add Some Neutrals for Contrast
Balance is key when decorating with bright colors.
Black, white, and gray help accentuate the bright and bold colors by creating contrast and keeping the colors from being overly stimulating.
Avoid decorating with too many other neutrals that have a light brown undertone, such as beige and khaki, which may make the bright and bold colors look muddy.
You can also decorate using colors that are almost black to help your bright and bold colors pop, such as dark navy or dark teal.
By using neutral backgrounds for walls, floors, and larger furniture pieces, you can prevent the space from feeling overwhelming and allow bright colors to take center stage.
Natural Elements
Texture plays a crucial role in adding depth and visual interest to your decor, especially when working with bright colors.
Add a few natural elements to your home decor for added texture and a touch of nature.
You can add hardwood floors, a wicker basket, a bamboo tray, a rattan box, or a stone fireplace.
Mix and match natural textures to add dimension and complexity to your decor, creating a visually engaging and dynamic space.
Don't Overdo It
Bright and bold colors are very powerful, so don't go overboard decorating with a million different colors, else your room might be overly stimulating and uncomfortable to spend time in.
Decorate with your powerful colors in moderation.
Think of how you want the room to feel in addition to how you want the room to look.
Consider decorating with at least half of your room neutral and use bright and bold colors in the other half.
You can keep the ceiling white, the doors black or white, and the flooring stained wood or a neutral carpet or tile.
How to Decorate with Bright and Bold Colors
Keep Expensive Items Neutral
The bold and bright colors you love today may be the colors you hate tomorrow.
Consider using your colors on lesser expensive decor items that you can change out in a few years, such as wall paint, pillows, and accessories.
You can also use bright colors on dining chair seats (not backs) since they are relatively inexpensive to reupholster (you might even be able to do it yourself) and will probably be worn enough to need reupholstery in 5-10 years when you are ready for a color change.
Keep your big ticket items, such as your sofa or dining table, a neutral color that will work with your next color scheme also.
How to Decorate with Bright and Bold ColorsNot Too Busy
Since bold and bright colors demand so much attention, make sure the decor in the rest of your room is more subdued so your color choices can take center stage.
Consider keeping decorative accessories to a minimum to avoid clutter on surfaces, unless you love the maximalist style.
If you choose to decorate with many bright and bold colors, then consider using minimal patterns and embellishments. If you use fewer bold colors, feel free to use multiple patterns for interest.
Furniture should typically not be too ornate when using bold colors since the colors will be the star of the show.
Don't Forget Lighting
Since bold and bright colors can be darker than plain white, make sure the room is lit properly from multiple lighting sources.
You can use a fabulous chandelier, wall sconces, lamps, accent lighting, tast lighting, table lamps, floor lamps, and more.
Dimmer switches are a great option for being able to adjust light levels to set the appropriate mood, yet be very bright for cleaning purposes.
Also consider using mirrors since they bounce light around a room.
Ensure that your light bulbs are all the same color temperature, which is marked as K on the back of the package. The lower the number, the warmer (more yellow) the light. The higher number, the cooler (more blue) the light.
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