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How to Add Bold Color without Commitment
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Earlier this week I went all Barbra Steisand white, and now I need to cleanse all that purity from my system with some crazy bold color. The people who decorated these rooms are fearless when it comes to flashy hues, and I admire it. While I know I would tire of certain colors after awhile, I am inspired by all of the following shots.
There are ways to add bold color while making less of a commitment than a contestant on "The Bachelor." For example, if you know you need your sofa to last you for at least ten years, and you aren't the artist formerly and currently known as Prince, you probably don't want to do an expensive custom fabric in bright purple. However, you can always start with a neutral colored sofa and add eye-popping pillows, a throw, or even use a temporary slipcover.
Likewise, most wooden furniture and lamp bases can handle a few coats of paint, so grabbing a flea market find and giving it some high gloss taxicab yellow may give you all the color pop you need. Painting walls isn't too much of a nightmare, so if you are feeling brave, go for it. Just make sure you paint just one wall first to see if you like it. In fact, get a little sample jar from Benjamin Moore and paint part of the wall. I wished I had done that before I painted my entire living room in a color called "Serenity Blue" I picked from a one inch square sample. It was more like "I feel like I'm in the bottom of a swimming pool blue" and I found myself yelling "Serenity Now! Serenity Now!" But I digress.
Switching out duvet covers, rugs, and/or curtains is easy and inexpensive. If you tire of that particular color, clean them and sell them on eBay or donate them for a tax deduction. You can also bring in color through collections, like an arrangement of bright plates on the wall, new lampshades, or a large piece of art.
Perhaps none of you share my fear of commitment to lime green, I just know my tastes are always changing and evolving, so I tend to get design A.D.D. easily. All of the spaces below are so well done they are probably worth getting down on one knee for. Either way, there are plenty of ways to add audacious color to your decor without being married to it for eternity.
There are ways to add bold color while making less of a commitment than a contestant on "The Bachelor." For example, if you know you need your sofa to last you for at least ten years, and you aren't the artist formerly and currently known as Prince, you probably don't want to do an expensive custom fabric in bright purple. However, you can always start with a neutral colored sofa and add eye-popping pillows, a throw, or even use a temporary slipcover.
Likewise, most wooden furniture and lamp bases can handle a few coats of paint, so grabbing a flea market find and giving it some high gloss taxicab yellow may give you all the color pop you need. Painting walls isn't too much of a nightmare, so if you are feeling brave, go for it. Just make sure you paint just one wall first to see if you like it. In fact, get a little sample jar from Benjamin Moore and paint part of the wall. I wished I had done that before I painted my entire living room in a color called "Serenity Blue" I picked from a one inch square sample. It was more like "I feel like I'm in the bottom of a swimming pool blue" and I found myself yelling "Serenity Now! Serenity Now!" But I digress.
Switching out duvet covers, rugs, and/or curtains is easy and inexpensive. If you tire of that particular color, clean them and sell them on eBay or donate them for a tax deduction. You can also bring in color through collections, like an arrangement of bright plates on the wall, new lampshades, or a large piece of art.
Perhaps none of you share my fear of commitment to lime green, I just know my tastes are always changing and evolving, so I tend to get design A.D.D. easily. All of the spaces below are so well done they are probably worth getting down on one knee for. Either way, there are plenty of ways to add audacious color to your decor without being married to it for eternity.
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| Holy Royal Purple. If you don't feel comfortable going for the permanent upholstery, try a throw and/or some fun pillows in this color. |
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A cornice box is another easy DIY project you can accomplish without major commitment.
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I love this pink! If you don't want to invest in the upholstered bed, use wall color and bedding instead.
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Notice that all of the pops of color here could easily be swapped out if you go through some sort of neutral Zen phase.
by Pierce Allen
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I have to say, I just love this raspberry chair. I think I might just commit to it. However, you can achieve a similar affect with a slipcover if you are unsure how long you'll be thinking pink.
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If I recall, this designer's name is Fern Galli, or something like that. This room from Domino is burned on my brain, and shows how you can liven things up with dramatic drapes (and a big deer...).
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The green on the right wall could be achieved with fabric canvases, or even fabric hanging from a pole.
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| Wall color aside, all of the accessories here could easily be swapped out for many different looks. The terracotta walls would look great with most colors, and having a neutral sofa makes the possibilities of rug/throw/pillow combos endless. |
This is a great example of how one piece of art can give you all the color you need. If you're on a budget, you can achieve this look with a large canvas painted one color.
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by Jill McGraw
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| This is the same general idea as above, plus bold pink paint. |
With it's barely-off-white base, the accessories in this room could easily be swapped out when you're hankering for a new palette. Also, sometimes flowers like those alliums give you all the bold color you need.
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| The entire feel of this room can be changed with a changing of the sheets. Minimal commitment to chartreuse or grape is required. |
I suppose if you tire of the fuchsia on this rug, you could strategically cover it with furniture.
You and this color are going to at least be engaged for this level of commitment to it.
by Pierce Allen
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This doesn't really have anything to do with my how-to theme, I just love the colors.
by Pierce Allen
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When you make a mini-commitment to dark paint like this, just remember you'll have to prime the heck out of it if you ever want a change.
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| One simple piece of furniture is all this space needed to inject it with some shazam! |
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I never would have thought to paint only the ceiling in a bold color in a million years. I like it.
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This has a look that reminds me of one of my favorite designers, Luis Barragan. Don't forget to bring the bold outside.
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Kim Johnson understands color theory. You might want to do a little reading on the subject before trying this at home. Or not.
This dog...
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| ...totally belongs with these chairs. |
This color combo is totally Olivia Newton John "Let's Get Physical" 80's, yet it looks really modern and beautiful here, so I just had to include it.
Comments
lara_jane I want to eat this ideabook with a spoon. Delicious, every bite!
4 years ago · Like
Lydia Isaias I second that....I Love it!!!
3 years ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Sept. 6, 2009.
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