Show Your Team Spirit With Colors
Announce your football allegiance with something subtler than a shout: rooms dressed in color palettes to match your team
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
In Alabama, where I live, sports — especially college football — are king. Almost every conversation eventually turns to how (insert team here) looks at spring practice, or how they'll fare in the upcoming season, or how they blew it in the big game last weekend. So it goes without saying that folks here aren't shy about putting their fandom on display at home, inside and out.
From mailboxes to door wreaths and bookcase bric-a-brac to media rooms, team colors, logos, mascots and mementos feature prominently in my local decor. But as loyal as I am to my alma mater, I don't think I could bring myself to put my fan gear out for public viewing. Instead, I'd take a subtler approach: team-appropriate color combinations that don't sacrifice style for spirit. It's fine to take a few liberties with the palette — you won't get a stern letter from the alumni affairs office if you stray a bit from the official school hues.
Take a look at the spaces below for ideas on how to pull off this tactic. I couldn't feature every college team in the U.S. out there, of course, so to narrow it down, I went with the top 10 as chosen by ESPN in its annual Power Rankings. If you have a chic space decorated in the colors of your own favorite team, post a photo in the Comments section — we'd love to see it!
From mailboxes to door wreaths and bookcase bric-a-brac to media rooms, team colors, logos, mascots and mementos feature prominently in my local decor. But as loyal as I am to my alma mater, I don't think I could bring myself to put my fan gear out for public viewing. Instead, I'd take a subtler approach: team-appropriate color combinations that don't sacrifice style for spirit. It's fine to take a few liberties with the palette — you won't get a stern letter from the alumni affairs office if you stray a bit from the official school hues.
Take a look at the spaces below for ideas on how to pull off this tactic. I couldn't feature every college team in the U.S. out there, of course, so to narrow it down, I went with the top 10 as chosen by ESPN in its annual Power Rankings. If you have a chic space decorated in the colors of your own favorite team, post a photo in the Comments section — we'd love to see it!
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by Rikki Snyder
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| 1. University of Southern California Trojans: Cardinal and Gold Warm, energetic and cheerful, red and gold make natural decorating partners. In this cozy space, red tones in the rug, pillows and other accents help to ground those gorgeous, glowing yellow walls. |
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| With vivid red wicker furnishings and a red and gold checkerboard floor, this patio sizzles in the sun. |
Throwing a football party? Think beyond helmet-shaped chip bowls and team pennants. Instead, cloak the table with sophisticated linens and fresh blooms in the colors of the big event.
by Amber Flooring
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2. Louisiana State University Tigers: Purple and Gold
Purple and yellow tones lie opposite each other on the color wheel, which means these two hues create a beautiful contrast in tandem. A plum-colored wall and a muted gold column spark this peaceful space.
Purple and yellow tones lie opposite each other on the color wheel, which means these two hues create a beautiful contrast in tandem. A plum-colored wall and a muted gold column spark this peaceful space.
Stylish lamps with golden yellow bases and sheer, muted purple shades send a more subtle message about your fandom than a giant foam finger.
by Momoko Morton
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Powerful and punchy, this kitchen is nothing but fun. Repeating the island hue on the base of the purple cabinetry helps to connect the two components and prevents the kitchen from feeling choppy.
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| 3. Alabama Crimson Tide: Crimson and White Crimson kitchen cabinets — any bold cabinets, for that matter — are a big commitment. But if you are a die-hard fan or just in love with the way this rich, spicy color enhances a kitchen, they can create serious drama. A healthy dose of white in the furniture helps to cut their strong impact. |
Svelte crimson bar stools add a sophisticated note to a neutral space.
by Ish and Chi
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These bright, happy crib sheets make a refreshing change of pace from nursery pastels. (Bonus spirit points for the elephant motif.)
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| 4. Oklahoma Sooners: Crimson and Cream Here's our second crimson contender, this time enriched even further by warm cream. A red birdcage-style light fixture adds just the right focal point to a simple space. |
Visual echoes are one of the keys to color success, and red accents layer together beautifully in this living room vignette.
Ready to take your spirit outside? Forget the giant mascot flag mounted by the front porch; instead, splash your team colors across your entire house. Of course, this is easy if you're lucky enough to have colors that work naturally together on an exterior — it's a little trickier with, say, orange and purple (sorry, Clemson fans).
5. Oregon Ducks: Green and Yellow
The Ducks are known almost as much for their parade of eye-popping uniforms as for their fireworks on the field. Fortunately, you can combine these two hues in a much more sophisticated way. Emerald greens and a yellow that goes one shade beyond lemon give this room a vibrant and fresh yet mannerly air.
The Ducks are known almost as much for their parade of eye-popping uniforms as for their fireworks on the field. Fortunately, you can combine these two hues in a much more sophisticated way. Emerald greens and a yellow that goes one shade beyond lemon give this room a vibrant and fresh yet mannerly air.
Green velvet is an appealingly unexpected choice for this pair of bérgères. Combined with the electric yellow wall, it modernizes a decidedly traditional room.
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by Rikki Snyder
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| This room is all about the greens — the yellow artwork on the wall is merely a supporting player. Yet it somehow brings the entire scheme to life. |
by decordemon
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6. Georgia Bulldogs: Red and Black
Red and black is one of the most striking, classic color combinations on the spectrum, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a University of Georgia alum. A tight red and black palette ties together the disparate elements in this endearingly funky dining room, and white lightens the whole package up.
Red and black is one of the most striking, classic color combinations on the spectrum, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a University of Georgia alum. A tight red and black palette ties together the disparate elements in this endearingly funky dining room, and white lightens the whole package up.
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| When you really look at this space, it's basically neutral — the red and black are confined only to a small slice of the room. Yet their intensity makes the scheme read as red and black. |
by decordemon
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As befits this glamorous Hollywood Regency space, a voluptuous red mirror steals the show amid a sea of black.
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by Cecilia Staniec
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| 7. Florida State Seminoles: Garnet and Gold These two colors might not be the first you'd think of pairing indoors, but they actually complement each other quite nicely and create a warm, gentle effect. Very subtle gold walls in this bedroom form a quiet backdrop for the garnet accent wall, which helps to cozy up the space. |
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| Garnet draperies give this bedroom an enveloping feel. Dark curtains can feel oppressive in a material such as velvet or corduroy, so keeping them sheer helps to lighten their intensity. |
If not for the palette, this living room would feel ultratraditional and familiar. Brighter shades of gold and deep red give it a sassy, fresh spin.
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| 8. Michigan Wolverines: Maize and Blue It's tough to go wrong with blue and yellow in any form. The happy color combo, plus the Roman shade and the bow-tied chair cushions, give this dining area a French country-meets-coastal vibe. |
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| One bright element often is all you need to balance a dark space. This striking yellow chaise rises to the challenge admirably. |
Zany zigzags, a mod acrylic chair, an asymmetrical coffee table ... could this room be any more fun? Mod furniture and accents help to make a classic color palette feel new all over again.
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| 9. West Virginia Mountaineers: Gold and Blue Here's a brighter, more saturated take on the blue and yellow pairing. Rich royal blue chairs and walls come alive when paired with gold-tone artwork and lighting. |
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| Modern gold armchairs and a tufted blue ottoman create an oasis of color in this transitional bedroom. |
Color junkies will be all over this brilliant bathroom. Blue countertops, golden yellow walls and intricate tilework give it a Mediterranean flair.
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| 10. South Carolina Gamecocks: Garnet and Black Whereas garnet and gold feel like a layer of autumn leaves, garnet and black can be a bit edgier. The rusty orange chair cushion adds another dimension that keeps the scheme from feeling flat. |
A textured garnet island base and black countertops anchor this intimate kitchen.
I can't decide what creates the most drama in this bath: the deep red vanity, the stunning black accents, the wall tile detailing or the asymmetrical placement of the sink and mirror. It's a stunner all the way around.
Ideabook published on Aug. 15, 2012.
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Thanks for the comments! Glad to give a nod to some Houzzers' fave teams.