skip to main content
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
0
Your shopping cart is empty.
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
GET IDEAS
PHOTOS
Kitchen & DiningKitchenDining RoomPantryGreat RoomBreakfast Nook
Bed & BathBathroomPowder RoomBedroomStorage & ClosetBaby & Kids
LivingLiving RoomFamily RoomSunroom
OutdoorLandscapePatioDeckPoolBackyardPorchExteriorOutdoor KitchenFront YardDrivewayPoolhouse
WalkwaysStaircaseEntryHall
Bar & WineHome BarWine Cellar
UtilityLaundryGarageMudroom
More RoomsGame RoomHome OfficeBasementCraftLibraryGym
Popular Design IdeasKitchen BacksplashFirepit
FireplaceDeck RailingPergolaPrivacy FenceSmall Closet
MAGAZINE
Stories and GuidesPopular StoriesRenovation Cost Guides
DISCUSSIONS
Get AdviceDesign DilemmasBefore & After
HOUZZ TV
HOUZZ RESEARCH
FIND PROFESSIONALS
PROFESSIONALS
DesignArchitects & Building DesignersKitchen & Bathroom DesignersInterior Designers & DecoratorsDesign-Build FirmsLighting Designers & Suppliers
RemodelingKitchen & Bathroom RemodelersGeneral ContractorsHome BuildersTile & Countertop ContractorsMasonry & Concrete ContractorsExterior & Siding ContractorsStair & Railing ContractorsFireplace Contractors
RenovationCarpentersCabinetry & Cabinet MakersFlooring ContractorsWindow ContractorsDoor ContractorsGlass & Shower Door ContractorsCarpet Contractors
OutdoorLandscape Architects & DesignersLandscape ContractorsDeck & Patio BuildersFence ContractorsDriveway & Paving ContractorsSwimming Pool BuildersHot Tub & Spa Dealers
ServicesPaintersRoofing & Gutter ContractorsOrganizers & Closet DesignersHome StagersGarage Door ServicesWindow Treatment ServicesPaint & Wall Covering Dealers
Appliances & SystemsAppliance Sales & ServicesHVAC ContractorsHome Theater & AutomationOutdoor Lighting & AV SpecialistsSolar Energy Contractors
All ProfessionalsAll ServicesFor Professionals
SHOP BY DEPARTMENT
KITCHEN & DINING
Kitchen & Dining FurnitureSinks & FaucetsKitchen AppliancesTabletopCabinets & StorageKnobs & PullsKitchen LightingTileCookware & BakewareTools & GadgetsView All
FURNITURE
Living RoomKitchen & DiningHome OfficeOutdoorBedroomStorageBathroomView All
BATH
Bathroom VanitiesShowersBathtubsBathroom LightingFaucetsBathroom SinksTileBath AccessoriesBath LinensMedicine CabinetsView All
DECOR
RugsMirrorsWall DecorDecorative AccentsArtworkPillows & ThrowsHoliday DecorView All
BEDROOM
Beds & HeadboardsBeddingDressersNightstandsBenchesBedroom DecorLampsCloset StorageFutonsChaisesView All
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HardwareTileBathroom FixturesKitchen FixturesHeating & CoolingBuilding MaterialsTools & EquipmentView All
LIVING
Coffee & Accent TablesRugsSofas & SectionalsArmchairs & Accent ChairsTV Stand & Media StorageHome DecorLampsArtworkBookcasesFireplaces & AccessoriesView All
OUTDOOR
Patio FurnitureOutdoor DecorOutdoor LightingPool & SpaLawn & GardenOutdoor StructuresOutdoor CookingView All
LIGHTING
ChandeliersPendant LightsFlush-MountsBathroom & VanityWall SconcesCeiling FansTable LampsFloor LampsKitchen & CabinetOutdoor LightingView All
MORE
Storage & OrganizationHome OfficeBaby & KidsHome BarCleaning & LaundryPet SuppliesHoliday DecorView All
Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card!
SALE
ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
Bathroom VanitiesChandeliersBar StoolsPendant LightsRugsLiving Room ChairsDining Room FurnitureWall LightingCoffee TablesSide & End TablesHome Office FurnitureSofasBedroom FurnitureLampsMirrors
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
Up to 45% Off
Outdoor Lounge Furniture 
Free Shipping
Bestselling Outdoor Furniture 
Up to 55% Off
Outdoor Rugs and Doormats 
Up to 65% Off
Outdoor Dining Furniture 
Color
Color
8 Ways to Use White in the Bathroom
Top Ideabooks
8 Ways to Use White in the BathroomAn Editor and a Designer Discuss Pantone’s 2021 Color PickPantone Picks an Uplifting Combo for Its Color of the Year 2021What Kitchen Countertop Color Should You Choose?
Appears in
Decorating Guides
See also
Color PalettesOrangeTurquoiseBlueGreenGrayBrownBlackWhiteYellowPurpleNeutral ColorsBold ColorRedPinkColors of the Year
Decorating Guides
Decorating Guides
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating Styles
Top Ideabooks
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating StylesHow to Decorate a Coffee TableHow to Decorate a Living Room10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right
Appears in
Latest From Houzz
See also
LightingColorOrganizingSmall SpacesFurnitureArtHouseplantsHolidaysDIY ProjectsAccessoriesWall TreatmentsDecorating StylesPatternGreen DecoratingEntertainingTastemakersBudget DecoratingRoom of the DayWorking With an Interior DesignerDecorating 101

6 Ways to Get Over a Fear of Color

Expert tips, tricks and examples can help ease you into a more vibrant home

Lisa Batson Goldberg
Lisa Batson GoldbergJuly 18, 2017
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
When clients say to me, “I just don’t like color,” what I most often find out after just a few minutes of poking and prodding is that, more accurately, they are unsure of how and when to use it in their home.

Clients often assume that they need to slap color on every wall in the house to make an impact, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although painting your walls in a vivid hue is a simple, inexpensive and highly effective way to alter the vibe of any space, some of the most striking approaches to incorporating color can be much subtler than taking a roller to your walls. You can use color in many awesome ways — both subtly and overtly — to give your home a fresh, vibrant look.
Juliette Byrne
1. Begin With Things You Love

Finding a special piece that you really love is a great starting point when you’re looking to add color. If you love an item — if you feel energized, inspired and joyful when you see it — chances are that it’s the perfect jumping-off place for designing your space.
Bask Interiors
Buy a Moroccan basket you love, an abstract piece of art that makes you feel happy, a romantic French vase or a vibrant Indian tapestry. Whatever it is, go find that first piece that inspires you. It can set you on the path to discovering the ideal color palette for your space. Once you have that first piece, you can expand on the color scheme and overall design from there.
Toronto Interior Design Group
Picture-perfect color inspiration: This jewel-toned velvet chair makes a big, bold and fabulous statement. Paired with these vibrant yellow lamps, the color impact is even more amplified. The mix of warm neutral wall tones and rich, vibrant pieces adds even more depth to this sophisticated color scheme.
The Home
2. Use Nature as Inspiration

Nature is always the perfect inspiration when it comes to design. Being outdoors makes us feel relaxed and at ease, which is often exactly how we want to feel in our home spaces. Does the ocean make you feel free and happy? Do you love the sweet smell of pale purple lilacs or fluffy pink peonies?
Lakeville Interiors
Maybe you’re drawn to a cool green, the color of the trees in the yard where you grew up? Whatever it is, these colors can be a smart place to start when designing a room you want to feel terrific in. Whether you use them for a jolt of color in a throw pillow or for a bold and vibrant feature wall, nature’s colors never fail to inspire.
The Home
Picture-perfect color inspiration: Throw pillows printed with tropical palm leaves add a splash of color and an easy, breezy vibe to this sitting area. The bits of nature and color are more than enough to add visual interest and good vibes to this bright and lovely living space.
Domus Nova
3. Realize That Mishmash Is the New Matchy-Matchy

In my experience, too many of us get caught up in the matchy-matchy trap when it comes to design. Maybe it’s the influence of family homes of times past, where grandma’s pillows matched the drapes and the couch and the china. But whatever the reason, one thing I love about this awesome age of design we’re in right now is that matching is no longer the only way. Although it’s true that in some spaces, matching can create a beautifully curated look, I encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to adding color.
Laroya & Co.
Try focusing more on individual pieces that make you feel something, and let the design evolve from there. Clashing doesn’t exist anymore and a mishmash is the way of the future, so if you want red and pink cushions, go for it. Want an emerald-green couch with a purple club chair and a sunshine-yellow lamp? Anything goes!
Honey Bee Interiors
Just keep in mind that you may want to have something to tie them all together in the end. A rug, a piece of art or a few throw pillows can easily do the trick. So let’s all go bold, be authentic and think outside the matchy-matchy box.
Touch Interiors by Bronwyn Poole
Picture-perfect color inspiration: This bright and airy bedroom illustrates the impact of savvy color and pattern mixing in fun and vibrant hues. Complementary patterns in the throw pillows and lamp base, as well as the abstract print and solid colors of the lampshade and bedding, help this bedroom design capture the mishmash vibe with playfulness and ease.
Toronto Interior Design Group
4. Make Fabrics Your Friend

Textiles like fabrics, wallcoverings and rugs are a few of the most effective design elements that can add color, make a statement and set the tone for any space. Vibrant throw pillows and simple patterned rugs are an easy, interchangeable way to add energy and visual interest.
Caitlin Wilson Design
Finding your own fabrics for custom throw pillows, chairs, headboards and other custom or refurbished pieces (or hiring a designer to help) is a wonderful way to create a space that captures your personal vision. Do you like nature patterns, geometrics, florals or solids? Once you’ve chosen the color palette and vibe, select two to four fabrics that give you various amounts of color.
Wallpaperdirect
Textiles can be as adventurous as you are. For those who are more daring, explore vibrant wallcovering options for a feature wall, or large-scale patterned fabrics for custom drapery (or to mix with throw pillows). These can add a whole new life and lushness to your space.

Picture-perfect color inspiration: A raspberry velvet chair, chartreuse satin dining seats and a feature wall in House of Hackney wallpaper create both drama and whimsy in this otherwise traditional space.
5. Upcycle the Unlovable

You don’t need to break the bank to add much-needed color in your life. Upcycling old or unused pieces with a vibrant makeover is an easy way to create new colorful design pieces without having to invest too much.

Try recovering a drab chair (or chairs) in a fabric of your choice, or paint an old side table or lamp in a bold and contemporary hue. With upcycling, you can test your color tolerance without having to spend a lot.
Kim Pearson Pty Ltd
Picture-perfect color inspiration: A vibrant vintage-inspired kitchen hutch lends interest to this soft and simple dining space. Adding bold and contemporary colors to pieces from any era brings character and charm to your room’s design.

Find DIY inspiration and instruction for your next project
Tara Seawright Interior Design
6. Add Fresh Flowers

By far the quickest and easiest approach to incorporating color in any room is with cut flowers. Decorating your favorite home spaces with seasonal florals is a simple way to add a quick and powerful dash of color and to diversify your palette from week to week.
Arent & Pyke
Your favorite flowers will add some serious good vibes to any room while enhancing your sense of peace and overall enjoyment of your space.

My home just doesn’t feel the same without the whimsical petals of some fresh, lush and vibrant flowers. It’s truly the easiest (and prettiest) way to bring life to any space.

Picture-perfect color inspiration: Some of the best places to add a vase of fresh flowers include the entry, dining room table and kitchen counter.

Treat yourself to the simple pleasures of cut flowers

Your turn: What’s your biggest fear when it comes to using color? Or how did you get over your fear? Tell us about it in the Comments!

More
The Joy of Taking Risks in Design
11 Ways to Make an Impact With Color in a Room
Read other stories about using color at home
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 49 comments
Explore Related Topics
ColorDecorating Guides
Read Related Stories
8 Ways to Use White in the Bathroom8 Ways to Use White in the Bathroom
By Jennifer Ott·42
White
An Editor and a Designer Discuss Pantone’s 2021 Color PickAn Editor and a Designer Discuss Pantone’s 2021 Color Pick
By Mitchell Parker·10
Houzz TV Live
Pantone Picks an Uplifting Combo for Its Color of the Year 2021Pantone Picks an Uplifting Combo for Its Color of the Year 2021
By Jennifer Ott·68
Colors of the Year
What Kitchen Countertop Color Should You Choose?What Kitchen Countertop Color Should You Choose?
By Yanic Simard·294
Kitchen Countertops
How to Choose a Paint Color You Can Live WithHow to Choose a Paint Color You Can Live With
By Yanic Simard·109
Decorating 101
A Designer Offers Tips for Decorating With ColorA Designer Offers Tips for Decorating With Color
By Mitchell Parker·20
Houzz TV Live
Kids’ Room Colors and How They Can Affect BehaviorKids’ Room Colors and How They Can Affect Behavior
By Summer Baltzer·76
Kids’ Spaces
A Designer Shares Her 5 Go-To Paint ColorsA Designer Shares Her 5 Go-To Paint Colors
By Jennifer Ott·96
Color Palettes
You Voted. She Painted. This Pro’s Entry Is Now Leafy GreenYou Voted. She Painted. This Pro’s Entry Is Now Leafy Green
By Jennifer Ott·47
Entryways
Which Paint Color Should a Designer Pick for Her Entry?Which Paint Color Should a Designer Pick for Her Entry?
By Jennifer Ott·381
Entryways
Designer Tips for Creating a Coordinated Color PaletteDesigner Tips for Creating a Coordinated Color Palette
By Mitchell Parker·10
Houzz TV Live
5 Refreshing Ways to Bring Blue Into the Kitchen5 Refreshing Ways to Bring Blue Into the Kitchen
By Jennifer Ott·92
Most Popular
Designer Tips for Working With Color and PatternDesigner Tips for Working With Color and Pattern
By Mitchell Parker·20
Houzz TV Live
How to Make a Big Design Impact With ColorHow to Make a Big Design Impact With Color
By Bryan Anthony·15
Color Palettes
6 Home Design Trends on the Rise6 Home Design Trends on the Rise
By Mitchell Parker·132
Trending Now
Shop Related Categories
Sofas
Sofas
Paint & Wall Coverings
Paint & Wall Coverings
Sponsored
Details Home Services
69 Reviews
North Virginia's Full-Scale Renovation Studio | 7x Best of Houzz
People who liked this story also liked
8 Ways to Use White in the Bathroom
8 Ways to Use White in the BathroomFull Story
An Editor and a Designer Discuss Pantone’s 2021 Color Pick
An Editor and a Designer Discuss Pantone’s 2021 Color PickFull Story
Pantone Picks an Uplifting Combo for Its Color of the Year 2021
Pantone Picks an Uplifting Combo for Its Color of the Year 2021Full Story
What Kitchen Countertop Color Should You Choose?
What Kitchen Countertop Color Should You Choose?Full Story
How to Choose a Paint Color You Can Live With
How to Choose a Paint Color You Can Live WithFull Story
A Designer Offers Tips for Decorating With Color
A Designer Offers Tips for Decorating With ColorFull Story
Kids’ Room Colors and How They Can Affect Behavior
Kids’ Room Colors and How They Can Affect BehaviorFull Story
A Designer Shares Her 5 Go-To Paint Colors
A Designer Shares Her 5 Go-To Paint ColorsFull Story
You Voted. She Painted. This Pro’s Entry Is Now Leafy Green
You Voted. She Painted. This Pro’s Entry Is Now Leafy GreenFull Story
Which Paint Color Should a Designer Pick for Her Entry?
Which Paint Color Should a Designer Pick for Her Entry?Full Story
Sponsored
Crystal Blue Aquatics LLC
7 Reviews
Sterling's Top Source for Artfully Crafted Swimming Pool Designs
  • United States
  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FOR BRANDS
  • SELL
  • Privacy & Notice
  • Terms
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.