If you spend a lot of time looking at interior design magazines and project homes, you might start to think that somewhere along the line we entered a very monochrome world. While neutrals and clean lines produce a well-defined, modern look, there comes a point where it can also start to feel a bit… well, boring! That’s where adding a pop of colour can bring an interior to life, giving it a sense of energy and fun, as well as demonstrating your own individualistic flair. Here are some easy ways to brighten up your life with colour.
START SMALL
The simplest way to add some colour to your interior is to use colourful accessories. Cushions on a sofa can be mixed and matched in bright colours to add a dash of energy. You can even use soft colours if you really want to start small in breaking the neutrals palette! Flowers are also a good way to start small, and have the advantage that you can try different types of flowers until you find colours that suit you, and then expand with other accessories in the same colour range. White flowers in a vibrant vase are another option, and can be used in different areas around the house.
A FEATURE PIECE OF FURNITURE
Another idea for starting small is to begin with a feature piece of furniture, such as a footstool or sofa, in a strong colour. You then pick up that colour and run with it to choose complementary accessories, such as cushions using matching or contrasting tones in patterns, and expand out into other accessories and prints in the room.
FABULOUS FLOORS
What’s on the floor can set the whole tone of a room, so if you’re replacing your carpet, consider using something other than a neutral tone. A dark coloured carpet can set the tone of a room, although you need to make sure there’s lots of light or lighter colours in the rest of the room to stop it becoming too dark. Pick up the carpet colour in cushions, prints and throws, or mix and match with complementary colours and shades. If you don’t want the expense of recarpeting, a large rug can have the same effect.
CHEER UP YOUR KITCHEN
Nowadays there are lots of colourful small kitchen appliances that can instantly add some pops of colour. Or how about a set of knives with coloured handles in a knife block? Canisters are another great way to add colour easily, or a shelf of recipe books. If you’re thinking on a bigger scale, you can change cupboard doors, or even try mixing and matching. As a general rule of thumb, use darker tones for base units and lighter shades up higher. You can also mix finishes such as timber and laminates.
WALL TILES
Bathrooms give you a wonderful opportunity to add colour to your home. Colourful wall or floor tiles, whether solid colours or patterns, are a simple way to change the feel of the bathroom. You can also play around with textures, mosaics, random or regular mixing together of different coloured tiles, mirrored effects, metallics, and a whole lot more! You can be as subdued or outlandish with colour as you want to be. The cheap solution? Use accessories to give a neutral bathroom palette a colour lift.
WHAT ABOUT THE WINDOWS?
Changing your window coverings is a great way to add some colour. Similar to a piece of furniture, a blind can introduce a block of colour which can then be picked up and matched throught the room. Or choose a shade with a decorative pattern, and pick out the colours in the pattern to use as blocks of colour elsewhere in the room, such as matching cushions. If you want to make a smaller colour statement with your windows, go with a colourful border on a blind, or alternating slats in a vertical blind.
These are only a few starting points for adding colour to your home. You can do as little or as much with colour as you want to do! Hopefully it’s inspired you to add a touch of individuality to your modern space by using colour.