6 Tips for Bringing Bold Colors Into Your Home Decor

Be daring with your decor and liven up a neutral palette with rich color

woman in colorful living room
Gorodenkoff - stock.adobe.com
woman in colorful living room
Gorodenkoff - stock.adobe.com
Barbara Bellesi Zito
Contributing Writer
Updated February 11, 2022
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Adding vibrant color to your home decor can seem a bit intimidating at first, particularly if you are accustomed to a more neutral palette. But if you start by adding hints of color here and there throughout your home, you’ll grow more confident in your design choices and enjoy experimenting with new colors.

6 Ways to Bring More Color into Your Home

The great thing about adding a fresh hue or two is that it can immediately transform the look of an entire room. If you’ve been dreaming in color about your home, here are some easy ways to make it happen:

1. Use Accessories to Your Advantage

accent couch neutral living room
Cavan Images - stock.adobe.com

The quickest way to introduce more color is with accessories. For your living room, add a bright pop with colorful throw pillows on the couch or candles in your favorite color on the mantle. In the bedrooms, it could be curtains that complement the colors in a pretty patterned comforter. Wall art is another approach for infusing both color and personality into your home. 

Accessories are an easy and fun way to add color to your home without too much disruption. They can also be budget-friendly, so you can swap them out without breaking the bank when you’re looking to refresh your home’s look again.

2. Create an Accent Wall

living room wall art
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One sure way of bringing color into a room is to create an accent wall that serves as the space’s focal point. Whether you choose a bold paint color or a textured wallpaper, you can really liven up a room with a decorative wall. If you’re feeling especially daring, go with color or texture on the ceiling instead of a wall. You can still keep to a neutral palette for the walls, but a colorful ceiling can also be a welcome departure from the ordinary bright white.

3. Focus on Flooring

living room the accent rug and throw
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A rug can really bring a room together. Especially for homes with hardwood or tile floors, area rugs with rich coloring add some vibrance beneath your feet. Rugs can also add texture—try a shag carpet to bring some flair to your seating areas.

4. Use Floral Decor to Bring in Seasonal Color

lilac flowers on dining table
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Mother Nature has a way of inspiring us through the seasons. Take a cue from the outdoors and elevate your space with flowers and foliage’s brilliant color stories. Floral decor is an easy addition to your home, from a centerpiece on the dining room table to a wreath on the front door. Fruit is another way to add natural color. Fill a clear bowl with bright lemons or limes and place it on your kitchen counter for a citrusy pop of color.

5. Think Beyond Your Favorite Color

accent couch neutral living room
Cavan Images - stock.adobe.com

It makes sense that if you love a certain color, you’d want to infuse a whole room with different shades of it. But a room doesn’t have to be decked out in your favorite color for it to become your favorite room. When decorating your home, explore different colors and see how they render in carpets, wall art, and even furniture. For example, orange might not be one of your go-to hues, but an orange accent chair next to a deep brown or black bookshelf could be just what the room needs. 

6. Don’t Forget About Texture

living room the accent rug and throw
Photographee.eu - stock.adobe.com

If you are devoted to your favorite color, adding texture is a way of changing things up, so a room isn’t so monochromatic. Some options could be a brocade runner on the dining room table that coordinates with the color on the wall or a crushed velvet throw blanket in a gorgeous jewel tone draped elegantly over the back of a chair or sofa.

Whether you want to keep things more subdued with small colorful accents or go big and bold with accent walls and bright rugs, adding color will give your home a fresh new look you’ll love.

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Learn more about our contributor
Barbara Bellesi Zito
Contributing Writer
Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer from Staten Island, NY, covering real estate investing and home improvement for Millionacres, Apartment Therapy, and others.
Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer from Staten Island, NY, covering real estate investing and home improvement for Millionacres, Apartment Therapy, and others.
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