Foolproof Ideas for Decorating With Color
Did you know that decorating with color is making a comeback in the world of home decor? What better time to introduce color back into your home than with the arrival of spring?!?
Spring is when nature comes alive with vibrant blooms in bold colors and lush greenery and it inspires us to bring that freshness to the indoors too. It’s time to shake off the dreary winter hues and rejuvenate our living spaces with beautiful pops of color!
So, I don’t know about you, but I’m beyond ready to bid farewell to the blah grays of winter and embrace all the color choices that come with this season of renewal.
I’m really honored to be sharing my living room decorated for spring this year as a part of the 2024 Spring Home Tours, hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life!
I always enjoy seeing how beautifully Marty decorates her home each season. This year’s spring decor is especially pretty.
There are a total of 25 bloggers sharing their spring decor all week long, so be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of my post, not only for the pretty pictures but also to get a link to all of the other spring tours.
Now, let’s take a look at my living room. I’m excited to show you my spring decorations, but I’m also excited to spill the beans when it comes to how to decorate with color in your own home!
Decorating with Color: Getting Started
What is your comfort level concerning color? If you’ve been using a monochromatic color scheme and aren’t accustomed to decorating with color in your home, it may seem a little scary at first. This is exactly where I was about three years ago.
Inspiration overcame my fear though when the hubs and I fell in love with a pair of armchairs sitting in the window of a local consignment store.
Even if you aren’t fearful, you may even be asking yourself, “Just how do I decorate with color?”. Well….there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it.
I recommend starting slowly. Try adding a couple of colored throw pillows or blankets. They can be solid color or multiple colors.
As you feel more comfortable and can identify the specific colors that appeal to you, gradually add small accessories to the mix. Lastly, incorporate larger pieces such as lamps, area rugs, artwork, curtains, or even pieces of furniture.
The wrong way is to approach it without considering balance and personal preferences. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Overloading on one single color – too much of one can overwhelm the space and cause a room to fall flat.
- The opposite is also true – cluttering a space with too many colors can create a chaotic feeling in a room.
- Disregarding color psychology: For example, bold colors may energize and stimulate, but they may also feel chaotic if used excessively. Color theory is the study of how colors work together and how they affect our emotions and perceptions.
- Following trends blindly: It’s tempting to incorporate trendy colors into your decor, but they may not stand the test of time.
Here’s the right way to start adding color to your home:
- Instead of focusing on a single color, use a complementary color scheme filled with different colors that fit your own personal style.
- A good starting point is to add color slowly, in small doses, such as with accessories or throw pillows.
- When choosing home color palettes, think about how each space will be used and choose colors appropriately. For example – you may not want to paint your kitchen the same color as split pea soup. I’ll let you figure out why. winkwink
- Instead of decorating with color trends, focus on selecting colors that resonate with you. Specific shades of pink were chosen as the color of the year a few years ago and while I think pink is a pretty color, I would not want to use large doses of it to decorate with. It just isn’t me.
TIP: The #1 piece of advice from any interior designer when it comes to decorating with color is to trust your instincts and follow your personal preferences.
The Best Way to Balance Color in a Room
To balance the use of color, a good place to start is with the use of neutral colors for wall paint. Beige walls and white walls are like blue jeans. They go with everything.
I purposely chose beige for the paint color on all of the walls in our home since it’s in the family of warm colors. Even though it’s a light color, my room never feels cold. And beige walls provide a perfect backdrop for adding any pop of color that I choose.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Why Beige Is the Best Color to Use on Your Walls.
Additionally, the largest piece of furniture in my living room (my sofa) is also beige. But it’s important to note that the shade of beige on my sofa is lighter than it is on the walls. Using different shades of the same color prevents it from fading into the background.
With beige, I don’t ever have to worry about finding complementary colors to decorate with!
TIP: There are both warm and cool colors of beige and white, so be sure that the color tints you use to decorate with support the family that your paint falls in.
Unless you’re making a bold statement by just using a single color as an accent in a room, be sure to balance the placement of all the colors throughout the room. As I work on completing the redecorating of my living room, that’s one thing that I’m working toward right now.
How Many Colors Are Too Many?
Is there such a thing as having too many colors in a room? My answer is that it depends.
You probably already know about the decorating “rule” regarding the use of three main colors in a room – a primary color, a secondary color, and a third color as an accent.
TIP: In general, limiting the number of colors in a room to three, ensures that you have a cohesive aesthetic.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have other colors too! Here are the designer secrets to pulling that off:
- Ensure that all of the colors that you’re using work well together. If you’re unsure, take a look at a color wheel, which makes it very easy to see the relationships between colors.
- Establish a visual hierarchy with the three main colors in the room – a primary, a secondary, and an accent color.
- Spread colors throughout a room. In other words, don’t focus all of one color in only one area of a room.
When it comes to decorating with color, the primary colors of blue, green, and coral, that I used in my living room were inspired by the fabric on these chairs. I’ve discovered that I love decorating with the color coral as an accent!
Coupled with my love of blue and white, using these color combinations of happy colors in my living room has made it super simple to add touches of spring or any other season to the room.
The fireplace is one of the main focal points in the room, but I only added faux cherry blossom stems and a couple of vintage vases to get it spring-ready.
Colorful pillow covers, in a bold floral print, in the recliners were the last seasonal touch that I added to the room.
The wide variety of colors that I used to decorate this room with makes it easy to decorate the room for any season at all!
For the fall, I mainly just changed the stems in the vases on the mantel, switched out the throw pillows and added mums to the container on the coffee table.
It was the same at Christmas except that I added a Christmas tree to the room.
It’s K-I-S-S (keep it simple sweetie) decorating at its finest!
Decorating with color can be a fun and relaxing way to bring new life to your home, especially as we welcome the arrival of spring.
No matter what color scheme you choose to decorate with in your own home, remember to trust your instincts and follow your personal preferences. Happy spring decorating, my friend!
Next up on the tour is my in-real-life friend, Yvonne from StoneGable. I finally got to spend a few days with Yvonne back in December and let me tell you – you don’t want to miss her spring tour!
Monday March 4th
A Stroll Thru Life – Worthing Court – StoneGable – Decor To Adore – Peacock Ridge Farm
Tuesday March 5th
White Arrows Home – Thistle Key Lane – Calypso In The Country – Eleanor Rose Home – A Pretty Life In The Suburbs
Wednesday March 6th
Whispering Pines Homestead – Our Southern Home – Thrifty and Chic – Bluesky At Home – County Road 407
Thursday March 7th
It All Started With Paint – Bungalow 47 – Lyndale Drive – From Farmhouse to Florida – My Thrift Store Addiction
Friday March 8th
Pasha is Home – Follow The Yellow Brick Home – The House of Silverado – My Family Thyme – Rae Elizabeth’s House
This room is just so GOOD! Yummy. The drapes are a bold and wonderful addition. The breakdown and tutorial super helpful as I approach bringing spring to my living room this week.
Oh my goodness how bright and exciting your space looks!!! Honestly I’m still in my three-years-ago-Suzy no color phase over here! Lol! And tend to be a three color max kinda decorating gal! But I just adore (and admire) your use of color in your home. It’s so vibrant and exciting!!!
🙂 Linda
What glorious color Suzy! I just adore all of the blue and white. The parrot print is a true treasure.
Oh wow, I love it all. You have added so much wonderful color and pattern to your home and it is amazing. Such a pretty and inviting space that just makes you happy.
Thanks so much for joining the tour again this season, your home is always such a fun place to visit.
Oh my goodness! I love all of the color in your home. It is so happy. Perfect for all year long. So much fun hopping with you.
I love how you have combined so many bold, beautiful and bright colors together in your home! It looks stunning!
I’m loving your colorful decor and those fabulous chairs! It’s a pleasure to visit your charming home and to tour with you this spring. Blessings, Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction
Your home looks gorgeous with all the lovely colors! You’ve styled everything so beautifully. I love the touches of blue mixed in! Great to tour with you again!
Shelley
All this glorious color makes me so excited for spring and summer too! I love all of your elegant pottery and textiles. So stylish
Happy spring!
Wow Suzy, what a beautiful room! It is such a treat to see how you mix colors with your pretty accessories adding so much personality to the space. I just want to pin every photo!
Your Spring home is beautiful! Love all the beautiful, vibrant colors! Happy Spring, Suzy!
I’m loving allllllll the colour in your beautiful home Suzy! What a cheery home you’ve made! Happy Spring
You make me want to add more color to our home, Suzy! Oh, I love those consignment store chairs and the chest end table next to one of them. Your title says it all! Your colorful room is just gorgeous! And perfect for spring, my friend! xo
Suzy, I am right there will you on using color. It makes any space happy and vibrant. I’m a blue and white girl, too, and you’ve mixed other colors in so well. I love all your bright floral pillows.
Love all your bold color!
I love all the color in your home and those chairs are amazing! Your coffee table is styled so beautifully!
Suzy,
We have known each other for so long. I enjoy seeing how your home has evolved through the years. Like you, I’ve been going back to my love of color and classic roots. Those consignment chairs were quite the find. I LOVE the hanging bird screen art. Gorgeous tour!
Thank you, Christy! I’m so, so glad to see the return of color and tradition to the world of home decor! It’s a shame that we don’t get see one another at least yearly at a conference somewhere.