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Neutral tones might reign supreme across home design inspo pages as of late, and it’s clear why: These colors can be foolproof when it comes to accessorizing. When you want to make sure that your home is on trend, sometimes it’s far less stressful to take this path.
But for all the attention neutrals have garnered in recent years, color is here to stay. And as easy as neutrals make the design process seem, color can be mixed and matched too. Whether that happens through unique paint pairings, adding in a patterned wallpaper, or bringing in bright accent furniture, choosing to design your home with color adds a depth of sophistication.
Not sure how to start? These six homes aren’t afraid of embracing color, and the combinations might surprise you. Move aside, neutrals!
A Two-Tone Paint Job Breathes New Life into a Once-Lackluster Kid’s Room
When Sameera Stern-Gillet purchased her Victorian home, the room that became her 10-year-old son’s was dingy and dated. After taking out the flooring (and even an in-bedroom sink!), Stern-Gillet turned to a deep shade of a grayish green for the walls in hopes of having the room “grow with her son.”
“I’d never painted a room in such a dark color before but am so pleased that I took the step and did it,” she said. To round out the space, Stern-Gillet added multicolored art prints to the walls, and dressed the bed with bright green bedding. The room is also punctuated with bright yellow accents. “Always remember, if you don’t like it, you can paint over it!” she said. “I absolutely love the color of the room. It is such a versatile color and even though it’s dark, the room doesn’t feel small … I wouldn’t do anything differently.”
A Colorful, Beachy Bathroom Redo Keeps Its Original Pink Tiles from 1954
While some aspects of jewelry designer and illustrator Lauren Bolschitz’s home were added to the revamp list, the retro pink bathroom tiles were there to stay. “I immediately fell in love with the mid-century pink-tiled bathroom,” Bolschitz said. “These pink and other pastel colored tiles from, I believe, Daltile, are a staple in older homes in East Dallas, but most have been gutted and renovated over the years to more ‘mainstream.’”
To compliment the tiles, Bolschitz aimed to achieve a Miami Art Deco style, complete with a palm frond shower curtain. “Don’t be afraid of color if that’s what makes you happy,” she said. “We went for a pink and green color palette and kept adding on decorative pieces until we finally [had] a colorful, boho, maximalist bathroom of my dreams.”
Every Square Inch of This $5,000 Bathroom Redo Is Packed with Color and Pattern
Claire Kinney knew her bathroom needed to make the right first impression. After all, it’s usually the first room visited at the start of each day — not to mention, the final destination before bed. Kinney combined a patterned wallpaper and colorful built-ins to deliver what she was looking for.
“This was my first time hanging traditional wallpaper, and I was completely surprised to find it was incredibly easier than peel and stick,” Kinney said of the yellow and pink floral wallpaper in the main area, and of the blue floral print she added to the adjoining closet. Kinney rounded out the space with other accents, including Hague blue vanity cabinets and checkerboard details around the bathroom doors.
Easy Paint Projects Give One Kid’s Blank Bedroom a Colorful, Cheery Redo
When it came time for Tripurashree Vittal to redo her daughter’s room, she turned to color to guide the process of evolving the space into one a tween could appreciate. This gave Vittal the opportunity for a “more colorful, fun, fresh, yet calm space for her to grow up with.”
Vittal painted the wall behind the headboard a shade of minty aqua, her daughter’s favorite. “Figuring out the right shade of blue definitely took more time than painting,” Vittal said. “It looks green or blue depending on the light and the time of the day! I like both the colors; it works perfectly.” She rounded out the space with mustard drapery, multicolored bedding and mirror and a rainbow rug.
A Bold, Retro-Inspired Paint Color Reinvigorates an Off-White Kitchen
Each room in Sophie McGehee’s Little Rock, Arkansas, home has a dedicated hue. Her kitchen is no exception. McGehee transformed the space from a bland one that desperately needed updating to a colorfully bold kitchen with retro vibes. Teal cabinets, anyone?
“What I love most about the after is the bold color use in this kitchen and how great it looks,” she said. McGehee finished the space with a multicolored geometric wallpaper, vintage poster, and a rug bearing an abstract print.
A $600 DIY Revamp Fills This Plain Bedroom with Color and Whimsy
Tina was in a spot many parents have been in: redecorating a room for a toddler with ever-evolving taste. The request would transform the room from a white-walled room with pink accents to something blue with rainbow. “I created a colorful design to incorporate all my daughter’s wishes and more,” she said. Tina first created a blue accent corner behind her daughter’s bed, adding MDF slats for texture. She added more vertical slats for a neighboring rainbow corner.
She added three additional wood creations to complete the space: clouds to complete the rainbow design, along with a wooden dollhouse and book rail. When it comes to designing for a child, she said to “Have fun! Add a SIGN!!! Use bright rainbow colors!”
