Getting over your fear of color in your home
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Almost everyone can name their favorite color, and it always goes in the lines of blue, green or red. But why are there so many white houses? People get used to living a beige, white or grey life it’s because they simply don’t know what else they could do or how to put colors together, even though they most definitely want to. Something that inspires interior design is without a doubt color. So, when anyone thinks about color in their house the first thought is to paint it. But if you are ‘afraid’ of painting your walls there are a few things you can and should try first.
To start it’s always good to make a color palette. Using this little trick we can easily create a color palette. Start off by thinking about a painting you love or a bold rug, nature is also always the perfect inspiration when it comes to colors and design. Being outdoors makes us feel relaxed and at ease, which is often exactly how we want to feel in our home.
From there pick your top 5 colors in these elements, and that is it! Now you have your palette. But like everything in life there is more to it, the next question would be, where are you going to use those colors, and are you really going to break your beige habit?
Accessorize with colors
This is the easiest way to start playing with color with a minimal risk to your sanity and your bank account. The mix of warm neutral wall tones and rich, vibrant pieces adds depth. With just a few colorful pillows, a carpet, some curtains with traces of color, and a couple of vases with beautiful plants, you can go a long way to giving the room personality. It also serves another purpose, just changing a few key pieces will immediately change the feeling of the room without turning it into a big renovation.
If you love an item, and it sparks joy when you see it — chances are that it’s the perfect starting point to design your space. It’s also a budget friendly (and safe) way to test waters when adding color.
Paint – Color on walls
If you want to make a statement, then paint is your best friend!
It’s still the fastest way of completely changing the vibe in a room. And If you have fairly neutral furniture than you can go with pretty much any color you want to, whether it is bright or a more toned-down color. Even pastels can do the trick if you prefer.
Some tips before you fully paint your wall is by testing a few colors on different walls.
Why different walls? The colors you’re testing will read differently depending on the amount of light that hits them. We recommend you paint on a wall that doesn’t get direct sunlight and one that does. When testing these colors, paint two coats. That’s the amount of coverage you’ll typically need on any wall. The second coat usually makes a big difference in the way the paint reads. Also, paint large swatches, at least ¼ of the wall, and even larger is better. The 5cm swatch won’t give you a good sense of the color in your space.
And always remember that if you are still worried about it, then is super easy to paint it white and start all over again.
Accessories + Paint
The combination of accessories and paint is the most effective way of creating a vibrant and full character room. However, in this case, you really need to think firstly about the kind of impact you want to make because it can be highly variable depending on whether the colors you use are muted or bold.
In general, it’s easier if you stick to two colors, one dominant and one accent, or two accents if you are feeling courageous. You can also choose one color and go with different shades, a darker and a lighter tone, just make sure that it still reads as the same color.
Just one wall is already enough to make one room stand out. To finish the room, incorporate the paint color in a couple of accessories to bring the room together and be careful that the wall color doesn’t clash with the other spaces if you have an open concept.
Tips from our Interior Designer Vanessa
The days where our grandmas had the same fabric on the sofa, carpet and curtain are long gone! That matchy-matchy habit is something of the past. Right now, it’s all about statement pieces, look for pieces that mean something to you, it doesn’t matter if you have a blue couch with fuchsia pillows and a velvet mustard chair, ther is no limit.
You only need to find that one piece to tie everything together and go from there.
Mis-match is the way to go as long as it means something to you. Remember that it’s all about things that pop and are eye-catching. Believe me, once you start you won’t stop!