Decorating
8 Rooms, 4 Ways to Go Big and Bold With Colour
Forget accents and statement walls. This spring, it's all about colour from floor to ceiling
The best thing about decorating is that nothing is off limits. We’ve seen it all – from all-white rooms with a truly fresh and classic aesthetic, to rooms that strike a balance by using a mix of neutral hues and statement walls, to rooms that go big and bold by using colour from floor to ceiling.
But this spring, it is the latter that is making waves – a quick look around Houzz will reveal as much – and this is cause for excitement. After all, nothing will turn heads or reveal your decorating personality as quickly as a room adorned with colour. Better still, this isn’t a passing trend. Dulux revealed its colour forecast for 2015 and the verdict is that this spring is just setting the stage for a pretty colourful new year.
With that in mind, check out eight gorgeous rooms making use of colour in the freshest of ways.
But this spring, it is the latter that is making waves – a quick look around Houzz will reveal as much – and this is cause for excitement. After all, nothing will turn heads or reveal your decorating personality as quickly as a room adorned with colour. Better still, this isn’t a passing trend. Dulux revealed its colour forecast for 2015 and the verdict is that this spring is just setting the stage for a pretty colourful new year.
With that in mind, check out eight gorgeous rooms making use of colour in the freshest of ways.
HOW? Using this all-blue room as an example, the key to going with a single rich colour is simple. Note how the various blue elements – the walls, the chairs, and the curtains – are subtly separated by tone and colour? In the case of the curtains and the walls, the curtains are ever so slightly darker than the walls, which stops the room from having a flat, one-dimensional look. Likewise, the dark trim on the chairs stops them from blending into the wall behind them.
WHAT COLOURS? Shades of eggplant purple, royal blue and wine red all have a regal feel, but according to Dulux’s report, their ‘Affinity’ blue wins the race.
WHAT COLOURS? Shades of eggplant purple, royal blue and wine red all have a regal feel, but according to Dulux’s report, their ‘Affinity’ blue wins the race.
2. A single, bright colour
For the more laid-back personality, a single cool or fun colour might be the best way to incorporate boldness into your house.
WHERE? Two rooms where bright and fun colours are right at home are the kitchen and bathroom. These rooms are generally used for practical purposes, so function usually wins out over fashion. This can make it hard to bring out your design personality, so colour is a great way to let your individuality shine loud and proud.
For the more laid-back personality, a single cool or fun colour might be the best way to incorporate boldness into your house.
WHERE? Two rooms where bright and fun colours are right at home are the kitchen and bathroom. These rooms are generally used for practical purposes, so function usually wins out over fashion. This can make it hard to bring out your design personality, so colour is a great way to let your individuality shine loud and proud.
HOW? As these rooms typically have a purpose, there isn’t necessarily a lot of room for movement. If there aren’t enough exposed walls to get the full “big and bold” effect, use the kitchen cabinets or bathroom tiles to take on the look.
WHAT COLOURS? Look for cool water shades, such as blue and green, or opt for brighter colours including sunny yellow and tangerine.
WHAT COLOURS? Look for cool water shades, such as blue and green, or opt for brighter colours including sunny yellow and tangerine.
3. A colourful duo
Let’s say you want to be really bold and try a duo colours in your home. It’s doable!
WHERE? Depending on the colours you choose, a bi-toned room can work anywhere in the house. Generally, you should follow the same rules as above. Use richer colours in the bedrooms and formal living areas and brighter colours in the more informal spaces.
Let’s say you want to be really bold and try a duo colours in your home. It’s doable!
WHERE? Depending on the colours you choose, a bi-toned room can work anywhere in the house. Generally, you should follow the same rules as above. Use richer colours in the bedrooms and formal living areas and brighter colours in the more informal spaces.
HOW? There is but one key to tying two colours together in a room, and it is simple to follow. Use one colour as a “base” and the other for the accents. So in both of these examples above, you can see that the base colour is blue – it is used in the more permanent areas: the walls and the large furniture pieces. The accent colours used here are red and green respectively, and that’s because they’re seen in the smaller decor items such as cushions and vases.
WHAT COLOURS? Now for the fun part! Peacock blue and green; mustard yellow and dark purple; red and purple; black and red; royal blue and red; turquoise and coral; and eggplant purple and green. These are all standout pairings that work.
WHAT COLOURS? Now for the fun part! Peacock blue and green; mustard yellow and dark purple; red and purple; black and red; royal blue and red; turquoise and coral; and eggplant purple and green. These are all standout pairings that work.
4. A triple threat
If you think it takes a bold personality to decorate a room in one colour, image what it takes to use three colours!
WHERE? You would be hard-pressed to find a room that utilises three different colours and doesn’t have a “fun” overtone, which means that you should generally stick to the casual rooms when trying a trio.
HOW? The key to bringing a trio of colours into one room is to make sure that all three shades are from the same colour family. Here is an easy way to put together a colour family. Take one primary shade, such as red. Then add the two colours that are made when your primary colour, red, is mixed with the two other primary colours. In this case, that means red, plus purple (red mixed with blue) and orange (red mixed with yellow). Play with variants on the shades and you’ll see it works every time.
If you think it takes a bold personality to decorate a room in one colour, image what it takes to use three colours!
WHERE? You would be hard-pressed to find a room that utilises three different colours and doesn’t have a “fun” overtone, which means that you should generally stick to the casual rooms when trying a trio.
HOW? The key to bringing a trio of colours into one room is to make sure that all three shades are from the same colour family. Here is an easy way to put together a colour family. Take one primary shade, such as red. Then add the two colours that are made when your primary colour, red, is mixed with the two other primary colours. In this case, that means red, plus purple (red mixed with blue) and orange (red mixed with yellow). Play with variants on the shades and you’ll see it works every time.
WHAT COLOURS? Using the formula above, some fun colour combinations include: hot hues of pink, purple and orange; rich shades of blue, purple and green; and citrus tones such as yellow, orange and green.
TELL US
Would you be bold enough to try a seriously colourful room? If so, where would you start? Let us know in the comments section
MORE
Is Colour Setting the Right Tone in Your Home?
How to Be Truly Confident With Colour
Awash With Colour: Go With Every Shade Under the Sun
TELL US
Would you be bold enough to try a seriously colourful room? If so, where would you start? Let us know in the comments section
MORE
Is Colour Setting the Right Tone in Your Home?
How to Be Truly Confident With Colour
Awash With Colour: Go With Every Shade Under the Sun
Sponsored
Sponsored
It takes someone truly bold to pull off a room finished from floor to ceiling in one rich colour, but it can be done.
WHERE? Because rich colours have such a luxurious feel, it is best to use them in rooms that exude a similar sense of luxury. For example, a formal living room – the room where you entertain guests, but isn’t your “everyday” living room. Equally, a guest or master bedroom (like this magnificent example) would be able to handle such opulent colours.