Dare to be Different: Colour Combos That Break the Rules
Forget everything you've been told – mixing unlikely hues is so crazy it just might work
Joanna Tovia
27 July 2014
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
If you think red and green should only be seen at Christmas time, that pink and red are a match made in hell, and the only time black and blue should be seen together is in a washing machine, it’s time to throw out the rule book and embrace the unknown. Throw caution to the wind with these unusual mixes – you might be surprised at the results.
Pink and green
This happy living room mixes bright pink and green to great effect. Injecting a third colour is the secret to this room’s magic – in this case, a cheery orange.
This happy living room mixes bright pink and green to great effect. Injecting a third colour is the secret to this room’s magic – in this case, a cheery orange.
Yellow and teal
Who would have thought this colour combination could come together so beautifully? As the artwork over the bed suggests, the inspiration for this room has come from the sand, sea and sky.
Who would have thought this colour combination could come together so beautifully? As the artwork over the bed suggests, the inspiration for this room has come from the sand, sea and sky.
Black and blue
A dramatic dining room like this has been pulled off with a daring pairing. The tones of these two colours are not dissimilar, however, and that’s why it works.
A dramatic dining room like this has been pulled off with a daring pairing. The tones of these two colours are not dissimilar, however, and that’s why it works.
Green and yellow
I know, I know, it’s almost unpatriotic to question this colour pairing. This room marries green and yellow beautifully, though, and really does bring the colours of sunshine and nature home to bed.
I know, I know, it’s almost unpatriotic to question this colour pairing. This room marries green and yellow beautifully, though, and really does bring the colours of sunshine and nature home to bed.
Olive and brown
There’s nothing unsightly about this living room, despite its unique choice of colours. The walls, couch, armchair and coffee table provide the ideal backdrop to make that luscious olive green spring to life. Again, it’s the third colour that elevates this room from fine to fabulous – and, again, a brilliant orange. Use a highlight colour like this in very small doses for it to help rather than hinder.
There’s nothing unsightly about this living room, despite its unique choice of colours. The walls, couch, armchair and coffee table provide the ideal backdrop to make that luscious olive green spring to life. Again, it’s the third colour that elevates this room from fine to fabulous – and, again, a brilliant orange. Use a highlight colour like this in very small doses for it to help rather than hinder.
Purple and pink
This combo is not that uncommon, but it is unusual to find it used so brilliantly in an adult’s room rather than a child’s. Rosy pinks team up with vibrant purple well in this daring room – even the shelving unit is pink. Texture and a healthy helping of natural tones in the timber bedhead and wallpaper soften the blow. Gorgeous.
This combo is not that uncommon, but it is unusual to find it used so brilliantly in an adult’s room rather than a child’s. Rosy pinks team up with vibrant purple well in this daring room – even the shelving unit is pink. Texture and a healthy helping of natural tones in the timber bedhead and wallpaper soften the blow. Gorgeous.
Blue and green
Should these colours really never be seen together? Without this unlikely pairing, an ultra-modern living room such as this would not be nearly so interesting.
Should these colours really never be seen together? Without this unlikely pairing, an ultra-modern living room such as this would not be nearly so interesting.
Orange and brown
Didn’t we say goodbye to this colour mix in the 1970s? It’s being given a second chance in this bedroom. Teamed with crisp white cotton and geometric shapes, orange and brown becomes loveable again.
Didn’t we say goodbye to this colour mix in the 1970s? It’s being given a second chance in this bedroom. Teamed with crisp white cotton and geometric shapes, orange and brown becomes loveable again.
Red and green
This festive colour combination usually heralds tidings of joy, but it can create a cheerful mood all year long when it’s used as successfully as in this room.
This festive colour combination usually heralds tidings of joy, but it can create a cheerful mood all year long when it’s used as successfully as in this room.
Pink and red
Pairing these two tones together has to be the biggest no-no in history … and yet it works. This wallpaper’s mix of pattern and colour, when set against the white mirror and vanity, really makes a statement.
Pairing these two tones together has to be the biggest no-no in history … and yet it works. This wallpaper’s mix of pattern and colour, when set against the white mirror and vanity, really makes a statement.
Grey and yellow
This mix is becoming as popular in home decor as it has become in the fashions we wear for good reason. Green, the third colour in this palette, adds fresh appeal. Splashing yellow against grey is one of my all-time favourite colour combinations.
TELL US MORE
Which colours do you like to sit side by side? Was it a chance discovery, or have you loved the mix since childhood? Tell us about it in the comments section below, and be sure to post a high-resolution photo of any room you’ve decorated in your favourite combos.
This mix is becoming as popular in home decor as it has become in the fashions we wear for good reason. Green, the third colour in this palette, adds fresh appeal. Splashing yellow against grey is one of my all-time favourite colour combinations.
TELL US MORE
Which colours do you like to sit side by side? Was it a chance discovery, or have you loved the mix since childhood? Tell us about it in the comments section below, and be sure to post a high-resolution photo of any room you’ve decorated in your favourite combos.
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Blue and green..