A touch of color can go a long way. It can invoke a certain mood to a home, whether it’s calming and serene or playful and energetic. It can also add a flair of creativity when added to clever, unexpected places.
But for those who are not design-oriented, how can you incorporate color in a sophisticated, non-intrusive way? If you lean toward neutral color schemes, how can you bring in a delicate, understated trace of color?
From painted ceilings to chic flooring options, here’s Twenty & Oak’s guide on how to subtly add color to your home.
Hang Artwork
The artwork can make a statement in any room, also acting as a focal piece that says something about you or your home. But most importantly, it can also lend a pop of color, as well as add texture and dimension. Whether it’s a collection of canvas-printed family photos or an artist-signed lithograph print, display artwork that defines you and brings some color to your space.
Artwork also doesn’t have to be printed or behind glass. Consider a beaded cloth tapestry or heirloom quilt passed down through generations. You can even hang a mirror with a tile mosaic frame.
Paint a Focal Area
Another way you can add color to your home is by painting. While this may seem obvious, it’s important to consider ways to do so in a more subtle yet striking manner.
For instance, instead of painting an entire room, add a blue splash to a focal wall or the interior wall of a bookshelf. It doesn’t have to be a focal wall, either. You can even paint a tray ceiling. To take it even further, consider refinishing and adding a fresh coat of paint to an older piece of furniture, like a dining table or accent chair.
Roll Out a Rug
A well-placed rug can define and truly ground a space. But it can also add some much-needed color. Lay down an area rug beneath the living room seating area or beneath the bed. You can roll out a runner down boring, furniture-less hallways. Not only will this create an eye-catching display of hues, but it softens a space–both literally and aesthetically.
Install New Flooring
Add some subtle color to your home with complementary flooring types, such as engineered hardwood and vinyl planks and tiles. With the foundation of a subtle color in a room, you can build your design from there.
Hardwood floors and the wood looks in luxury vinyl come in a variety of colors- from cheerful and bright golden blondes to neutral driftwood-like grays. Take, for instance, Beauflor’s BlackTex HD Expressionist Ink, which offers a greige tone that can elevate a modern farmhouse style home. The Déjà New collection offers LVPs in vivid hues like a kiwi green, poppy orange and striking indigo blue.
Hardwoods and engineered hardwoods offer high-variation finishes, such as Palmetto Road’s Riviera Monaco or Bardot, that create a lovely mixture of wood tones to give a rustic style to a home.
Accessories and Decor
One of the easiest ways to add subtle color is by adding accessories and decor. Place a colorful cocktail tray on the coffee table or some colored wax candles along the fireplace mantel. The accessories you can discover to bring home are endless, but think accent pillows and throws for the living room and bedrooms, or even plate chargers and table linens for the dining room. You can even accessorize a bathroom or kitchen with a soap dispenser and soft hand towels.
The best thing about accessorizing is that you can change them out seasonally, and even for fleeting holidays such as Valentine’s or longer winter-season end of year celebrations.
Place a Bouquet
As each season changes, so do the flowers. Swing by the florist and gather together some buds, stems and sprigs in a vase to subtly add color to your home. Bringing the outdoors in with some greenery is always in favor, but for more color, go with what’s in season.
For spring, think branches of yellow forsythia for some height at a dining table or classic red tulips on the kitchen counter or bedroom nightstand. Autumn invites a colder season along with neutral color palettes, so why not liven it up with curly twigs, as well as copper-toned chrysanthemums and golden daisies. Poinsettias around the holidays are sure to bring a bright red hue that is sure to warm a room.