The renowned artist Claude Monet once said, “Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment.”
For those of you that know me or read my blog regularly, you know that I do not discriminate between neutral colors and bold colors. Part of my passion for design is the opportunity and ability to manipulate multiple color palettes to play off of one another — to create a statement in an otherwise visually silent room.
One of the benefits of working with both bold colors and neutrals is that neutrals provide an excellent design base. There is a reason, after all, that they are called neutrals. Neutrals tend to be visually soothing —when applied to walls, flooring, furniture, etc., neutrals tend to provide the harmony, allowing the pops of color to be the melody.
One of the reasons I love to work with neutrals is that it allows you to take one room and drastically change the look and feel of it simply by altering accessories. We all know that flooring and furniture are too costly to replace on a regular basis (well, for most of us), so we must look to accessories to create drama, to create light, to create focus.
While the potential uses of accessories to bring color to a room are endless, the following are five places to start:
1. Throw pillows
Professional tip: Purchase variously sized pillows, and either purchase or sew cases in different colors or patterns. That way you have multiple options but don’t have to find storage for multiple pillows!
2. Lamps
Professional tip: Don’t limit your creativity to the lamp base when you are modifying a room. Switch out shades, or even switch the boring plain bulb for a colored one or decorative one and get a unique look.
3. Tablecloths
Professional tip: Don’t overlook runners! Table runners can dramatically alter the look of both your tablecloth and your table in general.
4. Art
Professional tip: When you are looking to add a piece of art to a room, don’t limit yourself to wall art. Art can be accent tables, bookshelves, and even floors.
5. Windows
Professional tip: Drapes can be costly, so look to modify your windows by adding accents to the hardware or elegant ties.
