Monochromatic Rooms, From Pale to Bright
Rooms swathed in a single pale shade, like the blue room in the first photo above, tend to feel serene and calming (sometimes a little bland, depending on your point of view). But monochromatic rooms decked out in bright, bold shades can have the opposite effect, creating an undeniable sense of drama and vibrancy (perhaps a bit over-the-top... once again, depending on your point of view).
Based on the examples we've culled above, there are a few things we'd surely do when trying a room like this at home:
• Work in subtly different shades of the chosen color in order to add depth and interest.
• Create textural contrast.
• Even though you're going monochromatic, do make some small gestures with accent colors, especially neutrals like wood tones and whites.
What do you think? Is a monochromatic color scheme for you? Have you tried this at home?
For more inspiring monochromatic rooms, try these previous Apartment Therapy posts:
• Mix and Match Styles With a Monochromatic Palette
• Monochromatic Bathrooms
• Look! Monochromatic!
(Images: Cottage Living; Phoebe Howard; Sergi; Cottage Living; Jill Hertz/HGTV; Desire to Inspire; Laura Casey Interiors; I on Design)
Comments (14)
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The red room makes me want to jab my own eyes out. That was mean. Sorry.
view atron's profile
The red room is what you would SEE if you jabbed your own eyes out!
view Beautyeverywhere's profile
There is something I kind of like about all of the rooms, but I don't think I could ever have something so monochromatic in my own home. It would drive me crazy.
view Tashy's profile
Monochromatic somehow always comes off as boring and uninspired to me -- almost a 'cheating' way of decorating. However, photos 7 and 8 are not boring, but downright nightmarish.
view mirandabee's profile
Red room is horrible
view gwylan's profile
Love the bed in the first picture. But I'm not a fan of monochromatic decorating schemes. Those last two rooms look like they've been photoshopped; the colors are so glaringly bright.
view slowdown's profile
I love monochromatic rooms - tho they're not that difficult, they just take some planning and a bit of discipline.
Red rooms needn't to be as oppressive as the last photo - Just consider the Red Room at the White House:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Room_(White_House)
view bepsf's profile
I think it can work... but I don't think these are great examples. The yellow room strikes a good balance because there are other colors involved. The green room and the blue bedroom feel too studied to me. And I don't like that if you brought anything else into the room that wasn't the chosen color, it would feel out of place.
view livc's profile
I like the green bedroom. it is my favorite color I would have liked to have a room like that when I was a kid.
view jessroo's profile
I absolutely love all 3 blue bedrooms! But then I have a weird instinctual attraction to blue. My boyfriend might kill me though if I suggested we have an only-blue bedroom. :P
view engill's profile
the red room looks like it was badly photoshopped with a red tint.
view timmy jr.'s profile
I think it works for a hotel, you stay in all blue or green room for one-two night but I think I would be so tired of living with this for a long period of time.
view LoriSF's profile
your pic choices are sooo pretty.
whenever i'm having a bad day i like scheming about 4 or 5 room apartments or small houses of different monochromatic rooms, floor, walls, ceiling (some with just a few other accent colors).
view orangered's profile
I loooooove the turquoise room....
Yeah, the red is pretty bad.
view sugarcake's profile