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9 Places to Add Color Where You Least Expect It

Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
As a former Senior Writer at Apartment Therapy, Nancy split her time among looking at beautiful pictures, writing about design, and photographing stylish apartments in and around NYC.
published Apr 10, 2015
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Nothing perks up a home faster than a little color — and some of the most fun spots to add color are the ones you’d least expect. These painting projects will definitely make you do a double take, and they just might put a smile on your face, too.

Above: You might be the only one who knows about the colorful surprise lurking inside your cabinets… but it’ll be worth it every time you pull out your dishware. From A Beautiful Mess.

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(Image credit: Design Milk)

Exposed ducts got you down? Make them a design feature with a little bit of color. Spotted on Design Milk.

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(Image credit: The Jungalow)

Usually you see painted rooms with white trim — doing the opposite plays with your expectations in a delightful way. From The Jungalow.

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(Image credit: Heart Home Mag)

If you’re not up to painting all your trim, you could try painting just the top part of the trim profile, for a look that’s more subtle but still surprising. From Heart Home Mag.

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(Image credit: Lonny)

We love the look of the colored back of a bookcase peeping out from behind a few volumes. From Lonny.

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(Image credit: Est Magazine)

Painting the inside of a drawer might be a little more work, but it’ll make retrieving your stuff a joy every time. From Est Magazine.

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(Image credit: Classy Clutter)

Painting the back of your closet a beautiful color will inspire you to keep clothes under control, so you’ll have a chance of glimpsing that gorgeous hue. From Classy Clutter.

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(Image credit: Domaine Home)

Painting the ceiling is dramatic and unexpected… and we love the idea of letting the color continue down the walls, too. Spotted on Domaine Home.

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(Image credit: Abby Cook)

Don’t feel like investing a ton of time? You can still get a big impact by painting the edge of a door, like Jen and Nate did in their Canada home.

Re-edited from a post originally published 4.9.15-NT

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