Color Ideas for Walls and Decor

Some people naturally gravitate towards colorful decor like unicorns to a rainbow. Then there are people like me who, when shopping for anything from sofas to sandals, buy everything in one of three colors: Black, white or beige. It’s a boring life, this existence clothed entirely in neutrals (And I mean real neutrals, because even “the new neutral” seems too crazy for us).

We see rooms in every hue here on Apartment Therapy, but this week, we’re taking a cue from the American flag. Inspired by Old Glory, we hunted through our house tours and found 15 beautiful rooms in shades of red, or white, or blue, or sometimes all three.

Sometimes you want to paint your walls a nice color, but sometimes you’re looking for COLOR. These 10 hues from Valspar will kick things up a few dozen notches, even if they’re confined to one little wall. But why limit yourself? Be bold! I never knew until this moment that I needed a glamorously green dining room, preferably including mint green chairs, faux fur, and a pineapple (above). Valspar’s Luscious Green (6010-7) will take care of the walls, at least.

We have some colorful news: two of our absolute favorite Swedish design inspirations are coming out with coloring books this year. Swedish Modern: A Coloring Book of Magical Interiors (July 18) For lovers of Scandinavian design—specifically design company Svenskt Tenn—you’ll the be thrilled that the coloring book contains images, sketches and texts documenting the bold designs of Josef Frank and Estrid Ericson’s gorgeous interiors.

Picking a paint color and not sure where to start? If you have a soothing, but not sleepy pale tone in mind, here are some terrific choices all pulled from the Glidden palette and, best of all, featured in real homes. Take a look… Glidden’s Misty Moonstone (#GLN34-01E), above, is as pale as blue can possibly be without just being white with blue undertones. Nearly every time I saw a room painted in a prettily pale Glidden paint, it turned out to be Smooth Stone (50YY 63/041).

We’ve said it a million times and 2013 was no exception: the best, cheapest and easiest way to dramatically transform your space is by using color. In fact, the hardest part of any painting project is probably deciding which color to choose. We got you. Here are 10 of the best in our series of Paint Color Portfolios to inspire you to make the leap to a more colorful home in 2014. 1.Coral Bathrooms 2. Black Bedrooms 3. Dark Green Kitchens 4. Dark Blue Dining Rooms 5. Light Grey Nurseries 6.

I’m a sucker for a pretty pale pink, especially in the bedroom. Pink can be soft and romantic, not to mention great for the skin. That being said, it’s tough to find a shade that’s sweet but not saccharine, feminine but not girly. Here are some inspired blush boudoirs that get it right and some paint swatches to help you get the look in your own room.INSPIRATION ROOMS:1. Katie Lydon Interiors via Apartment Therapy2. Crystal’s Dramatic Home in San Francisco3.

Meet 2020's new speckled home decor trend.

As we look down a summer, fall, and possibly beyond in lockdown, our second annual celebration of colorful homes still feels timely for July.

And it's available on Amazon, too.

Plus, other decorating tips to enhance your Zoom room.

Yes, they have a new book out, and yes, it's good!

Jo says the color "balances depth and sophistication with familiarity and comfort.”

Many succulents can turn red, but this one is especially dramatic.

The team at Joybird surveyed Americans across all 50 states to find out which interior design trends they’re most excited for this spring, along with the ones that they’re ready to let go of.

Your plants deserve a happy home, too.

It’s not every day you could scribble on priceless art and get away with it.

Here are the meanings behind some of the brand's most popular colors.

Not long ago, we proclaimed that blue was the most popular color for the home. But if we had to take a guess as to what might be the most underrated?

Pillowcases, duvet covers, sheets, and bed spreads can all be ruined with a conspicuous stain. It’s unfortunate when perfectly good, intact bedding is cast away because of a spot here and there, or because of general dinginess. Rather than buying new, dye your bedding instead! It’s a great way to cover stains or update a color. Either way, it’ll prolong the life of something you already own and be cost effective to boot.

The idea of collecting art can be a daunting one and when it comes to finding the perfect pieces to fill your walls it can feel like there are only two directions you can go in, mass produced cookie-cutter art or the intimidating, confusing and often expensive option of buying directly from a gallery. The internet has democratized the process quite a bit, but can be hard to sift through what’s available. Here are ten of my go to resources for good, affordable art.

White is nowhere to be found.

It’s 2019, and yet, “modern farmhouse” style is still crushing it. These colors will help you bring the style home.

Because design lovers know there’s way more than just one shade of white paint.

From deep charcoal to dusty white, gray is a versatile option for color in the kitchen. It’s a refreshing take on neutral that’s slightly off the beaten path for kitchen colors and can be taken to a level of dramatic sexiness, if you so desire…The quality of light in your space will affect the color, and placement will influence the overall aesthetic. This collection of interiors showcases a few succssful options for those thinking of going gray in the kitchen.

Blue — it’s a versatile color that in its darkest hues is dramatic and moody. It can be bold, uplifting and energizing. It can mix with other hues to create stunning teals, turquoises, dusty bluish grays and more. Barely there, it’s a hint of color that soothes and softens. Want to pick a blue for a wall or furniture paint project this weekend and know it’ll look amazing? Check out these 20 real-life examples of blues used in house tours — including paint names!

Choosing grey paint is a cinch. You only have a few…thousand choices. Do you want a light grey, medium grey, charcoal grey? A brown-ish grey, blue-ish grey, black-ish grey? It’s enough to throw your hands up and just keep the color you’ve got. Or, check out some real homes with grey walls and see what colors and brands they used as a starting point for your own paint project.

It’s no secret that grey has become one of the most popular neutrals over the last couple of years. It’s got a little more warmth than white, but it isn’t in your face like a bright color. Plus, colors like turquoise look great against it. But, as we’ve found out first hand, it can be difficult to find the right shade.We recently painted our new dining room what we thought was grey, but ended up being a very bright light blue.

Name: Silver Fox 2108-50Brand: Benjamin MooreClose friends of mine have a brownstone in Brooklyn — they are both artists unafraid to be decoratively daring, and have invested every room in the house with a unique color.The overall palette of their home reminds me of that in The Winslow Boy.Silver Fox is one of those wet cement colors that looks like a warm grey on the wall, but comes off of a brown page in a fan deck.

Anyone who has tried to pick out white paint knows there are tons of variants. In my case, I’ve started a personal crusade against antique white in favor of a brighter white. One of the most ambitious goals in my January Cure was painting all the antique white walls in my three-story row home Ultra Pure White. Having redone two long hallways areas, I’ve made decent progress. Today I’m working on an awkward stairway.

Sure, a bright white is a common go-to, but there are other hues that look fantastic.

Spring has sprung over at KitchenAid.

Neon has been enjoying a design redemption in a big way. These hot colors are hot again, but unlike most design trends, neon hasn’t trickled down into nurseries and kids spaces as much as I’d expected. But for those parents who have chosen to use neon in big or small ways, I say hats off to you!

Piet Mondrian used reds, yellows, blues, and blacks. Donald Judd’s palette has included green, pink, and orange. Carl Andre relied on the colors of specific materials like wood and metals. And yet somehow, the term “minimalism” today calls to mind an image of a pure, clean, and orderly space with white as the dominant color. Why, despite seeing color everywhere, do we still tend to associate the minimal and the modern with whiteness?

You may have noticed that we’re big fans of washi tape around here. You can use it to dress up walls, decorate your tech, create custom bottles and much, much more. If you love this Japanese decorative tape as much as we do, you’ll love this resource list.

As much as I adore all-grey and white homes, these colorful rooms can’t help but make me smile— especially during Pride season!

During these cold, gray times, it can be easy to forget that spring is right around the corner. Not only will adding a little green to your home improve your mood right now — it can also serve as a reminder that winter won’t last forever. Here’s how to do just that. This little terrarium would be a fun way to liven up a cold winter night — and you can continue to enjoy it throughout the year.

Sticking with all-white in an interior space has a lot of advantages. Light and airy, you’ll be left with bright spaces that feel refreshing and peaceful. Those who rent will find solace in being able to work with can’t-paint white walls. Not having a lot of colors in a space allows the people to become the paint that splashes colorfully on your home’s palette. But creating stunning all-white rooms isn’t as easy as simply leaving out the color.

If you’re like me and you’re torn between the look of a bright, white room and a fun, colorful space for your little one, you might be a perfect candidate for the two-tone trend. It’s the best of both worlds, and the only thing you need to make it happen is a good roll of painter’s tape (and, of course, paint!). Here are ten of my favorite two-tone spaces to jump-start your imagination: 1. Petit Sweet Nursery 2. Timothy’s Nursery 3. Ban.do Nursery 4.