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Color Ideas for Walls and Decor

Find the perfect shade for your space with our expert-approved color combinations.
8 Unusually Beautiful Front Door Colors You’d Never Think to Try
When it comes to kicking up your curb appeal, there’s one particular project that pays off: Painting the front door. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and it has a magical way of transforming the way your entire home looks. Red, white, black and navy are great choices if you’re after a classic look. But to really turn heads when people walk or drive by, try on one of these unusual shades.
Taryn Williford
May 11, 2016
How Do You Like Your Contrast? Low- and High-Contrast Rooms to Learn From
There are so many design elements that we look at, either consciously or unconsciously, when decorating our homes. Proportion, balance, color, texture—they all come out to play. One factor in particular that’s been on my mind lately (perhaps due to those monochrome Scandi interiors we all love to pin) is contrast. Specifically, the amount of contrast between light and dark in a space and how to pull it off.
Eleanor Büsing
Apr 19, 2016
Design Inspiration from Real Homes: Gorgeous Bedrooms to Tempt You Over to the Dark Side
What’s more peaceful than a bedroom draped in light, white hues? Why, one that is cocooned by dark colors, of course. If you’re still not sure if you would like a bedroom with black or dark blue walls, check out all the evidence in this post. It’s clear that going to the dark side can pay off in a big design way in the bedroom. Pictured above: Black Ink from Benjamin Moore in the bedroom in Allison & Matt’s East Village Synergy.
Adrienne Breaux
Apr 6, 2016
A Trio of Simple “I Wish I’d Thought of That” Color Ideas
We’re all kids at heart. So why can’t we decorate like children? Not to say we should start pinning up posters of teen idols or buying superhero sheets, but we should be able to channel the kind of reckless abandon of a child with a crayon and a coloring book. There are no rules, only color. This bold Chicago apartment seems to have it down, with three rule-breaking color details that are just rebellious enough to work for anyone, in any space.
Taryn Williford
Mar 14, 2016
The Hunt for a Non-Velvet Green Sofa
We’re moving into a new house, and I’ve become infatuated with the idea of a green sofa in our new living room. However, the only green sofas I’ve come across have been green velvet sofas, which don’t exactly suit our style or lifestyle. I was starting to wonder if non-velvet green couches even existed. Of course they do, and here are the 10 best options I could find. And if you are in the market for a green velvet, there are 10 of those, too!
Tess Wilson
Mar 8, 2016
Here’s Why We Think of Pink as a Color for Girls
We have strong associations with the color pink: most people think of it as a ‘girly’ color. But have you ever stopped to think about why that is? It might surprise you to learn that this strange association of color with gender can be traced to just one person: 1950s First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. The post – World War II era, in America, was a period of unprecedented prosperity.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 29, 2016
Cool Color Combo: Mustard & Pink
You guys. It’s February, the days are dark, and I really need some color in my life right now. I saw the photo above pop up on my Pinterest feed, and it was an immediate panacea to my mood: rich mustard yellow and pale mauve-pink is an unexpected, invigorating, and straight-up cheerful combination. Read on for more examples and ideas for this surprising duo.
Eleanor Büsing
Feb 22, 2016
Yes! People Decorate with Denim (And it Looks… Actually OK, I Guess?)
People have been sharing that photo of Justin and Britney all over my Facebook wall again (was that really 15 freakin’ years ago?), so that can only mean one thing: the Canadian tuxedo is back, baby! Or maybe not. Maybe the all-denim look is something that’s only cool in my dreams. You know what else has been floating around in my dreams lately? These denim rooms. Once you see them, you cannot un-see. Proceed at your own peril.
Taryn Williford
Feb 2, 2016
An Unexpected Color That Just Works…in Every Room in the House
Not for the faint of heart, this is a color that commands attention. It demands to be the star of the show, and draws eyes to it wherever it goes. You might think those qualities would make it tough to use, but the truth is this electric shade can work in any dose, in every room of the house. The bathroom in Roger & Chris’ Bold, Eclectic & Vivacious 160-Year-Old Victorian features a vanity painted in bright neon coral.
Taryn Williford
Jan 21, 2016
Lesley’s Home With an “Offbeat Edge”
Name: Lesley Location: Pasadena, California I’m an interior stylist and art director in Pasadena, California (soon to be in Waco, Texas). My current apartment is a cute little 750 square feet space that I share with my PhD student husband and adorable toddler son. As a designer, my strength is curating existing elements and arranging them from a unique design perspective so the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Nora Taylor
Dec 23, 2015
Just Paint it All: 5 Times Going Outside the Lines Worked
Residence Magazine via Dream Book Design Since it’s one of the easiest things to change about a room, we’ve seen increasingly creative applications of paint in recent years. It’s no longer just about the walls, and thank goodness for that. If you’ve got a favorite paint color and a hankering to see more of it than your walls alone can offer, read on for some ideas on painting outside the lines.
Eleanor Büsing
Oct 6, 2015
Feeling Blue and Seeing Red: Links Between Color Perception and Emotion
Annie’s Color-Splashed Home We use color metaphors to express our emotions all the time. We feel blue, see red when we’re angry, turn green with envy, and others may call us “yellow” when we’re afraid or lacking in bravery. Are these metaphors just that—metaphorical—or do they have some basis in biology?
Carolyn Purnell
Sep 29, 2015
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Simple Solutions: Painted Headboard
If you think the secret to a making a grand statement in your bedroom is buying an expensive, clunky headboard that takes up too much space and time to assemble, we have good news for you. There’s a seriously easy and chic way to transform your bedroom in a single weekend. The simple solution? Paint your headboard.
Margaret Abrams
Sep 24, 2015
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Simple Solutions: Half-Painted Wall
It seems like we’re always looking for an easy way to add a little color and contrast into our homes without sacrificing too much money or time. But finding the one color that is the right one for your room can sometimes take more energy than the job itself. The simple solution? Half-painted walls. We’re loving this super easy, personalized, and colorful way to change your home in 24 hours. Still split in two as to how to get started?
Margaret Abrams
Sep 22, 2015
Goth Glamour: 10 Stylish Black Bedrooms
There’s something sort of perfect about black in a bedroom: what says ‘sleep’ more strongly than the color of the night? Here are 10 rooms where this moody hue is the backdrop for a seriously stylish space. Above: Jenna Lyons’ black bedroom from Domino, arguably the one that began it all. An elegantly moody space from Est Magazine. A black bedroom with gold accents from Farrow & Ball.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 3, 2015
Don’t Skip the Swatch
You’ve probably heard it a million times: for the best results, test your paint colors in your room to see how they work with the light sources before committing to a full room (or even a full wall) paint job.
Janel Laban
Jul 30, 2015
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Five Happy Colors to Boost Your Mood
There’s no question about it: adding a little color is one of the easiest ways to bring some happy into your home. But what are the happiest hues out there? We partnered with the color experts at BEHR Paint to sift through the swatches and find the happiest paint colors around. Can you guess the happiest hues? Yellow is, predictably, our #1 happy color. We love how this home used Amber Brew to bring some sunshine into their space above the beautiful chair rail molding of their entryway.
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Jul 14, 2015
Kay’s Colorful Downtown Studio
Name: Kay Rozynski Location: Lower East Side, NYC Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: Under 1 year; Rent Location is everything, and Kay’s location is the bustling Lower East Side of Manhattan, home to some of the world’s best places to eat, drink, and be entertained.
Liana Hayles Newton
Jun 13, 2015
10 Rooms that Make Black Walls Work
I recently visited a friend and was immediately struck by their dark walls and what a great, dramatic backdrop they created for the space. While black walls do have the opposite effect on a room than the brightening, space-creating feeling that comes with white, the serious drama they create is often worth the trade. 1. A black wall is the perfect backdrop for architectural details like this white arched doorway in Cate’s Cozy San Francisco Nest, via Apartment Therapy 2.
Kim Lucian
Apr 16, 2015
9 Places to Add Color Where You Least Expect It
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. Exposed ducts got you down?
Nancy Mitchell
Apr 10, 2015
Emily & Stef’s Creative, Colorful London Home
Name: Emily Quinton and Stef Location: East Dulwich; London, United Kingdom Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented “Create something every day,” reads the brightly-colored motto that adorns the living room wall of the vibrant, inspiring family home of writer, photographer and maker Emily Quinton, her technologist and artist husband Stef Lewandowski, and their four young children.
Cathy Pyle
Mar 30, 2015
Tricks of the Trade: How Designers Warm Up Black & White Rooms
Black and white is a great color combination: it’s classic, it’s sophisticated, you don’t have to worry about whether things match. But sometimes the combo of black and white can be a bit stark. How do you create a monochromatic interior that feels elegant without being forbidding? Here are some ideas to make your rooms look sophisticated with this classic color scheme, but still livable and comfortable.
Nancy Mitchell
Nov 19, 2014
Julia & Bruno’s Colorful and Airy Home
Name: Julia Vallelunga & Bruno Gariépy Location: Montréal, Québec Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years; Owned Julia is the founder and editor of À la Mode Montréal, a blog about décor, fashion, trends, travel and day-to-day life. Since the beginning of 2014, À la Mode Montréal has its own online store that offers a selection of beautiful handmade objects by international designers.
Marie-Lyne Quirion
Nov 2, 2014
Black Walls in Bathrooms: Yea or Nay?
Black bedrooms, inky kitchen cabinets, and dark living rooms have all been fodder for discussion here on AT, but lately, I feel like I’ve seen a spate of black walls popping up in bathrooms. What’s your take on this bold choice? On the one hand, black walls in bathrooms can be unbelievably elegant and beautiful, as the bathroom in the Sag Harbour cottage above (designed by ASH NYC) shows.
Carolyn Purnell
Oct 14, 2014
10 Common Color Mistakes You Should Stop Making
Color is kind of tough, if we’re being honest. Or more accurately, a lot can go wrong when attempting to use color in your home, even with the best of intentions. Here are 10 of the most common color mistakes at home — and how you can fix them. Without light, color wouldn’t be much to look at. And as much as the right light can make a color sing…it can also make a gray go lavender or a white look dingy.
Adrienne Breaux
Sep 28, 2014
Why This Room Works: 6 Expert Color Mixing Tips to Steal From Annie’s Bold Living Room
It’s one thing to add in a lot of color into a living room. It’s another thing to mix a lot of bold colors expertly in one compact space. How do you do it so it’s exciting and not a messy jumble of hues? A favorite house tour with a particularly colorful living room holds six secrets worth stealing for your own colorful home.
Adrienne Breaux
Sep 21, 2014
Before & After: Kerry’s Colorful & Quick Rental Kitchen Makeover
When you’re faced with a bland, beige rental kitchen in an apartment you otherwise love, what do you do? If you’re Kerry, who has a gorgeous New Orleans apartment, you infuse your rental kitchen with some color! From Kerry: I’ve lived in my 800 square foot French Quarter apartment in New Orleans for five years now. I have the perfect combination of low rent and a hands-off landlord. This summer I decided to make some big changes.
Adrienne Breaux
Sep 6, 2014
Put Down the Paintbrush: 10 Ways to Add Color Without Painting
Are you a color-lover adrift on an ocean of white? Living in a rental where you’re not allowed to paint doesn’t mean you can’t surround yourself with brilliant hues. Here are ten easy ways to add color without ever picking up a paintbrush. 1. Go for big, colorful art. An oversized piece (like the one in the bedroom above, from Okologi, or the living room pictured up top, from Sköna Hem, via Design Milk) instantly brightens a room. 2. Hang a colorful tapestry on the wall.
Nancy Mitchell
Jul 29, 2014
Before & After: Unfinished Dresser Gets Colorful New Look
Sometimes it’s the small changes you make that make a difference in a room. When Diane’s knitting class let out early one day, she decided to put her extra hour to good use and finally tackle that IKEA dresser in her garage. See what a difference a little bit of paint makes…. Diane removed each of the knobs, sanded them with a medium grit paper, then applied purple chalk paint as a final touch.
Dabney Frake
Apr 1, 2014
Simple & Sophisticated: Black, White and Wood Inspiration
We hear often that many folks are paralyzed about how to start decorating their home. We don’t blame you; there are a lot of things to think about/consider/decide. If you’ve been living in a blank or boring room for too long, what you might need is a narrow set of guidelines to stick to so you can get started. And a limiting but still fabulous palette is just the way to go.
Adrienne Breaux
Mar 15, 2014
Be Bold: Unusual Color Combinations that Work
Bold paint colors in your home are not for the timid, but if you love to surround yourself with color, then here are some combos you may want to try. Don’t limit yourself to the walls — try bringing some bold color to your furniture, floors, ceiling, or trim for some interesting color play in your space. And if you’re thinking about joining the color adventures but hesitating, start with a smaller room like a powder room, den, laundry room, etc., and feel it out. TOP ROW: 1.
Melissa DiRenzo
Mar 13, 2014
6 Daring, Real-Life Wall Paint Colors to Try From This Week’s Top Tours
We had some house tours from folks not afraid of color this week. Rich, soothing and energizing, these colors would complement a lot of styles. And as evidenced from the gorgeous real-life spaces that accompany these hues, you know they work. Grab wall paint color inspiration from these actual rooms for your own color project this weekend.
Adrienne Breaux
Feb 8, 2014
What’s The Deal With Verdigris?
It’s unstable, reactive and even toxic but that hasn’t tempered our obsession with the fragile beauty of Verdigris. If you’ve seen an old, rusty penny, you’ve seen verdigris in nature; it’s the greenish-blue patina that forms on copper, bronze or brass when it’s exposed to moisture. Just take a look at this artist’s reproduction of what a brand new Statue of Liberty must have looked like. Statue of Liberty, copper construction.
Jennifer Hunter
Jan 29, 2014
Before & After: From Beige to Bold!
Seeing potential in this heavy storage piece from an old bedroom set, Carmina set to work transforming the blah beige finish to a handful of shades of just one hue. Now beautiful and functional, it’s got a modern color palette that updates its style and creates one unique addition to a home! From Carmina: We rescued this piece from a house being cleared out after an estate sale down the alley from our home.
Adrienne Breaux
Jan 4, 2014
Before & After: The Year’s Most Colorful Transformations
Sometimes a little color can make a big difference. Read on to see some of our favorite colorful makeovers from 2013. To see the ‘afters’, click on the links for each project. (Hint: clicking each link with the scroll wheel of your mouse will open it in a new window.) Enjoy! TOP ROW: 1. Before & After: Plain Jane Entryway Now Pops with Pattern & Color 2. Before & After: A Dressed-Up Dresser 3. Before & After: An Old Chest Gets a Big Change 4.
Nancy Mitchell
Dec 26, 2013
DIY Craft Supply Spotlight: Felt Products, Tools & Projects
There is something so wholesome, tangible and satisfying about felt. Not only is it warm and comforting, it’s also majorly colorful and energizing as well. Which might just make it the world’s perfect fabric for wintertime. Projects and ideas abound, and this is your guide. Here are some products and projects that will give you the warm fuzzies: These cute boxes were made using inexpensive stiffened felt (called E-Z Felt) found at a major craft supply store.
Dabney Frake
Dec 5, 2013
Before & After: Plain Jane Entryway Now Pops with Pattern & Color
Katja’s entryway was pretty, but plain, and needed a good dose of something. Turns out that something was turquoise paint and a lot of graphic pattern. To create the accent wall, Katja first painted it a light turquoise. Then, strips of painter’s tape were placed vertically every 14 inches. Smaller bits were taped at an angle off those stripes, to create the arrow effect. She then painted over the whole thing with a darker turquoise and removed the tape.
Dabney Frake
Nov 12, 2013
Color by Decade: The 50s
What bland optimism. Just look at all those smiling, happy white people. If there was ever a more striving crawl towards generic homogeneity, I’d like to hear about it. And if this utopia was built in the 40s and disintegrated in the 60s, then for a moment it existed — for some — in the calm center of the storm of the world, 1950s America. Let’s look at the colors used to sell this story.
Mark Chamberlain
Nov 12, 2013
What’s the Deal With Vermilion?
Often called “Chinese Red,” vermilion actually has a long and storied history throughout many cultures of the ancient world. Read on to find out more about this ancient color. It starts with a mineral, the undisputed champion of cool mineral names: cinnabar. Grinding cinnabar produces the brilliant red powder called vermilion, evidence of which was found as early as 8000 BC in the area that is now Turkey.
Jennifer Hunter
Nov 5, 2013
Modern and Moody: Dark Feminine
I like to play with the feel of interiors, throwing together things that you might not always think to combine. One of my favorite looks at the moment is something I like to call ‘dark feminine,’ which pairs things that we traditionally associate with ‘feminine’ decor — curves, intricate patterns, soft fabrics, flowers — with dark, moody colors. The result is mysterious, intriguing, and unexpectedly modern. TOP ROW: 1. That aubergine velvet sofa! Yum.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 19, 2013
Paint Color Portfolio: Pale Pink Dining Rooms
Pale pink may not be a common color for the dining room, but I absolutely love it in these inspiration rooms. It’s such a calming and demure color that I can’t imagine not having a relaxing meal in a room so delicate. The pale, peachy hues shown above are subtle, yet unexpected enough to be unique. See below for some colors that can help you get this look. Inspiration Rooms: 1. Yvestown flickr (Licensed under Creative Commons) 2. Kishani Perera for Style Me Pretty 3.
Andie Powers
Sep 13, 2013
DIY the $50 IKEA VITTSJÖ: 5 Colorful Hacks
For years IKEA’s EXPEDIT has been a ubiquitous storage solution for homes everywhere. But recently the Swedish furnishing giant’s VITTSJÖ has been showing up more and more on my design radar. It doesn’t scream IKEA, and you’d never guess the system starts as low as under $50. The black metal and glass shelving system has a nice industrial quality on its own, but it seems to really shine when it’s given a bright coat of paint.
Rachel Wray Thompson
Feb 13, 2013
What Color Should I Paint My Home Theater Room?
Q – I need help on how to pick the right color for a home theater room. I have heard that it should be black or a neutral gray. Where should I begin?A – Hi John,To recreate a serious home theater resembling an actual cinema (like Scott’s Home Theater above), a darker and flat paint is the right way to go.
Gregory Han
Feb 12, 2013
Choosing Wisely: Tips for Getting the Perfect Paint Color Every Time
Sometimes there is nothing quite so daunting as a big, blank wall, waiting to be painted. With all the time, money and effort that painting entails, you want to be sure that you’re actually going to like the finished product. Read on for some tips on how to choose color wisely.Consider your light. First of all, you should be realistic about your space and the colors that will work within it, and light plays a big role here.
Eleanor Büsing
Nov 7, 2012
Before & After: The Power of Color
This earthy room was in need of a bit of energy. Interior designer Kirsten Krason came in and saved the space. Follow me after the jump to what she stirred up…Kirsten had a little pattern party with primary colors and brightened up this room in a big way. She kept a good amount of the furniture and added some new pieces along the journey. She splurged on a few big items like the rug, coffee table and window treatments, but then bargain hunted for other great but inexpensive finds.
Alysha Findley
Oct 11, 2012
Before & After: Erin’s Painted House
Erin lives in a row house with a brick façade that she and her husband found underwhelming. The brick was not the best quality and had mismatched mortar spots, and the bottom line was, they wanted to give their home some stand-out personality.After testing out 12 shades of gray paint samples, Erin of 110 + 2 settled on Sherwin Williams’ Classic French Gray for the house and their Citrus for the front and back doors. The gray is classic, and the punchy yellow is fun and modern.
Kim R. McCormick
Sep 14, 2012
4 Things To Consider When Picking A Wall Color
Sure you can always paint over, but that doesn’t make picking the color that you’ll see everyday any easier. I’ve seen more people agonize over the perfect wall color than the perfect sofa, despite the fact that the former is significantly less expensive. It’s harder to visualize, and that’s scary. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ease the process. • Don’t ignore your floor color! Don’t.
Leah Moss
Jul 5, 2012
Alex Fulton’s Flirtatious Use of Crazy Color
Name: Alex Fulton Location: Sumner Beach — Christchurch, New Zealand Size: 180 square meters Years Lived In: 5 years this Christmas. A few weeks back I practically spit my drink all over myself trying to get shouts of exclamation out when stumbled upon this home in New Zealand. Although I would have loved to have flown there to photograph it myself, we called in the big guns (aka Li’l Magoolie). This home is so packed with color, you might actually need to sit down.
Sarah Rae Smith
Aug 22, 2011
5 Tricks For Learning To Live With Ugly Wall Color
In all of our travels across the country and all of our rental apartments and homes I’ve only had the chance to paint in a few spaces. The problem is, by the time you’ve spent enough time in your space to get the feel for light and how it effects color — it’s time to move! We’ve lived with some of the uuuugliest walls ever for most of our lives and we’ve learned a few tricks to work around them.
Sarah Rae Smith
Aug 6, 2010
What Color Is Your Holiday? Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwanzaa
With the city festooned in red and green for the holiday season, it seemed like an appropriate time to wonder how these colors came to be associated with Christmas, how blue and white became the official colors of Hanukkah, and what symbolism black, green, and red have during Kwanzaa. The Christmastime significance of the color green is partly related to the evergreen tree, seen as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and eternal life.
Anna Hoffman
Dec 17, 2009
5 Classic Color Harmonies Defined
When designing the look of a room, deciding on the color palette can sometimes seem overwhelming. The task of coordinating the decor to the furniture to the flooring to the walls in just the right way can seem challenging. Thoughts of “Where to begin?” or “How” to begin?” can easily takeover.One place to begin is understanding a bit about color theory and how different color harmonies can create the feeling, look and overall tone of space.
Rebecca Orlov
Aug 20, 2008
Good Questions: How To Clean the Discoloration on my Macbook?
Reader Courtney Chelo asks:After 5 years with my freshman year standard issue Dell laptop (which is dying a slow, painful death) I’m ready to leave the PC world for a Mac. I don’t need anything fancy… I’m going with the MacBook 2.4GHz… the question is: if I get the white one, will it turn yellow? Some say “YES!” some say “GOD, NO!” and others say “I don’t want to learn to use a Mac and you shouldn’t either!
Anthony Nguyen
Jul 25, 2008
Good Questions: What Color To Paint the Doors When Walls Are White?
Hello AT,After repainting our apartment, my wife and I are trying to figure out what color to paint our interior doors (the doorknobs are going to be stainless steel). The obvious answer is white, but this isn’t going to work.
Maxwell Ryan
Mar 29, 2007
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