3 Clever Ways to Decorate With Color, According to the Most Followed Person on Pinterest

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Savannah WestHome Assistant Editor
Savannah WestHome Assistant Editor
Savannah is Assistant Editor for the Home Team at Apartment Therapy. When she's not writing about style tips, product launches, or interviewing designers, you can catch her re-watching Gossip Girl or on Facetime with her grandma. Savannah is a proud HBCU graduate and Clark…read more
published Jul 6, 2021
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With 15 million followers and counting, Joy Cho, founder and creative director of Oh Joy!, is the most followed person on Pinterest, and rightfully so. All of her social media feeds are colorful, inviting, and awe-inspiring while still feeling accessible. Cho is always looking for fun ways to add more life and color into her home, like colorful shower tiles or her tri-colored kitchen cabinets. As Cho explains though, incorporating color into your space successfully can be tricky. “The best way to approach it is to start with things that are easy to interchange, then start to commit more and more until you feel comfortable,” she says.

Seeing the way other people style their homes on social media is inspiring, but it can sometimes feel unattainable, especially if you’re starting from the very beginning. Whether you’ve got color commitment issues or you’re ready to go all-in, these Oh Joy!-approved levels for working color into your space can get you started on your color journey today.

Credit: Bounty

Level 1: Accessories

When it comes to incorporating more color, “I always try to start people off slowly,” Cho says. Adding colorful accessories is an option with little to no commitment, and trying a few decorative accents gives you a chance to see how different colors affect your mood and complement your space. You can buy small, interchangeable things like a bright throw pillow or a colorful planter to add color anywhere in your home. Cho also recommends finding color in everyday items, like with her new signature line of paper towels with Bounty or plates, mugs, or even your bathroom linens.

Level 2: Statement pieces

One of the biggest pieces of your furniture in your home may be your couch — and Cho says you can start there, if you’re in the market for a new piece, that is. Find a couch or sofa that you love in a cool color you feel like you can live with. “This is a great way to really make a color statement because it’s such a primary piece of furniture,” she says. You can also use colorful dining chairs and accent chairs in your living room to get the same bold effect.

Level 3: Permanent installs

Once you’re feeling more confident with color, try transitioning to more prominent and permanent placements of color such as on your kitchen cabinets or floors. While you technically can switch out cabinets and floors, taking that on is a heavier lift than changing the cover on a throw pillow. “You can also try wallpaper,” Cho says. A bold printed wallpaper provides more dimension and visual interest with pattern versus simply painting a wall. “You could start off with an accent wall, or wrap an entire room in wallpaper like me!” she says.