5 Easy Ways to Add More Color to Your Home

Kristen Bateman

Think about it: There are certain shades of blue that you probably feel calmer around without even really realizing it, while pale greens or purple (notoriously polarizing colors) might make you uneasy. The power of color is what inspired Brooklyn designer and artist Rebecca Atwood to release her latest book, Living With Color: Inspiration and How-Tos to Brighten Up Your Home.

“I assumed that there were all of these books on color out there,” Rebecca told us. “There are, but there aren’t any that are in service of the reader. They’re more about inspiration or the science of color. They’re not necessarily helping you understand color and how to use it in your home.” As such, her new book functions as a guide on how to use color in your home, whether you’re a beginner or well versed in rainbow-hued walls. Here, Rebecca shares some of her best tips on how to live with color, and we give you a sneak peek at some of the fun homes included in the book.

Interior and textile designer Anthony Gianacakos is known for his "colorful and livable choices." So when Alison, the owner of this space, needed a refresh to her apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side, he was the go-to person to fill the space with a mood and plenty of color.

Paint it

“The biggest thing you can do, from a budget point of view, is to paint an entire room or a single wall,” she suggests. You can also think beyond walls and paint a simple pine dresser a bold shade for a strong, statement-making moment. Portola, Farrow & Ball, and Clare, are some of Rebecca's favorites.

Jen Mankin, owner of Bird Brooklyn, knows how to curate. The mantel in her living room is covered in objects and artwork she has collected over time—she buys them based on love as opposed to any particular style.

Create an object collection

Each chapter opens up with an image of a small arrangement of objects, all in their own unique color palette. “It can be really simple. A rock that you found, or a vase, or a couple of books,” says Rebecca. It’s an incredibly easy way to create a color statement in any room, and you can also include ceramics. Workaday Handmade, and Helen Levi are some of the designer’s top picks.

An easy way to add color, pattern, and interest into your space is through textiles. A stripe, a color block, a pastel, a jewel tone…just think about balance and proportions, and get mixing.

Think in terms of formulas

“For the person who isn’t used to using color, it’s about looking at some different formulas,” explains Rebecca. Choose from complementary, primary, or a combination of tertiary colors. You can then mix home textiles, like Rebecca’s own line, across one room to build a custom color palette that naturally works together.

Artists Charlotte Hallberg and Eric Gonzalez describe the look of their apartment as pared-down midcentury-modern treehouse. In the living room, there's a green accent wall, a nice sage-y green sofa, and a few plants that work in a room without much light, but this corner of the space features analogous, warm accent colors to balance the coziness with brightness.

Don’t forget in-between colors

If you already know what shade you want, Benjamin Moore offers a color-matching service, which Rebecca used for her own studio, based on her hand-painted gouache on paper. When using such a specific color, she says to remember “connector colors.” Following the rule of having a neutral base then adding pops of colors (such as a custom matched red or orange) can fall flat, if you don’t remember the hues in between. “Add in multiple shades of that color. Add some warm neutrals versus cools, so it doesn’t feel so stark,” she says.

Can you tell the goal of this Williamsburg, Brooklyn, home was to have a permanent summer beach vacation vibe? Owned by Shanan Campanaro, owner of textile and design firm Eskayel, and her husband, Nick Chocana, the space is full of colors and materials reminiscent of the ocean. Sure, the surfboard decor is pretty direct, but the reupholstered vintage dining chairs give the seaside sensation, too.

Get emotional

If you truly don’t know where to start, Rebecca says to “imagine a place or memory that felt really wonderful,” then pull your color palette out from that. “A landscape is often a really good place to start because you have big washes of color and you can think about that like you would a room.” You can also design the palette from a strong object that speaks personally to you in your home, such as a quirky Aelfie rug.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest