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Five Tips for Decorating with Color

Five Tips for Decorating with Color

Five Tips for Decorating with Color

Incorporating more color into your home doesn’t have to be a maximalist statement, says Lainey Hollis, the in-house design lead for Williams Sonoma Home. For this summer’s look, Hollis took a “brights and whites” approach, which gleans its sophisticated cues from the Mediterranean. “Saturated colors set off against white can make a space feel really fresh and light and, best of all, very livable.” The clean-color emergence is both energizing and timeless. “There’s an optimism infused in these colors and this approach really lets that comes through.” Here, Hollis’ five tips for bringing bright colors indoors.

1. Start with a (mostly) white base

1.

Start with
a (mostly)
white base

“You want to create a rich white base to build off of,” says Hollis, so as think about adding texture and complementary tonal variations. To create depth, Hollis mixed accessories featuring white marble with strong grey veining, layered on gesso for texture, and finally punched up the palette with acrylic. “If it was all white it would feel flat and sterile,” she says. “This feels interesting.”

2. Choose a single color

2.

Choose a single color

One approach to incorporating color to a white base is choosing a single color. This super-clean approach may seem one note, but not if you mix it up with artwork, throws and pillow covers in tonal shades. Then, add some greenery and a natural rug. When in doubt, start with blue as your icebreaker color, advises Hollis. “It’s classic and timeless, but it feels very modern right now.” 

3. Or, pick a color-packed palette

3.  Or, pick a color-packed palette

If you’re up for a more multicolor approach, keep it cohesive by sticking to one side of the color wheel. Choose a trio of three or four adjacent hues will help ensure that your palette pairs together seamlessly, says Hollis. If you’re not sure where to start on the color wheel, consider looking right outside your window. “If you have a lush garden, it’s greens and the colors of your flowers,” says Hollis. “Blue and white if you’re by the water, maybe pinks and stone-washed greys if you’re out in the desert or by canyons.”

4. Start with accents

4.

Start with accents

You don’t have to paint a wall or invest in a bold new sofa to experiment with color, says Hollis. Instead, simply start with accent pieces that you can easily switch up and even swap out for seasons. Think about versatility, too, selecting from accents such as pillow covers, throws, ginger jars and even statement seating. 

5. Amp up the impact

5.  Amp up the impact

For added visual significance, group your colorful accents together to make one cohesive statement instead of scattering the impact throughout, says Hollis. Think: a trio of colorful, golden-hued ginger jars on a shelf or a few blue pillows and a throw on a white couch. “These accents shouldn’t be the exact same color, just the same family,” notes Hollis.