Tips For Adding A Pop Of Color To Your Home
Spaces that are a neutral color palette in our homes can come alive with a simple pop of color. The possibilities are endless for adding a fun, interesting color! So today I’m sharing my favorite ideas for adding color to a neutral color palette.
My pop of color might be quite different than yours. For me, even a small addition of burnt yellow or a great rich blue or soothing green is just right in my home! You need to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t. But a little color is a wonderful thing in a neutral home!
If you have a neutral home or are planning to go more neutral you would be so smart to pick out a couple colors you love to live with and add them to your decor. Introduce them slowly, maybe for a season and enjoy making your neutral home so much more interesting!
These are my favorite ways to add color to a neutral home!
RUGS
Add color to a room with a rug. You can use patterns and textures and so many colors when adding a rug to a room. I love that colored rugs add so much style to a space and they are also great at hiding dirt, too!
I’m working on a very bright color in our home!
FLOWERS
Whether you use faux or freshly cut flowers or household plants, they can add the perfect amount of color.
Natural greenery always wakes up a sleepy space, but playing with colorful floral designs is a favorite decorating trick of mine. I love bold arrangements and using fabulous pots and planters adds an even bigger element of beauty to any room in your home.
THROWS AND PILLOWS
I have always been a self-proclaimed pillow addict. I just can’t help but love pillows and the power they have to transform a space. This is the perfect place to add color. Pillow are inexpensive and they can be changed out seasonally. I never tire of them, because they are so simple to replace. I feel the exact same way about throws, too!
STATEMENT FURNITURE
Incorporating a colorful piece of furniture is one way to bring the wow factor to your decor. Bold colors in chairs, tables, and dressers add so much drama. If you are hesitant to make a large investment on a colorful piece, a boldly colored chair is a great place to start.
I am in the process of introducing cobalt blue to my family room. It’s such a pretty color and works wonderfully with neutrals. And look at the pattern on those chairs!!! A bit crazy, right? I fell in love with them instantly!
Accessories and Artwork
I have always enjoyed using beautiful art and fun accessories in my home. They can pack a punch even on a small scale. A neutral wall is a perfect backdrop for brightly colored paintings. Coffee tables and bookshelves are just waiting for accessories that will draw your eye. You can trade these things out depending on the season, as well.
Pull out a pretty dishtowel and add it to a vignette. It’s as simple as that!
Or put a pretty colored bedspread on a bed.
HERE ARE MORE POP OF COLOR IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME
- Use a single pop of color throughout your home.
- Add a lamp in a fun color.
- Use curtains in a pretty accent color.
- Paint the inside of bookshelves.
- Use colorful dishes and display them.
- A big bowl of colorful fruit looks great displayed in a neutral home.
- This is a BIG pop of color, paint your ceiling. Ooooooh I love this idea!
- Wallpaper a wall.
- Paint a dining room chair a pop of color.
You don’t have to go crazy with color. Just a few well placed items with even a hint of color will liven up your neutral home!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE …
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8 COLOR LESSONS YOU SHOULD KNOW TO BE MORE CONFIDENT WHEN ADDING COLOR TO YOUR HOME
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HOW TO LAYER DECOR IN YOUR HOME LIKE A PRO
Good morning Yvonne, Up very early and enjoying my coffee with you. Certainly your ideas for adding color to neutral are perfect and easy. Makes such a difference to change out area rug and pillows .I have even switched out some of my artwork to lighten my family room and add a touch of spring. The blues and greens will easily coordinate when summer beachy accessories are added to the room.As you often say easy peasy is what we want for warm weather decorating. Have a wonderful day.
I could not agree more about easy peasy in warm weather, Kathy! You are right on point!
Yvonne, accessories are “my thing”, so this post is right up my alley! They are the last stage in the decorating process, and they should make a room come together! Accessories are where you can let your personality shine!!! I love to add a bit of whimsy to my rooms with colorful accessories. This was a great post on adding color to a neutral room, and most of your suggestions were in the accessory department…”the icing on the cake”!!!
Happy Mother’s Day, belatedly!
Happy Mother’s Day to you too, Bunny! You are so right about accessories! You should write a blog!
Hi Yvonne! Love your tips about color alongside a neutral palette! Even though I do love neutrals, I crave color! I recently painted all of my rooms except for my twins’ rooms, more neutral colors. They’re warm and cool and it is such a breath of fresh air! Therefore, all of my accessories, rugs, and furniture are the color! I do need to change my pillows though. We are going to be moving this year and I’m trying to save money so I will used the same base just get different pillow covers! Thanks for sharing all these tips!
You are so so smart! Congrats on the move!!!! I love color too but I work with it all day with clients and now my new shop that I need a home that is restful!
Love your neutral palette Yvonne! You do it so well and especially with the ways you add color. Our home is neutral also and I’ve added color is some of the ways you have and it works so well!
So glad to hear, Karen!
I love how you add pops of color into your home. Thank you for all of the great tips! I feel like you are my own personal decorator!
Oh, Carol! How nice of you to say. That is just what I want to be!
Yvonne,
I love the gold pillow sham with the stripe in the bed. Could you tell me where you got it?
I love that rug you have in the kitchen. Where did you find it?
I’m so glad I’m able to read again. I’d forgotten about your color. Blue dishes. The chair and bench. I’m loving the fun rugs out now. I can have lots of fun and create a fun room just around a rug. They aren’t the huge commitment of even ten years ago. I like the idea of the fresh flowers. I’ve not done that this year because of other reasons. I guess I did do daffodils but my cutting flowers are lacking. We lack rain to keep the flowers going and it’s been so hot already. I will try to get zinnias in! They add color. I also liked that vivid ceramic bowl in your book case. I think because it reflects the light it seems to give off more color impact! Those cereal bowl stacked looked great and just a towel under the stack of dishes in a basket. How fun. I want to remember this. Even a napkin can work for me. It seems I’ve forgotten how to do things and your posts are helping me. Happy spring day!!
Love neutrals and adding a bit of color.Sometimes the small things can make a big impact.
Great suggestions!
Any chance that the blue/white pillows on the bed can still be found somewhere?
New shop???? So exciting! How did I ever miss this news? I live nearby so I can’t wait to check this out!
LOVE that chair!!! What new shop are you referring to?
See tomorrow’s post!
I love the rug in the first picture of this blog. It is beautiful with the sofa. Would love to know you purchased it.
Thank you,
Sandy
Hi Sandy, I found it on rugs.com
Thank you for your daily inspirations … from decorating to spiritual!
Have appreciated your encouragement to use “vignettes”! They have been fun to create on my kitchen table and coffee tables!!
Hi Yvonne;
Your Blog has been inspiring in many ways and appreciate your many wonderful ideas. I have been following your Blog for a few years and never tire all that you share. We moved a year ago and we are now remodeling our family room. Only one item left to purchase to complete the look and that is a coffee table. I just realized the light colored coffee table in your living room is the style we are looking for. Where did you find yours? Any suggestions would be helpful. We retired a couple years ago and the transition to a new location has not been easy but exciting at the same time. One day at a time. Thank you.
You have a good eye Julia! The coffee table was an investment piece from Ethan Allen. I’m not sure they still carry it but you might want to take a look.
Hi Yvonne,
I love using red as an accent but generally save it for the season, especially with white and tan. I change pillows and throws in my bedroom for the seasons – bed linens as well. I use subtle bits of yellow in the spring/summer and then revert to sage green in the fall, adding the deep red for the holidays. As hard as I’ve tried in the past to adopt a different color scheme for the holidays the closest I’ve come is to use the sage green in my former blue dining room mixing in bits of tan and brown for a woodland feel. We are getting ready to paint our main room after the holidays- leaving the neutral gray for a bluish hue to go with new area rugs. Love looking at your designs gleaning ideas for a re-do.
Love how you add your “pop of color” to any room, such great idea’s you have…love your posts!!! Can’t wait to see your “touch” on Tanglewood!!!!
If I could just find all my decor!!!! Working on it this week!
I just stumbled on your post! Love it! Husband keeps asking me what I’m doing (staring at your photos and then at my rooms). Planning! Where did the black, white, cream striped rug come from in the dining room? I’m wondering if it’s still available. Thanks!
Hi Celeste. The striped rug does not work with my new home. I found it at Wayfair. Not sure if it is still available.
Love your posts and so grateful for your spiritual comments and thoughts. signed up for your decorating book but when I try to confirmI get a page that says the page does not exist. Can you help. And again thank you for your wonderful presence in our lives.
I don’t have a book, Lyn. At one time I had a book contract but had my foot issue so I declined. I am busy and love being a blogger! That is more than I could have ever hoped for!
Where did you get the brown & green watercolor looking pillow on the white chair?
This is my newest pillow and I just love it! It works so well with my neutral home. It’s made beautifully and very reasonably priced. You can see it here:https://rstyle.me/+r6KvHai1R-1xOSskrV-bng
I love your decor but I’m using your ideas in reverse. My sofa is dark, my rug deep colors, woodwork oak. Being recent empty nest I cannot replace everything so I am adding neutrals! Light curtains, creamy pillows, white picture frames, flower pots, lampshades..and I love the way my home feels so much fresher and brighter. Most new items are yard sale finds too. Thank you!! You are so encouraging and it’s easy to try your ideas.
Yes, I’m an empty nester now, but we have lots of family here. So it’s really not an empty nest but now I have lots of different birds in it!
Rose, I’ve been doing this too! I have LOTS of red/gold remnants/decor from my “Tuscan” phase, and other things that were my grandmother’s, great grandmother’s and mothers…things that I still love and not yet ready to part with. I have lightened up bigger ticket items as I’ve needed to replace them – rugs, drapes, etc. I’ve used a lot of Yvonne’s design principles and have just gradually changed to more neutral pallettes, vignettes to capture smaller things, the rule of three and more negative space than I’ve used in the last 20 years. I have an entire system of decor storage boxes out in the garage so I only bring a few things out at a time, rearrange them at least monthly. Being retired now, I have more time for this past time and it gives me great pleasure!
Yay! I’m so thrilled StoneGable is helping you Carol!
Great post, Yvonne! Terrific ideas! Love the chairs! Love your bedroom! Even the post itself has a new life with the pops of color! You always give the best advice!
The bright pink rug with a cat sitting on it. Where could I find that?
Oh, Lynda! This image is a stock image to show you a big pop of color. I’m not sure of the source. Sorry!
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
I really love this article about adding pops of color. Lately I’ve been using French blue and beautiful shades of green to add color to my neutral palette. I also love pillows and find that that is one of the easiest ways to add beautiful color to my home. ?
Pillows and flowers….easy peasy! Thx
I am on the same page —adding pops of color! I love changing things up. Just by changing throw pillows and other small accent items we can change the look and feel of a room….
Thanks for your wonderful tips.
I love this reminder! I learned the hard way many years ago when buying a couch in a bold color. I loved the style of couch but got tired of the color after just a year or two. If I would have just went with a neutral couch fabric and added the color in accent pillows I would have been so much happier.
Color is my middle name! I love adding pops of color. You had me captivated with that rug! The newest thing out there that I have yet to try is removable wallpaper/peel and stick wall paper. Just last night I saw individual peel and stick brush strokes for your walls (in a neutral tone)! I have got to tell my daughter about those for her laundry room! Color in my home makes me feel like I’m being hugged. I love color! Thanks for your tips and ideas!
I always enjoy reading your posts. Adding pops of color via pillows, artwork and rugs are easily changed out with the seasons.
I love the idea of adding a pop of color in pillows and throw blankets!
I love this idea. Thank you!
Yvonne, you are a fantastic person and decorator.
You’ve taught me so much.
For that, I’m so grateful! ???
I treasure your taste…Such great advice!
never been a fan of “color” perse but now i know how to add it cautiously. lol!!
This is my decor philosophy exactly. Neutrals with pops of color.
I am loving these posts and look forward to using the tips when I switch over to my Fall decor!
Love your posts. I sure did add a pop of color this month. Have a new red couch. Love it – love red. Keep up the great posts – I so enjoy reading them.
Thank you for all the great ideas.
I am a great lover of color and sometimes have problems with too much color. Following your posts have helped me in subduing the background for the pops of color I love.
Love your suggestions
I loved your subtle floral sofa pillows with the neutral ones. The cat looking up on the colorful rug was beautiful.