Stylist’s simple trick for adding colour to your home without renovating
Colour can do a lot for your home adding interest, ambience and making it feel fresh and new without having to renovate the space or repaint the walls. It can also be a very affordable way to transform your home by adding to or tweaking what you already own instead of buying all new pieces.
Cayley Scrooby, interior stylist from Sovereign Interiors, recommended starting with decor, such as soft furnishings.
“Colour is one of the easiest ways to change the feeling of a room without changing the structure of it. Even introducing one new shade can make a space feel warmer, more layered and more personal.” iStockphoto
“Cushions, throws and rugs are easy to change and don't require a big commitment, so they're a good place to experiment,” she told nine.com.au.
“Rather than buying everything in the same colour, I'd choose one shade you like and repeat it through a few different pieces. It will feel more natural if the colour appears in different textures and tones rather than looking too matched."
Another decor item that instantly adds colour to a room without much effort is artwork, which is Scrooby’s favourite way to add colour to a room.
“I like that it doesn't have to match everything else in the room and can introduce a colour you might not otherwise have considered. A great piece of art can also become the starting point for the rest of the room. You can pull out one or two of its colours in your cushions, rug or smaller decorative pieces.”
But deciding what colour or colours to add to your home can be tricky since you’re looking for something to contrast or complement the colours already in the space, not to mention the countless options to choose from.
The best thing about adding colour with decor is that you can play around with different hues and looks and change and rearrange them as much as you like without wasting much time, effort or money.
It does help to have a steer in the right direction though, so Scrooby shared this advice for selecting decor in a colour that will suit you and your home.
“Don’t be afraid of colour, but don’t feel like you have to use a lot of it either. One really well-chosen piece can have more impact than filling a room with lots of different colours.” iStockphoto
“Look at the colours you already have first. Your flooring, timber, stone, furniture and artwork will all give you clues about what will work,” she said.
“If you’re unsure, take a colour from something you already love in the room and use that as your starting point. I’d also always test colours in the actual space rather than choosing them from a screen or under showroom lighting because natural light can change how a colour looks quite dramatically.
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“And don't feel like everything needs to match. Colours that sit well together don't necessarily have to be identical."
Another helpful starting point for choosing colours is to look at what shades are trending – just keep in mind you don’t have to follow trends, especially if you don’t like the colours that are ‘in’ right now.
“We're seeing much warmer colours coming through at the moment, particularly earthy browns, deeper reds, softer greens and richer blues. There's definitely a move away from cooler grey-based schemes,” Scrooby said.
“You don't need to completely change your home to bring these colours in. If you have a fairly neutral space, try a chocolate brown cushion, a deep red artwork or a muted green occasional chair. Timber and warm neutrals are particularly easy to work with because they give these deeper colours somewhere to sit.”
