As you look around your home, are you becoming tired of what you see? Given that many of us have been spending lots of time inside our homes over the past year, that’s certainly understandable! But assuming you don’t have a ton of money, time, or energy to invest in performing a whole-home makeover from the ground up, what can you do? One simple solution for sprucing things up is to find some strategic ways to leverage color.
Intentional Ways to Leverage Color
Assuming that an “extreme” makeover isn’t a real option for you, you can do some other constructive and tangible things that won’t require knocking down any walls. One of the great stuff you can do to freshen up your space and breathe in some new life is to find some creative ways to utilize color. Without getting lost in the weeds of color theory, the fact of the matter is that there are bound to be some colors you love more than others. How much are you featuring these favorite colors of yours into your home décor? If you decide to start with a color (or colors) that you genuinely love, you’re bound to end up with an interior space that’s more inspiring for you! Keep reading to learn some helpful tips:
No need to repaint everything – just paint some accent walls! Assuming you’re not up for a full-blown paint job, there’s an easier way to add in one of your favorite colors. Choose a wall in a living room (or any other room you want to spruce up) to turn into an accent wall, and just paint that wall in a new color. Many folks use neutral colors to cover most of their interior walls, but you’re not limited to that when it comes to creating an accent wall. That’s what accent means – you want it to stand out! Pick a bolder, more vibrant, contrasting color in comparison to your other walls, as well as in comparison to the major colors of your furnishings. Alternatively, you could go with something more subtle and just choose a darker tone from the rest of your walls. Either way, you’ll create a more interesting focal point to play with visually.
- Toss in a couple of pillows
One of the simplest stuff you can do to impact immediately is to add some bursts of color with some strategically chosen throw pillows. If your walls and furnishings are mostly solid, then you could go with some patterned pillows. Alternatively, if your furnishings are patterned or floral, choose some willow body pillows. You can always mix and match, too. Have fun and pick some colors and patterns which really speak to you!
- Bring the outdoors, indoors
No matter which type of home décor scheme you have currently, there’s almost always an opportunity to add some greenery with added pops of color, courtesy of nature! Don’t feel like you have much of a green thumb? That’s OK; several plant varieties thrive in low-light conditions and really don’t require much maintenance. Even so, if you’re looking for an even lower-maintenance option, there are many artificial plants and flowers on the market today, which look quite lifelike!
- Shed a little light
There are many simple strategies for shedding some more light on your living space. You can add a new lamp or simply update your existing lampshades to reflect a little more color and personality. And here’s another pro tip for highlighting your room’s colors – change your light bulbs! LED bulbs have come a long way. They’ve been the most energy-efficient lighting option for years, but now they also come in many more available options regarding brightness, warmth, tone, and color.
- Anchor your space with a touch of floor color
While people naturally think of walls and large furniture pieces as major focal points, the base anchor for any room is the floor itself. The good news is that sprucing up your floor doesn’t necessarily require installing any new flooring or carpeting. Just add an area rug! There’s an area rug for practically every taste and preference. And besides adding color and style, the right area rug can soften up your room and make it feel cozier.
- Revitalize the cushions
Can’t afford to replace your sitting furniture? Or perhaps you still really like the framing of the furniture itself. That’s fine – just change out the cushions! You can simply pay to have your old cushions reupholstered. Or, if you want to save even more money, you can take it on as a little DIY project. In many cases, reupholstering a chair cushion is actually a lot simpler than you may think.
- Add a mirror or two
Mirrors are a great thing to fill up an empty wall and help open up your space and make a room feel larger. And here’s another pro tip for decorating – a place or hang your mirror where it reflects some colorful features that are already present in the room. This will serve to help brighten up the room, even if you don’t decide to change anything else!
- Hang some new art – or be creative with what you’ve already got
Another great way to add some color and visual interest is to hang at least one prominent piece of art in your living room. Don’t have the budget for investing in a private art collection? That’s OK. You can get a similar colorful visual effect by simply grouping some framed photos in a creative arrangement.
- Brighten up a bookcase
Another alternative to painting an entire room is simply to paint a single bookcase as a bright, colorful focal point. There are numerous ways you can take with this. You can try painting the bookshelf’s interior and exterior in two contrasting colors, and you can even paint each shelf a different color if you like. Alternatively, you can just paint the back interior walls of your bookshelf in a pretty color to add a little more dimension, both to the bookshelf itself, as well as to the room in general.
- Quilts, blankets, & throws for the win!
Quilts, blankets, & throws work well in a bedroom, but the fact of the matter is that they can also be used as decorative accent pieces in essentially any room. These are great for draping over chairs, sofas, and other sitting furniture to add an extra pop of color, style, and comfort to your space. These fabric pieces also give you the freedom to experiment with different colors, patterns, and textures.
Sprinkle in Some Color to Make Your Space Your Own!
One final suggestion – don’t stress too much about what may or may not look “trendy”; just focus on choosing a color or colors you genuinely love! After all, you’re the one who lives here, so your opinion is the most important! And for some more handy tips for blending the colors of Fall into your décor, check out the helpful blogs at Jennifer Adams.
