Using Colour Beyond Basics: Five Creative Ways to Incorporate Colour Without Overwhelming Your Space

After diving into how colour affects our mood and wellbeing you might be wondering how you can add more colour to your spaces. But if you are worried about going overboard. Then this blog will help guide you, on how to use colours in an effective and creative way. The best part is that you do not need to repaint all the walls in order to benefit from colour psychology. It is so easy to add colour to your interior space in a creative and subtle manner so that it does not overpower your space.

1. Accent Walls

   One of the simplest ways to add colour is through an accent wall. Pick a bold shade of colour for one of the walls, leaving other walls neutral. An accent wall serves as a focal point in a room and provides depth at the same time, yet does not appear overwhelming. An accent wall in the dining room painted in bright orange will be welcoming and introduce a warm atmosphere to the room, whereas an accent wall in the living room in a deep green colour will introduce a serene and calm atmosphere.

   

   Photo Credit: Aymen

2. Textiles and Furnishings

   Textiles are a great way to experiment with colours in a space. You can add colours to any room in the form of curtains, throw pillows, blankets and rugs. The ability to easily swap them out based on the seasons or your mood is one of the best aspects of introducing colour with furnishing and textiles.

   Living room: Try mixing patterned and solid colour pillows in complementary colours.

   Bedroom: Layer your bed with a blanket and cushions in relaxing colours to make your bed relaxing and serene.

   Dining Room: you can use a colourful table runner, chair cushion to go with your dining table placemats and coasters for a playful touch.

   

   Photo Credit: Happy

   

   Photo Credit: AhteSham

   

   Photo Credit: New Africa
   
   

3. Art and Accessories

   One of the best ways of adding colour to any space is through art. A big colourful painting or work of art can set the atmosphere for an entire room. To add pops of colour across a room, you can use smaller accessories like vases, lamps or other decorative elements.

   

   Photo Credit: Georgii

4. Plants

   Houseplants do not just make the air clear but also add a variety of green and other colours to your space. By putting plants with various tints and textures together, you can create a lush and restful space that is revitalizing due to the extra colour of green in the plants.

   

   Photo Credit: 3D Station

5. Statement Piece

   If you are feeling bold, consider a brightly upholstered sofa, armchair or dining set. These decorations serve as a quick center of interest in any place and could be contrasted with a more neutral background.

   

   Photo Credit: NooPaew

Balancing with the 60 -30 -10 Rule

The secret of effective colour combination is balance. Applying the 60 -30 -10 rule will help you to achieve a balanced look easily in any place. That is, 60% of the room should be in a dominant colour, usually a neutral, 30% in a secondary colour, and the last 10% should be for your accent colour. This will create harmony and prevent all the colours in the space from competing and taking over the space, creating dissonance.

Affect Of Lighting on Colour

The use of either natural or artificial light affects the manner in which we see the colours in any space. Therefore, always test your preferred hues under varying lighting conditions so that they will produce the intended effect because natural and artificial light alter how we perceive colours.

In the end, your house should reflect who you are. If you are happy with a particular colour, don't be scared to defy the norms. Begin slowly, watch how you feel, and make the changes which might be needed.

Ready to experiment? Discover the dos and don’ts of mixing colours in our third and final post of the series!

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