Interior designers share the color risks you need to take before you turn 30.
Via HouseBeautiful.com
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
1
Paint Over Wood Paneling
Media Platforms Design Team
Don't be shy, paint over all of it. "This was a peachy-toned oak 'family room' that read more like a second-tier hotel lobby," designer Nick Olsen says. "I convinced the owners to paint over all of it—walls, wainscoting, beams, and fireplace mantel—in this taxicab yellow. It instantly became the warmest room in the apartment!"
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
2
Use A Color You Love To Wear
Media Platforms Design Team
Let your wardrobe inspire your decor. "Why not try painting and decorating a public room entirely in a color that you love to wear?" designer Young Huh says. "You'll always look good and feel good in it. I painted my dining room powder blue and added matching silk satin curtains and upholstery. It's an unusual color choice for a dining room—perhaps more typical of a bedroom—but I love it and therefore love entertaining in it too."
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3
Lacquer Something
Media Platforms Design Team
Add some interest to a piece by giving it a glossy, bold finish. "I think you should definitely experiment with color sooner rather than later," designer Lindsey Coral Harper says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
4
Experiment With Painted Finishes
Media Platforms Design Team
Try different finishes and pattern on walls and ceilings. "Wrap stripes or other painted patterns around a room for a fresh and whimsical effect," designer Jeff Andrews says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5
Use Color in An Unexpected Spot
Media Platforms Design Team
A closet interior is a unique way to add a dose of bold color. "This is especially true if you have a mostly neutral wardrobe," Olsen says. "White closet interiors read sort of gray and dreary—why not make all those crisp shirts and little black dresses pop against tomato red, like David and Monique Kaihoi's closet?"
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
6
Get Rid of Basic White
Media Platforms Design Team
"If you are afraid of too much color, try painting your walls a nice pale neutral shade of gray," Harper says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7
Add Pattern To A Door
Media Platforms Design Team
If you have ugly or boring doors in your apartment or house, this idea will give them a fresh update. "If you have plain flat doors in your home, like these metal bathroom doors, give them an architectural boost by painting a pattern on them," Huh says. "The pattern may make you forget they are industrial metal or hollow plywood. They may end up looking more interesting than expensive millwork!"
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
8
Try Metallics
Media Platforms Design Team
"Use metallic paint with a stencil to create a wallpaper effect without the commitment," designer Karen Vidal says. "Choose an interesting visual pattern and the metallic paint will catch the light beautifully." Who doesn't love a little sparkle? Plus, if you get bored, you can easily change the look.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9
Go Dark
Media Platforms Design Team
Here's your chance to create a dramatic look. "Paint walls a dark, rich color, and forget about the myth that dark colors make a room feel 'small,'" Andrews says. "Dark colors add drama to a room and can actually enlarge a space when painted in a high gloss finish."
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
10
Paint Your Cabinets A Color You Love
Media Platforms Design Team
Don't forget about your kitchen—it could use some color, too. "In this kitchen project, we painted the cabinets Farrow & Ball's Theresa's Green—a green with a hint of blue which is a color the client always loved and wanted to try," Huh says. "It infused the kitchen with stylish warmth."
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11
Paint A Room From Floor to Ceiling in One Color
Media Platforms Design Team
Yes, bookcases, shutters, and all. "This has a huge impact and can be very sophisticated," Harper says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
12
Update Old Pieces With Color
Media Platforms Design Team
"Go bold or go home," Jennifer Beek and Georgie Hambright of J+G Design say. "Don't be afraid to revamp an old family heirloom, flea market find, or an old painting with your current favorite color. Roll up your sleeves and grab a paintbrush, paint, and go to town."
I’m a web editor at ELLEDECOR.com, Housebeautiful.com, and Veranda.com. Show me something that’s metallic, lacquered, or textured and I’ll probably be obsessed with it. One day I hope to master the perfect gallery wall, mix prints effortlessly, and become the owner of a chic bar cart (I’m getting there!).