Search Results for: "how to add color to a room without painting the walls"

In the excitement of being outdoors to finish the playscape and the front yard landscaping, I couldn’t bring myself to spend the hours on my computer that I normally do each day.  It’s really hard to be stuck inside all day when nature calls.  Okay, not nature calling like THAT, but you know what I mean.

I postponed (in my mind, but didn’t tell you guys) the last post in my series on Adding Color to a Room Without Painting the Walls.  I wanted to post them all back to back, but then the gorgeous Texas weather came along, and it just didn’t happen.  So here we are again.

If you think of your furniture and textiles as the clothing that dresses your room, you need to think of your accessories as the perfect necklace or a great pair of earrings.  Just like in your own wardrobe, the “jewelry” in your room should add unique character and charm while not detracting from the overall appearance.

“Okay, Lindsay.  That sounds all well and good, but how do I make it happen?”

This is the fun part!  One easy way to add color is to create a great gallery wall, like the wall Rhoda at Southern Hospitality created.  I love her mix of neutrals with the aqua bird cage and the painting above it.  Those pieces really do the talking and let the neutral pieces take the backseat.  It allows you to fill the wall and not be overwhelmed with color.

Another way to add color to a room is through your lighting choices.  Traditionally, lamps and fixtures will be silver, gold, black or white?  Why not red?  Or green?  Or blue?

Crate and Barrel Zing Lamp

Don’t want to buy a new lamp?  Try spray paint!  A lacquer or high gloss spray paint might change your life.

If you are particularly married to your silver lamp, why not give it a new shade?  Try Cost Plus/World Market for some really interesting patterns, textures, and colors.   Occasionally, Target will even have an interesting shade or two, like this scrolly yellow version.

If you need some personality to your end table (and no, your husband’s empty PBR can doesn’t count), why not pick up some junky statuettes at garage sales or the dollar store and hit them with a can of lacquer?  There’s a great old post at Apartment Therapy about this.

Of course, there’s always the tride and true brightly colored picture frame.  Even if you don’t hang a dozen of them all on top of each other, you could always add a few to your fireplace mantle or console table behind the couch.  Remember, not every picture frame needs to be neutral!

What ways to you like to add color to your room through your table top accessories?  Talk to me, Goose.

I’ve long believed that one of the best ways to chose a color scheme for a room is from a great rug.  What better way to give your room a pop of color?

Particularly in a rental situation, you probably want to cover the flooring in some of your rooms.  Let’s just say that you don’t know what pets were there before you, if you know what I mean.  Or, maybe that’s just every place I’ve ever rented.

At any rate, you can go from soft and subtle to down rate crazy when it comes to rug colors in patterns.  Case in point: this crazy CB2 indoor/outdoor Caution rug.

I like to encourage boldness, but maybe not quite that bold.

Instead, pair a bold pattern or print with some neutrals.  I love how West Elm has layered their citron Iznik Dhurrie rug over a larger sisal rug.  It adds enough color to draw the eye to it, but it’s not over the top.  In fact, I think the touches of color in this otherwise neutral room are completely swoon worthy.

Last year, my friend Rhoda and I designed an entire room around a vibrant rug for Shaw Floors and HGTV.  We chose the blue and green Delilah rug because we loved the colors.  Although we decided to paint the walls in the room, this rug and furnishings would have still looked pulled together with a more neutral wall.

If you are looking to purchase a new rug, don’t overlook discount retailers such as Marshall’s, T.J. Maxx, and Tuesday Morning.  I’ve seen beautiful rugs at all three places for great prices.  If you can spend a little more, I can’t say enough good things about the HGTV Home line from Shaw.  I have one of their rugs in my living room, and it is incredibly soft underfoot.

Do you have neutral rugs in your home or do you currently use them to add color to a space?