With summer well on the way, all the colors are coming back into bloom—and we think it’s time to introduce a little color into the home as well!
Color is a wonderful way to give your home a style makeover, but it can also have powerful psychological properties! Believe it or not, colors can play a part in human perception, mood, and behavior—albeit subtly. We may not even notice that it’s happening, but color can quietly communicate certain messages to our brains.
What Are Your Walls Saying To You?
Often, the ways we connect to color come from deep-rooted cultural beliefs and personal experiences. For example, we associate pink and blue with baby girls and boys—even though that wasn’t always the case! In the West, we associate white wedding dresses with purity, while in many East Asian countries, white is regularly worn to funerals. When we think of blue, it can be calming like the ocean, or it can be sad, as in “I’m feeling blue.”
It’s intriguing to think about how we perceive color and how we use it to send messages. That’s why there are so many guides about how to paint your house! Green for growth, yellow for happiness, red for passion, neutrals for focus – there’s no shortage of advice about how to cultivate the perfect color scheme in your home.
Of course, the way you paint your home has less to do with psychological principles and more to do with personal preference. Whether you love bold all-over color, surprising splashes of paint, or just appreciate the subtle beauty of a neutral palette, we’ll show you how to pair paints in your home decor.
The Bold & The Beautiful
Burnished metallics are super popular right now, so try pairing brass with a bold red shade to bring your room to life. Go for a vibrant lipstick red rather than a deep maroon or wine shade. As lovely as those colors are, we think cherry will offset those brassy hues just right. We think this is the perfect shade for the passionate, fun-loving, and chic homeowner.
To keep your red room from reading as ‘punk’ or ‘edgy,’ stay away from pure black furnishings. That color combination can make the room look darker than it already is and may appear color block-y. Instead, elect for lighter brown, tan, and cream tones to complement the golden brown in the brass. We’re not saying you have to avoid black entirely, but it can dominate a room if you’re not careful. Just be prudent with your placement! And because brass is so cool and sleek, be sure to incorporate other warmer textiles like wicker and woven fabrics.
Colorful Yet Classic
Mint is still minty fresh in 2021. There are plenty of ways to dress up your home with mint, so let’s look at two classic color palette combos. The first option is the classic black, white, and grey spread. We recommend pairing pale mint with a wash of light dove grey, with white and black accents. This is a smart and simple way to complement minty tones, especially if you include brushed silver hardware. These are super neutral shades that go well with almost any color, so it’s easy to change it up if you ever lose your affinity for mint. However, be careful with your placement of black and white features, as your space may start resembling a retro 50’s diner.
The second option is also extremely neutral—but still stylish! Go with light brown and brown tones, including cream, tan, and even mahogany. We think this pairs well with a more saturated and less pastel mint green. The warmth of the brown tones pairs beautifully with the bright and natural mint hue. If you want to throw a splash of metallic in, gold will look great around picture frames and in light fixtures.
Simple & Subdued
We think charcoals and greys paired with burnt orange accents could be a hit for the homeowners who want something more neutral without sacrificing style. Burnt orange is almost closer to brown than it is to true citrus orange, but that’s what makes it so appealing. This shade is mature and subtle but still offers visual appeal when applied cleverly.
When complemented by dove grey and charcoal tones, it adds just a hint of moodiness and style. It’s more complex than pure white, and unlike black, it doesn’t scream Halloween. It’s the perfect balance of cool and warm tones and is simultaneously soothing and stimulating.
These are just three takes on color combinations that any homeowner can enjoy this season. Did you enjoy them? Did they inspire you to try a new color combination of your own? Show us what you’ve come up! Send in your pictures and ideas—we’d love to see your work.
