7 Ways to Style Bold Design Colors Like a Professional

 

You may have seen some fantastic room designs that feature bold colors and wondered how you could make it work in your own home. 

Styling bold colors can be intimidating, particularly when you’ve shied away from vibrant hues in the past for fear of going too far. 

While that is a valid concern, there are a few ways anyone can use bold colors and transform a room in a way that’s both tasteful and unique. 

Want some tips?

Here’s how professional designers use bold color in a creative, strategic way. 

1. Why Use Bold Colors in Your Home?

There are so many great reasons to be brave and bold with color schemes in your home. 

First, using bold colors to design a room transforms the mundane into something truly unexpected and unique. 

Adding bold colors to a room can complement or emphasize certain pieces of furniture or decor that you might otherwise overlook.

Creating a room design with bold colors is also a wonderful outlet for creativity. Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative person, you can have a lot of fun styling your home this way. 

Oh, and one more reason:

Living in a space that is far from ordinary and surrounds you with vibrant colors might help improve your mood and productivity. 

1. Seven Ways to Style Bold Design Colors Like a Professional

Ready to learn how to style bold design colors like a professional designer? 

Let’s dive in. 

Choose a Focal Point

The best place to start is to select one or two items that you want to emphasize, whether it’s a piece of art, decor, or furniture. 

This can be something that you just really like and want to showcase. Or it may be an item that stands out in the room anyway and could benefit from a room design built around its eye-catching characteristics. 

Have a Plan

It’s easy to go too far when styling a room with bold colors, so it’s crucial to have a plan. 

Create a vision for the space before you start purchasing furniture or decor (we’ll discuss places to get inspired later). 

If you’ll be painting, take color samples home and see how they look with your focal point items and the room’s lighting. 

Considering a big purchase, like furniture or art?

Sleep on your bold choices before you commit. 

Don’t Forget Neutrals

Styling with bold colors is a lot of fun, but you’ll want to make sure you create a visual balance with neutral pieces, too. 

 For example, you might choose some seriously stunning red dining chairs and pair them with a wooden table stained in a neutral tone. 

Stick to a Style

When using bold colors, it’s best to avoid mixing different design styles as well. 

Too many different styles can make a space feel and look chaotic, so choose one style such as modern, vintage, boho, or whatever you like best (and stick to it). 

Use the 60-30-10 Rule

After carefully selecting a color scheme, interior design pros often use a trick called the 60-30-10 rule to style a room tastefully. 

What’s the 60-30-10 rule?

Generally speaking, 60%of a room should use one color or color scheme. You can use different tones of the same color but definitely account for wall paint and artwork in this percentage. 

You should style 30% of the room (think rugs and furniture) in a different color.

Decor, plants, and accessories such as blankets or pillows account for the remaining 10% of the room and don’t necessarily need to be a particular color. Of course, you’ll still want to consider how they work with the rest of the room. 

Use Bold Colors for Accents

Sometimes, using a primarily bold color scheme feels like too much for a room you use often.

The solution?

Use bold colors as accents to liven up more neutral spaces. 

You might also reserve bold color schemes for spaces like hallways or bathrooms that you use less frequently. 

Get a Second Opinion

When in doubt, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion. 

Find someone who knows you well and either appreciates your style or is like-minded when it comes to design.

Ask them for their honest opinion about anything you aren’t sure about, regardless of whether it’s a choice they’d make or not. 

1. Color Combos To Try

Not sure which color combination you should choose?

Here are a few popular color schemes you might try: 

• Navy and Mint
• Red and Pink
• Forest Green and Light Moss
• Pink and Gold
• Light Blue and Copper
• Light Green and Purple
• Blue and Silver

1. Where To Find Inspiration

Before you begin creating a vision for a room and making any changes, it’s always a great idea to get inspiration from various sources. 

If you’re not sure where to look, consider these options. 

Magazines

Though magazines may seem old-fashioned, there are still some interior design ones that can provide excellent inspiration.

The biggest perk?

You can clip out images that resonate with your taste and create a vision board to keep you focused and inspired throughout the process.

Social Media and Blogs

Spend some time searching for specific keywords or hashtags related to your ideal style. This will reveal a wide array of inspiring accounts from both professionals and amateurs with a keen eye for design.

Save photos you love in a special folder dedicated to inspiration so you can have them handy whenever you need ideas.

Markets and Thrift Stores

Sometimes, the best way to find inspiration is to get out of the house and go on an adventure. 

Whether you’re looking for ideas while you travel or just around town on the weekend, there are many great places to find what you seek (and more). 

Flea markets and thrift stores frequently have unique items you may not have expected. The possibilities are endless, ranging from one-of-a-kind or handmade pieces to antiques and vintage finds. 

You can either buy these items (usually at a great price) or just snap photos while you’re collecting ideas.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you don’t need to be a professional designer in order to have fun using bright and bold colors to style your home. 

If you’re brave, creative, patient, and strategic, you can completely transform any room in your home into something truly remarkable. 

Whatever your style or taste may be, there’s a way for you to make bold colors work for you next time you decide to makeover a space. 

Good luck, and go bold! 

[Author bio]

Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with The Reserve at Greensboro to help them with their online marketing.