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Easiest Ways to Add Color to Your Rooms

February 19, 2016
Tired of boring? Inject color into your decor. It's easier than you think. With these smart tricks, you'll be on your way to decorating with color in no time.
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Bedding

If your neutral bedding is looking a little blah, add in a few colorful shams, pillows, and a throw draped over the end of the bed. A good foundation of neutral bedding means almost anything goes. Coordinate the items you are introducing and your new look is good to go.

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Before You Start

Before adding color, watch this video and learn the secrets to being confident with color so you can get it right every time.

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Drapes

Whether patterned or solid, drapes are a surefire way to make a room look polished and finished. If you're just doing a little refresh, look to the colors you already have in your room to inform your drape color choice. Or if you're doing a complete overhaul or starting from scratch, drapes can be a good jumping off point to help guide other decorating and color decisions.

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Window Treatments

While full-length drapes are impractical for kitchens and baths, these spaces can still benefit from colorful window treatments. Consider cafe curtains and valances in fun patterns and colors for the same effect.

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Lamps

Colorful and shapely lamps will do more than just light up your space -- they'll bring in color, too. Consider adding color in pairs for a more striking effect. One colored lamp added to an otherwise neutral space may look slightly out of place, but partner it with a buddy, and your new look will sing. While this entry gets a double dose of lamps, the colorful items don't have to be exact copies. A vase or decorative object in a similar shade will do the trick, too.

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Art

Conquer blank walls and a color void with vibrant art. For a more streamlined look, invest in a single large piece. For a more eclectic look, hang several smaller pieces.

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Pillows and Cushions

Breakfast nooks, sofas, and chairs are all prime real estate for placing colorful throw pillows and cushions. In this black, white, and gray space, fuchsia punctuates the dining area and adds vibrancy to the neutral palette.

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Painted Furniture

Turn a lackluster piece of furniture, such as a bookcase or china cabinet, into a showstopper with a few coats of colorful paint. Bonus style points if the paint is high gloss.

Go to the next slide to learn how to paint furniture like a pro.

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How to Paint Furniture

Breathe life into an old piece of furniture with just a few coats of paint. Watch and learn the secrets to success.

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Undressed Books

Hiding behind those clumsy dust jackets are books just waiting to be displayed as a colorful addition to a bookcase or built-in. Raid your own collection of tomes and select volumes in a color-coordinated collection. Or buy secondhand books with a color theme in mind. If you want to hang on to the dust jackets, simply tuck them inside the books for safe keeping.

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Doors

Who says interior doors need to be bland? Perk up your doors with a fun and unexpected color. The citron pocket door separating this pantry and kitchen adds unexpected whimsy to a modern style space.

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Cabinet Interiors

Apply the same principle to cabinet interiors. Paint the inside of a hutch or cabinet a bright and fun color for a pleasantly surprising effect.

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Cabinet Exteriors

And don't overlook cabinet exteriors. Whether a bathroom vanity or kitchen cabinetry, plain-Jane cabinets are given a new life when dressed in a fabulous color.

 

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Upholstered Furniture

Brighten up a living room, nook, or bedroom with an upholstered piece in a kicky color. A variety of accent chairs in fun patterns and hues have infiltrated the market recently, so you'll have no trouble finding a gem. Can't find "the one?" Reupholster an existing piece!

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Accessories

Accessories are a given when it comes to adding color, but the trick to success is placing them throughout the space. Place a few vases on a shelving unit, and a dish in the same hue on a coffee table. Finish with a throw pillow on the sofa, again in the same hue, and you're good to go.

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Accent Wall

Tired of blah beige walls, but not quite ready for full on color? Focus in on one wall and turn it into an accent wall. Choose a color already present in the room. Or if you're starting from a blank canvas, first pick another item, such as a patterned fabric or a piece of art, to incorporate into the room and choose your accent color from a hue found in your pick.

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