Written by: Brad Mee
Feel like your décor is stuck in neutral? Go full-throttle with pops of color strategically placed throughout your home. The following rooms and their designers offer inspiration and ideas.
1). A vivid, oversized art piece delivers a surprise to the white-walled interior of a Bozeman, Montana, loft. “We strive to always put something unpredictable in our designs,” says designer McKenzie Dickson with Denton House Design Studio. “Bright colors in this very toned-down, neutral space gave us that unique design feature we were searching for.” Throughout the interior, she used small accessories, including pillows, books and unique vintage finds, as easy ways to add color and character. “A neutral space will always be in style, so adding color in very interchangeable ways was important for our client,” she explains.
2). Inspired by the Blue Bar in London, designer Beth Ann Shepherd—principal of Dressed Design—fashioned a chic Park City interior grounded in gray tones and enlivened by expressive art and shots of blue—from cerulean to sky. “It’s fabulous, fresh design with color galore,” she exclaims.
3). In a contemporary Provo Canyon home, designer Kaye Christiansen Englert created a whimsical surprise for those ascending stairs leading from the lower level family room to the main floor’s great room. “My client wanted a something that made her smile when she climbed the stairs,” says the principal of Design Plus Inc. Inspired by the world-traveling homeowners’ love for color, she carefully accented the white-walled interior with many color statements including the entry’s Chihuly chandelier and the dining area’s purple ceiling. “Color flows in the overall design and helps define the spaces,” Englert explains. “Plus, it lifts your spirit.”
4). In Saratoga Springs, Jessica Bennett—principal designer/owner of Alice Lane Home Collection—used blue to turn the island of a white kitchen into the hero of the space. “Navy always pairs well with white and gives this room a youthful zip,” she says. “It’s fresh and preppy.” With a charming woven pattern, bistro barstools reinforce the lively color pairing.
5). Designer Kristin Rocke created a pure white backdrop for an interior enriched by hushed tones and intriguing textures emanating from art and rugs, furnishings and flowers. “White empowers soft colors; they have more strength on this canvas,” says the principal of K. Rocke Design. She carefully orchestrated an assortment of muted blues for the light-filled room. “Don’t repeat exact colors. That looks dated,” Rocke advises. “Instead, choose a range of tones for a fresh, dynamic look.”
6). “Just a few shots of color can make a big impact in a small room,” says Gregg Hodson, principal of Gregg Hodson Interior Design. He began with a high-contrast canvas of dark window frames and white walls for this Salt Lake City home’s guest room. Then, he used custom pillows, an upholstered chair and surprising lampshades to introduce warm orange and citrus tones to the space. “If the homeowners want to go a different direction with color, each of these is easy to change without breaking the bank,” he explains.
7). “Use different shades and tones of a color to prevent it from looking overly intentional,” advises designers Stephanie Holdaway and Chelsea Kasch of Gatehouse No. 1. Furniture & Design. In a Highland home, they isolated color to a few statement-making items to make a bold impact in this neutrally toned sitting room.
Featured image: Photo by Rochelle Jahdi for Denton HOUSE Design Studio
