Hey guys! We were long overdue for another installment in this series! If you’re just catching up or catching on to our series on using color in your home, we were so thrilled to {re}launch this series , and we dove in with the basics + where to begin. Then we covered some color FAQ’s and why neutrals “read” a certain way.
So today, we thought it would be nice to break away from establishing all the basics, now that we have a good footing underneath us… and talk about color rules you can actually break as you use color in your home.
We think that working with colors can be intimidating. So much so, that a lot of people tend to defer to neutrals out of fear. Most of the time, they don’t even realize that the fear deference is what they’re doing. Neutrals are great and everything… don’t get me wrong… but they do tend to be a bit of a bandwagon move in the name of not really knowing how to use color in your the home. So we thought it would be great to talk about a few common “rules” you may have heard in the past, and why you can break each and every one of them.
While it’s great to have a strong foothold with the basics of color, it also really helps to not feel like you’re being held back by the rules. And there are a lot of rules being touted out there. Here are a few we think you can totally ignore:
Color in your home: 1. Limit your colors to one {maybe 2}.
We’ve seen it time and time again when it comes to using colors in the home. People feel as though they should stick to one {or two colors} max in a space. We don’t think this is a hard and fast rule, and we definitely use more than one or two at a time. So we’re mentioning it here in case you’re feeling stuck. Forget the rules!
Do:
Mix it up.
Some of the best colors are unexpected combos that work beautifully together because they’re on other sides of the color wheel. Use more than one and be generous with it. Mix it up and mix it in. And use it more than once or twice, in different ways. We’re actually big fans of the repeating colors thing, and we do that in our own home.
You don’t have to stick with one or two max, and you don’t have to keep yourself from having a lot of fun in your spaces. Rooms can be beautiful when they have more than a few colors, and entire homes can, too.
Don’t feel stuck. Do what you love. And the rest will all fall into place.
If this is a difficult move to try right away, try some colors out in your home that you wouldn’t usually use just for fun. Bring in some pillows and decide how they make you feel. Go bold with a rug and accent it with smaller items. These are simple ways to slowly ease your colors in.
Color in your home: 2. Stick to proportions.
We’ve seen way too many formulas lately that look a little like this: 10:20:30 or 90:10 when it comes to color proportions. And honestly, while we’re probably not getting it right anyway {because math} we don’t like formulas. Not all rules are hard and fast and not all of them apply. This can be tricky when you’re going beyond just paint in a space, and bringing in the finishing touches and accents of color in your home.
Do:
Ignore that.
We think that proportions just make things more stressful when you’re trying to figure out what you love in your home. And there is no magical formula. So please, for the love, ignore those numbers. Unless you find comfort in mathematical equations, we think that following some made up numbers can sometimes cause more harm than good. So it’s important to go for what you feel good about, instead. Sometimes, and by sometimes we mean most of the time, numbers just don’t apply. Each space is different, and each person and home are too.
Use lots of color in your home, and if you’re concerned about too much, bring in another natural element or neutral tone to level it out. Or use colors that play well together, and bring interest into the space, with their tonal value. Don’t feel like you’re limited by numbers and rules. Bring the space to life with what you love, and you’ll be oh so glad that you did.
Color in your home: 3. Bright and bold should only be used as accents.
We just couldn’t disagree with this one more.
Do:
Remember that color in your home doesn’t automatically have to equate to bold. We think it starts with a reset in the thought process and training our minds to think differently about color. A lot of times, the idea of color in a space, automatically equals bold and over the top.
Bright and bold can be wherever or whatever you want, and colors can be used in such diverse ways in a home, this is where all the fun comes in.
Colors can also read as a beautiful neutral.
Which leads me to…
Color in your home : 4. Neutrals = beige, gray, and white
You know the drill. All traditional neutrals are of the grey/beige/blah variety. We couldn’t disagree more.
Do:
A softer color can absolutely read as a neutral on the wall. If you check out our last post on why neutrals read a certain way, most neutrals are made from color anyway. So don’t feel limited to the traditional spectrum when it comes to neutrals on your wall.
The blue ceilings in our house pretty much read as a soft neutral. We can add any color we want to the space, and not feel inhibited by those blue ceilings. They still work as a gorgeous accent with whatever we choose in the future. Start thinking of touches of colors that can read as neutrals, instead of feeling limited by the traditional builder’s beige hues.
There are so many possibilities when you add color. It’s nice to break the “rules” and challenge our traditional thinking.
Color in your home: 5. Trims and ceilings should be white
No. Just no. Do we even need to explain ourselves here? There are so many fun opportunities to use color, that don’t have to result in bold overuse or intimidating options. We think there are so many fun ways to bring in color and love the idea of the unexpected ways that you can do it.
Do:
Mix it up and research what you love. You’ll be surprised at how great an idea can look if you follow it up with a little love and elbow grease.
We hope this helps get you started in the land of color. We think some of the best ideas are mixed and matched in surprising ways, and hope that you feel a little more freedom to do what you want and love in your home.
Are there any rules you’ve always heard of that you love to break? As always, let us know if you have any questions or something to add below. We’d love to hear from you!
Have an inspired day!
I remember an HGTV designer once saying all colors go together (although some work better than others). So if you really love puce and lime green and are committed to making it work, there is a way. This gave me confidence because I am one of those people who likes neutrals, not just to be safe but because they feel restful to me. I love taupe (yes boring taupe), navy, and aqua. I want to add rose pink accents. This may not be someone else’s choice but I think I can make it work. Thanks for being color brave and encouraging us to do likewise.
Brilliant! Thank you for always creating a safe place where we can ditch the rules. Love this.