We all need a little color in our life. But, let’s face it, sometimes bringing in bright and vibrant hues can seem daunting. What if you end up with a room that feels all over the place or maybe even garish! If you’re hesitant to add color to a room for fear that the hues will clash, these tips are for you.
1. Follow the 60-30-10 Rule
To keep colors in a room balanced, the 60-30-10 is a rule very often utilized by designers. It starts with picking three colors that work well together and distributing them in the room in these amounts:
- 60% comes from the dominant wall color and big furniture pieces,
- 30% can be from accent furniture pieces, lighting or soft furnishings,
- 10% are home accessories, textiles, patterns, or textures
This rule is a great starting point and foundation if you’re planning to have a vibrant color in your space. It keeps you from going overboard while making sure you’re still able to inject a pop of color—a.k.a. that 30 or 10%. Learn more about the 60-30-10 rule here.
2. Go with a Color Scheme
To help with figuring out which colors pair well together, go with a color scheme. Think of color schemes as guides to choosing which colors work well with which. For example, an analogous color scheme will tell you that three colors next to each other on the color wheel will create a natural harmony that will be pleasing to the eyes.
It’s so the bright color you’ll be bringing into the room won’t stand out like a sore thumb! Ready to create your own palette using a color scheme? Check out these Let It B articles:
- Basic Color Schemes to Help You Create a Paint Palette
- More Paint Color Schemes for You to Choose From
3. Test with Small Items
With a room that’s already set up, you can test out your chosen bright color/s by bringing in small items in that shade. The easiest items for these will be throw pillows, throw blankets, bed sheets, and maybe even a colorful lamp. One strong pop of color is sometimes all it takes to make a room seem livelier and brighter.
The bedroom below has vibrant Boysen colors Marine Sanctuary BCT21-7441S and Sahara Sunset BCT21-7741S. . These are taken from the Live color palette that’s made up of 6 beautiful paint hues. It’s one of four palettes in the Boysen Color Trend 22/23 collection.
4. Be Inspired
Feeling lost? Find direction with inspiration. If you have no idea about what you want to do but know in your heart that what you want is color, the easiest next step is to get inspired.
Browse design and home websites, magazines, and books. Look at pictures of interiors—lots and lots of them. Try Let It B’s Color Inspirations section! Then, take note of which hues you’re most drawn to. Look for bright colors specifically and see what other colors are present in the room.
5. Get a Paint Swatch or Sample Pot
If you want the strong color to be an accent wall, paint swatches and sample pots are your best friend. Paint swatches, which can come as fan decks, are useful for seeing which paint colors are available to you. Boysen has several fan decks for you to pick from. Get to know them here: How to Use the Boysen Paint Color Fan Decks.
With sample pots you actually get a small container of paint to try out at home. The Boysen sample pots are 200 mL in volume which covers approximately 1.25 to 1.50 square meters in one coat. This allows you enough coverage to visualize the color in different lighting conditions and how it will respond to other elements in the space. Useful!
Good luck and happy painting! If you enjoyed this blog post, consider subscribing to the Let It B newsletter to stay up-to-date with all the exciting things going on at MyBoysen.com.