We’ve all been in that room. A room that is void of personality, inspiration, direction, theme, or emotion. This room may be in our own house or a friend’s or family member’s, a room that is in desperate need of color inspiration. I don’t like to sound harsh, but it can make me feel uncomfortable, like there is no focus in the space when I walk into a room like this. The color expert in me needs to help resolve the situation as soon as possible. A quick remedy for rooms like this is adding accent colors.
A room without color-inspiration feels like a space that is floating, with no focus or place to rest your eyes (and your heart). In this blog, we’re going to discuss how accent colors, and in particular, colorful accent furniture, can turn a room completely around into a space that is inspired, creative, and positive!
To briefly retread some basic color concepts, an accent color is a shade of color used in one particular area of space to draw attention and create impact, interest, and dynamic contrasts. When a color specialist chooses to incorporate accent colors in an interior or exterior design scheme, they do this to create emphasis and generate mood within a space.
There are many different ways to incorporate accent colors. Some of these strategies involve very light work, like adding some throw pillows on your favorite sofa, and others are more involved, like painting a dedicated accent wall.
Some of the more popular accessory options for accent colors involve adding color to the floor via a throw rug, adding a vivid house plant to a room, and even incorporating some colorful wall art with bold statement and flair.
This article will examine what is so effective and special about adding colorful accent furniture. Here’s how to add color inspiration and change the room’s personality completely!
Talking about accent colors doesn’t mean that every room requires a bold color somewhere. Certain rooms are designed with a whole different mood in mind. At another time, I will talk about the benefits of going in this direction; but unless a room is designed successfully with that ambiance, it can be left feeling unfinished or incomplete. That is why accent colors can be the saving grace for a room in need of its own personality!
Colorful accent furniture such as lighting, love seats, sofas, lounge chairs, or end tables can take a room dominated by neutral colors and flat palettes and add some lively notes to the entire situation.
Colorful accent furniture isn’t about overpowering the space with bold colors left and right; it’s about telling a story that seamlessly works with the emotional intention of the space. When choosing some accent furniture for space, you must always consider the space’s intentions and what story you want the accents to help tell.
Some examples of this dynamic could be:
A Traditional Home with a Colorful rug (and colorful story)
Beautifully designed, imagine a traditional home with comfortable upholstered furniture in soft grays and walls painted in an off white with a crisp white trim. Feeling both traditional and contemporary, what makes the room is the brilliant rug anchoring the room. Colorful and bold the rug is not only the eye candy but the conversation piece with a rich story behind it about the vacation they went on and the market they bought the handmade rug from. It is the accent color that makes the room sing.
Along with the rug come all of the accents that the rug has inspired. Colorful throw pillows anywhere you want to add more colors that the rug has brought into the design.
A Study With a Splash of Red
Picture a beautiful old study in a grand home. The study is adorned with old books and deep rich woods. Burgundy, browns, taupes, and moss greens are everywhere to be seen. The furniture consists of a heavy wood desk and deep-brown leather sofas.
Clearly, the color palettes of this office tell a rich story of history, wisdom, and heritage while supporting concentration and the reflective mood of the space.
However, something is lacking within the space, and it needs something to step up the color-inspiration. What’s the answer? A vibrant cardinal red chair behind the grand desk at the front of the room. The piece adds some passion, fun, and emotion to the room without detracting from the story of the study! Adding this one piece of furniture adds a spark and a smile to the decor and gives this grand study a splash of color it desperately needed!
The Beauty of Adding an Accent to a Neutral Home
What we see more than ever in contemporary homes is blacks, whites, grays, and a variety of neutrals. I love the sleek look and have often recommended this understated style if it fits the mood we are trying to create in the home. The truth is that starting with these colors can be the perfect foundation to a design, but what makes it succeed is the accent color you add to your room! A brilliant yellow chair, navy blue lamps, or even a velvet sofa can be the perfect piece to make a room sing. Don’t be afraid to take that leap! One accent piece is sometimes all you need to give the room that visual spark that makes you smile.
So, what are some of your favorite pieces of accent furniture? What colors do you like to add some inspiration to the room!?
Please let me know in the comments; I’d love to hear from you!
