Colour is making a big comeback in our homes. And decorating with bright colours is easier than you might think. If you're a bit colour-shy, start off by incorporating a few bright accents into your colour scheme. Cushions are a fantastic way to do this, as they make an instant impact and are affordable and easy to change when you decide it's time for a new look.
If you're feeling adventurous, reach for the paint brush and decorate your walls with the brightest hues you dare. When it comes to living room paint colours, pretty much anything goes. Colour block with vibrant primary colours, pick out woodwork in eye-popping candy tones, or brighten up a dark room with sunshine yellow.
Bedrooms can take bright shades as well, but you're best off sticking to cooler tones in intense hues – a vivid teal or an electric blue, for example. Warmer colours such as red, yellow, orange and pink are best limited to small splashes in your bedding, lighting or artwork, to prevent the scheme from becoming overstimulating.
If you really want to experiment, mix and match bold colours from the same corner of the colour wheel – pink and orange, for example – to create a high-impact look. Schemes like this are designed to overpower the senses, so are usually best kept to rooms used for special occasions, such as a dining room, or a room that you don't spend lots of time, such as a hallway or cloakroom. It's also a good idea to incorporate a few accents in a complementary colour to balance things out.
Need some bright ideas to get you started? Here are some bold and beautiful schemes featuring every colour in the rainbow, whether you're looking for living room colour ideas, bedroom colour ideas, kitchen colour ideas or a peppy palette for any other room in your home.
1/10 Start with a statement piece
If you don't know where to begin, find a brightly-coloured piece of furniture you love and make that the starting point for the rest of your colour scheme. A multicoloured day bed is the anchor point for this vibrant scheme. The tones from its flamboyant fabric have been picked up throughout the room creating a harmonious whole.
Day bed
Bethan Laura Wood
Chair
Ochre
2/10 Inject colour with accessories
Scatter cushions and accessories are the ideal entry point into experimenting with colour. A plain white backdrop will set them off beautifully, especially if you group them by colour, as has been done here. If you get bored of your current display, you can switch it up with minimal cost and effort.
Similar cushions
Dunelm
Similar ceramics
Habitat
3/10 Pep up a bedroom with pink
Pink makes the perfect accent colour for a bedroom, as it's less intense than red but still adds a bright pop. Go for a vivid hue which will lend the scheme a bold, contemporary air rather than feeling girly. Soothing greens on walls and soft furnishings will complement the pink and create the serene atmosphere needed in a bedroom.
Bedside lamps
Normann Copenhagen
Wall paint
Paint & Paper Library
4/10 Step up the colour in your hallway
Your hallway is the first thing people see when they walk into your home, so create a warm welcome by painting it in cheerful tones. Staircases present a great opportunity to play with colour. Paint the uprights in your favourite bright hue or, for a more nuanced look, paint each upright in a slightly paler tone of the same colour as you go up the stairs, creating a beautiful wash effect. Hallways are also a prime spot to try out a bold wallpaper that you might not be able to get away with in a room designed for sitting and relaxing.
Similar wallpaper
Mini Moderns
Similar pendant light
Rume
5/10 Be daring in your dining room
Dining rooms are another good place to try out bold colours. Since they tend to get used for special occasions, you can experiment with energising shades such as red, which might be overpowering in a room you sit in every day. Combine primary colours in blocks to create a fun but sophisticated scheme that will wow your dinner guests.
Table
Moroso
Vinyl flooring
The Colour Flooring Company
6/10 Make bright colours pop with a dark backdrop
Want to make a brightly-coloured statement piece stand out in your scheme? Set it off against a dark and dramatic backdrop. The yellow fridge in this kitchen looks all the more eye-popping for the moody grey cupboards and panelling that surround it. The grey and yellow palette has been cleverly repeated in the hallway and livng room, creating a coherent feel from room to room.
Fridge
Smeg
Similar cupboard paint
Farrow & Ball
7/10 Temper yellow with teal
Yellow is an appropriately stimulating choice for a study, but it can sometimes feel a bit aggressive in its more intense tones. Cool things down with teal accessories which, although bright, will break up the warmth of the yellow and make the room feel balanced and serene.
Similar paint
Crown
Similar chairs
Cult Furniture
8/10 Candy crush your kitchen
Steal colour inspiration from a sweet shop and decorate your kitchen in bright sherbert tones. The key is to choose three or four colours and mix them up as much as possible to create an eclectic but curated feel. A multicoloured striped wallpaper makes an excellent starting point for the rest of the scheme.
Similar wallpaper
Wallpaperdirect
Similar chairs
Skandium
9/10 Team colours in twos and threes
At first glance, this striking scheme looks as though it has been thrown together at random. But look more closely and you'll see that every colour is repeated at least once throughout the space, keeping everything in perfect balance. Schemes like this aren't for the faint-hearted, but get it right and you'll score some serious style points.
Sofa
Designers Guild
Rug
Jonathan Adler
10/10 Go all out with a single colour
If you find mixing and matching colours a bit too tricky, you can still create a bright, bold scheme using a single shade. Royal blue makes a big impact in this bathroom, yet feels serene and calming thanks to its cool tones. Using the same colour on everything from the walls and woodwork to the flooring and tiles creates a striking but sophisticated look.
Similar paint
Dulux
Similar tiles
Topps Tiles
-
The Chaos Method is the immersive decluttering technique that dials up the pressure to help you clear out efficientlySick of living in clutter? It’s time to embrace the chaos…
-
Sip and save – how a Nespresso subscription could save you money on coffee and even a new machine…Why Nespresso Plus could be the best home investment you make
-
Are oil filled radiators any good? The pros and cons you need to consider before investing in oneCould the heating device be the right choice for keeping you and your home warm this winter? The experts reveal all.
