Welcome to my guide to creating a colorful home. This is truly the guide I wish had existed a few years ago when I was trying to figure everything out, and I am SO EXCITED to share it with you!
An OverView Of The Process
This process breaks down adding color into a simple, step-by-step approach:
But first– Why Did I Create This Guide?
I wrote this guide because I was once exactly where you are now.
When we first moved in, I was absolutely stuck. I felt so embarrassed and overwhelmed, watching everyone else effortlessly create beautiful homes and wondering what I was missing.
I’m not exactly sure when my mindset shifted, but I do know who started it. One day, my four-year-old looked at the colorful upstairs and then at our plain living room and asked, “Could our living room be colorful, too?”
It was the most innocent and direct encouragement I could have asked for, and it was exactly the push I needed to begin.
Off I went. I bought two small pillows from a local shop, and it was a domino effect. The pillows are pictured on my couch– the two bright ones in the middle!
These pillows sparked so much joy that I finally gave myself permission to decorate based on what I loved, not what was trending.
I spent about a year dreaming up a plan before I made a single change. I had this idea to create a simple color palette, but when I tried to follow the standard “three-color rule,” it just didn’t feel right.
So, I threw out the rulebook and decided my home needed five (or more!) colors. The result was a process that brought my home to life, and I’m so excited to finally share it with you.
A Colorful Home, One Step At A Time
This guide will show you how to add color to your home one step at a time, starting with a single space. We’ll cover how to find inspiration, create a simple color palette, and use it to transform your space with confidence and ease.
Wondering about something specific you have seen in our house? Check out our sources page— we have most rooms on there! And let me know if we are missing one that you’d like to see! 🙂
Step 1: Start Small
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably heard me say ‘one wall at a time adds up.’ It’s true! Our home has come together in a series of ‘one wall at a time’ projects.
Focusing on a single, manageable project makes the process feel less daunting and a lot more fun. It’s the easiest way to get started, build confidence, and feel the joy of a finished space.
This idea reminds me of the KonMari Method from The Magic of Tidying Up. The entire process is built on the principle of gathering your belongings by category and keeping only what truly sparks joy. When you’re done, your home is filled with things you love.
I’ve felt this same spark of joy when passing by a finished space in our house. One example is the green fireplace in our entryway– I love the bright art and charming touches. I updated the fireplace in the room well before any other wall in the space.
Every space pictured in the images above was its own little project. I did the yellow arch wall in September 2022, the green fireplace in fall 2023, the stair area in May 2022 (and then again in 2025 to change the color!) and the living room came together in 2024.
Not Sure Where To Start?
If you’re unsure which space to tackle first, a great rule of thumb is to choose a project that feels fun and manageable. Focusing on a small, high-impact area will help you build momentum and see results quickly.
Here are a few ideas, based on projects we’ve done in our own home that made a big difference.
Painted Arch Wall
A painted arch is a simple way to add color and define a space, all without painting an entire room. We added shelves to ours, but you could also place a favorite piece of furniture in front of it to create a beautiful focal point.
Living Room Refresh
A new wall color, a few colorful pillows & some fun coffee table books can transform a space!
Style A Dresser Or Nightstand
Don’t underestimate the power of styling.
Swap out your lamp for a colorful one (or paint the base!), stack a few colorful coffee table books, and add a plant. You could also hang or lean some art against the wall for an easy, impactful update.
Step 2: Find Your Inspiration
Once you’ve chosen your spot, it’s time to find your muse. This is the fun part! Pick a single anchor piece that makes you smile.
This can be anything:
- A piece of art that brings joy
- A colorful pillow that catches your eye
- An interesting wallpaper design: Ok, I know that installing wallpaper isn’t a quick project (and definitely not the affordable route!) but you could incorporate a sample of wallpaper by using it as a mat on a picture frame or even framing the wallpaper itself.
- A unique lamp or piece of furniture
- A specific paint color you can’t stop thinking about
Don’t overthink it. Just choose one thing that genuinely inspires you, and then use this piece to build a color palette.
Need a nudge in the right direction?
- Big Night Shop has the most perfect home decor. It’s especially good if olives & tomatoes are on your vision board.
- Speaking of Big Night, their cookbook can definitely be a coffee table book. And you should also pull recipes from it because it’s fantastic. Try the party mix!
- Whistle Pig is one of my favorite whimsical artists. You’ll need to message her on Instagram to see what she has available but she’s always quick to get back to you and will definitely do a custom request! I didn’t ask her about this but… I’m sure she’d love it! 🙂
- And if it really is whimsy you’re after, check Etsy for vintage crewel art. I have to actively stop myself from looking daily because I already have too many. It definitely adds immediate whimsy and personality, though.
- I love Muse Textiles’ colorful pillows! They are one of the first pieces I bought when I started to lean into colorful home decor. Very saturated colors!
- Use sample pots of Farrow & Ball paint to give your picture frames a new look. I have also been known to paint lamp bases with their small pots. If you are feeling wild, paint a lampshade and then let me know how it goes!
- I love the lemon print featured above! If you want more art inspiration, make sure to check out my roundup of fun art prints for your home.
Step 3: build a color palette
Once you have your anchor piece, you can start pulling colors from it to guide your choices for other elements in the room, like textiles, other decor, and even the wall color itself. It’s an easy way to create a room that feels intentional and personal.
If you need help pulling colors, check out my guide to building a color palette based on art. In it, I use an art piece to guide the process to picking colors.
This is a good next step because my #1 advice for a cohesive interior design is to pick a handful of colors you love and use them as a consistent palette throughout your home.
Groundbreaking, I know.
But hear me out– I think it’s easy to get carried away when adding color. You start buying colorful pieces without thinking about a color scheme. Color for the sake of adding color. And then… whoops! You have a collection of colorful pieces that feel disjointed.
Instead, start by choosing a curated color scheme. It can be super colorful, but by rooting all of your decorating decisions in this single scheme, you’ll find it much easier to create a home that feels intentional and harmonious.
Here’s the color palette I use for our downstairs:
These are the colors I repeat over and over in each room. Truly. Especially Card Room Green– it’s the color of our kitchen cabinets, our fireplace brick, the entryway wall where the backpacks hang and even a mirror in our entryway.
I also use India Yellow in several places, but it’s mostly just small touches here and there. A vase in one room, a picture frame in an another. And then I pull in similar yellows with small pieces of decor (blankets, pillows, etc.)
One additional note on this your color palette: make sure to include a neutral!
School House White is one of my favorite whites to use. It’s a soft off white. We also use Off White in our house– it’s a bit warmer than School House White.
Want to learn more about home color palettes? Check out my article Why A Color Palette Is Your Best Friend to learn how to create a cohesive look. For a deeper dive on our house, don’t miss our comprehensive guide to our home color palettes (yes, we have multiple!)
Step 4: Paint Your Space
Once you have your color palette, you’ll need to decide how to use color in the room. While a “color drench”—where you paint the walls, trim, and ceiling all the same color—can be stunning, it’s a big commitment.
My Advice For Wall Colors
For an easier and more flexible approach, consider this: Use a neutral color on your walls and a bold, contrasting color on your trim.
This strategy allows you to:
- Add a pop of personality without overpowering the room
- Define architectural features like doorways, windows, or baseboards
- Highlight key areas and create visual interest
We have done this several places around our home, including a kid bedroom and the living room.
COLORS: School House White (wall), Breakfast Room Green (trim), Babouche (desk)
COLORS: Off White (wall), Card Room Green (trim), India Yellow (square picture frame)
Step 5: Layer In The Colors
With your walls and trim set, you can continue to build on your color palette with smaller decor items.
Use your color palette to choose pillows, blankets, vases, or other accents that will make your space feel complete and cohesive. This method lets you play with color in a low-stakes way, making it easy to swap things out if you want a change down the road.
A great way to do this is to focus on one color at a time.
Look for art, pillows, candles, coffee table books, or some other piece of decor that is close to the color you want to add. You can always paint something like a picture frame to bring that color in.
After you’ve added a few colors, keep going!
Add in a fourth color, and then a fifth. You can even do so with a piece of decor that incorporates multiple colors, like a patterned throw pillow that includes both the green from your trim and your fifth color.
This layering technique will make your space feel complete and cohesive.
Here’s a fun bonus! If you use the same color palette throughout your home, you can easily swap things around from room to room. It’s really fun when you realize that everything matches (but not in a matchy-matchy way, of course!)
Bringing it all together
By following this method, you’re not just adding random splashes of color; you’re building a thoughtful, layered design that feels complete. The colors echo each other throughout the room, creating a sense of harmony that is both calming and visually interesting.
Now that you have the tools, the best way to truly understand how to use them is to see them in action. For a detailed breakdown of how I applied this very method, you can dive into my living room design and see how I pulled the whole space together here.
Other Articles That May Interest You…
Coffee Table Books I Love
Charming Bathroom Designs: A Whimsical Trio
25+ Art Prints To Add Color To Your Home
How To Use Canva To Build A Home Color Palette
