Without a doubt, my top piece of advice for anyone who wants to add color to their home is to begin with a color palette.
And this is coming from someone who, before realizing the power of a color palette, was absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decor decisions that needed to be made. Wall colors! Lamps! Fabrics! Where do you begin??
My spaces were disjointed, elements clashed, and the worst part was that I didn’t even know where to start ‘fixing’ it. I thought you had to be born with a design eye, and I was pretty sure I missed out.
Enter: The Home Color Palette
I don’t remember the exact series of events, but at some point, I found myself drawn to the idea of a home color palette. And I’m so glad this happened because it truly changed everything! If you are curious, here’s our color palette!
Ok, so what’s a home color palette? It’s more than just picking a few pretty shades– it’s a way to make your house feel like it all goes together in an effortlessly styling way. A home color palette can serve as the strategic foundation for your entire interior design.
Why Do I Need A Home Color Palette?
I have been thinking a lot about how I actually got comfortable making design decisions (because trust me, I wasn’t born with it!!) And I’m convinced it’s all thanks to having a color palette.
I’ll tell you why I love it, and maybe it’ll convince you to try one for your next home project!
1. Provides A Framework For Decision-Making
I am so very indecisive (Libra, here!) and despite what my Instagram presence may seem, design decisions do not come naturally to me.
Well, they used to not. Having a color palette has definitely given me more confidence!
I truly mean it when I say a color palette is the foundation of every design decision I make. It simplifies decisions and ensures each element will work in the grander plan.
A Real Life Example: Choosing A Rug
Let me show you how a color palette can be a game-changer when making design decisions. I was recently torn between two rugs for my bedroom. I loved them both and felt either could work, but I needed a way to decide.
To visualize the best option, I created a simple mood board in Canva. On one side, I placed our home’s color palette and included images of the two rugs on the other. The difference was immediately clear.
Option 1, while beautiful, introduced too much purple and dark pink. Option 2, on the other hand, harmonized perfectly with our existing palette.
It was that simple! Without this quick visual comparison, I might have spent months agonizing over the decision. Using a color palette transformed a potentially stressful choice into an easy and confident one.
2. Creates A Sense Of flow
Not only does a consistent color palette help with decision-making, but I truly think it’s the secret to a home that effortlessly flows.
Simply put, repeating a set of colors ties a space together.
The trick is not to use the same colors in the same way in each space.
Colors used: Card Room Green (trim), India Yellow (picture frame), Oval Room Blue (lamp base)
Maybe you paint trim in one room a lovely green, and use that same green in a smaller, more accent-like way in an adjacent room. Say, a picture frame or vase.
The consistent use of your chosen colors, in varying shades and textures, will create a beautiful flow from one space to the next.
Each room will feel like part of a larger, more thoughtfully designed whole. It’s a thread that weaves together separate spaces.
3. Makes Shopping And Decorating Easier
I know this may sound silly, but once you have a curated set of colors, you’ll find that shopping and decorating are so much easier. It’s satisfying to add touches to a room when you know they’ll work.
Not only does it make it easier to say ‘yes’, it’s also easier to say ‘NO’.
See a gorgeous rug that’s just slightly off? Because you know it doesn’t vibe with your carefully chosen colors, you can confidently walk away because you’ll know that it won’t contribute to that harmonious feel you’re creating.
And honestly? That’s fine! It saves you from those ‘what was I thinking?‘ moments later on.
4. You Can Move Pieces Around
Ok, I love this one. Once you have a consistent color scheme in your house, you can easily swap pieces around without much thought. I am very guilty of moving pieces large and small from room to room daily.
Everything will share a similar color vibe, so you can move that fun lamp from the living room to your entryway, or swap out the throw pillows on the sofa, and it’ll all still look like it belongs. Because it does — and how amazing is that!?
fin
Well, it seems we’ve reached the end of my thesis on why you need a home color palette. Maybe next time we can chat about all things HOW in this color palette world. How to pick one, how to implement one… chat soon!
This is so helpful! We just bought a new house and I’m determined to start with a palette! Can’t wait for you to share more of the how’s.
Oh yay! I spent a few years trying to figure out where to start in our house and once I switched to using a color palette everything clicked! Hope it’s the same for you!!