How to Add Color to a Room No Matter What Your Palette Is

01 of 20

Incorporate Warmth

living room with green chairs — Edmund Barr

White walls, seating, and a neutral mantel let strategic notes of color go a long way. Hints of coral and lime green bring life to this living room, while black accents help ground the mainly white space. A wood floor in a matte finish adds visual warmth underfoot.

02 of 20

Pair Up Patterns

different pattern rug and couch — Edmund Barr

A bold patterned rug dresses up a white color room and serves as the inspiration for this room's color scheme. Although the area rug and surrounding textiles are different patterns, they feature the same colors and complement each other. Choosing furniture with solid fabrics within the color scheme grounds the look and separates the patterns, like this blue chair and leather-top coffee table.

03 of 20

Easy Ways to Add Personality

You don't have to paint walls to add interest to a neutral living room. Try these simple tips for elevating the hub of your home.

04 of 20

Keep It Simple

neutral living room with red coffee table — Tria Giovan

Balancing bright colors with strong neutrals is how to add color to rooms with a livable look. Peppy pink, lime green, and yellow are sprinkled over a foundation of assertive neutrals: on the brown chair, gray sofa, dark wood floors, and black light fixtures.

05 of 20

Add an Area Rug

green living room with matching chairs — John Bessler

The living room color chosen for the walls should work with furniture and decor, not fight against them. In this space, pale sage walls act as a neutral background for other, more vibrant colors. A patterned area rug combines orange, pink, purple, green, and blue. It defines the color palette in this room, which helps unify the accents and furniture pieces. One large piece of wall art is a good option for how to add color to a room without overwhelming the palette.

06 of 20

Alternate Accessories

stone fireplace in living room — Anthony Masterson

Gray living room walls shouldn't remind you of a rainy day. Instead, use gray as a neutral background for pops of bright color, clean lines, and funky patterns. In this living room, a coat of chic gray paint on the walls, a handsome stone fireplace, and chocolate-brown tables are the foundation. Colorful plants, art, and accessories keep this gray room from looking cold. When you feel like a change in the color scheme, simply swap out the accessories for a whole new look.

07 of 20

Carefully Combine Hues

blue and neutral living room — Lisa Romerein

This living room was clean and serene, with beige walls, primarily white furniture, and a white ceiling. Limiting color to the sofa, pillows, and a few key accessories is a good technique for how to add color to a room for a wake-up call while maintaining its serenity. While this is easy to do with almost any color combination, shiny gold, leafy green, and navy blue stripes give the room a preppy flair. Other combinations that would work are beachy ocean blue and sea glass green or country-style barn red, goldenrod, and taupe.

08 of 20

Add Living Room Color in Stages

Want an easy way to add personality to the hub of your home? Learn how to layer colors in stages for a stunning final result.

09 of 20

Create a Balance

black and white living room — John Bessler

Try this straightforward approach for how to add color to a room: commit to two primary hues dispersed evenly throughout the space. Here, bold black and shimmery gold accessories are placed in visually stunning symmetry. The stand-out gold frame against the painted wood paneling drives the eye toward the center, making the black and gold pair even more dynamic. Choose asymmetrical art featuring the same color scheme for an element of surprise.

10 of 20

Go Bold and Bright

living room with plush pink couches — Nathan Kirkman

Bubble-gum pink sofas decorated with bright sherbet-color pillows make this gray-blue color room stand out. A white chandelier and a geometrical bookshelf balance the splashy couch and cushions. Keep balance and scale in mind when deciding how to add color to a room so the space doesn't come across as over the top. If this room were to incorporate a rug, it would be wise to stick with a neutral tone to prevent competing colors.

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Create a White Canvas

living room with blue statement wall — Kim Cornelison

Living room colors pack an extra punch against white walls and sofas. A saturated blue accent wall is the first step in how to add color to a room in this crisp white space. Rich gold, bold prints, and a wild rug complement the peppy sofa. Subtle metallic and mirrored accents, such as the tables and light fixtures, add shine to complete the airy, family-friendly look.

12 of 20

Add a Splash of Red

blue living room with red and gold accents — Jean Allsopp

Some of the best color rooms start with walls that are part of a well-thought-out theme. Favorite sports teams, vacation spots, or a beloved era could influence a family's decor style. Here, layered shades of red and blue mingle to add dimension to this colorful space. Large walls offer space to display artwork.

13 of 20

Mix Warm and Cool Colors

green and red living room — David A. Land

Rich blues and greens are warmed up with bursts of orange-reds in this small, eclectic living room. A hint of warm color can take the chill off a cool color palette. Among the colors, a white sofa, leopard print pillows, and a white coffee table become neutral pieces that allow saturated colors to truly shine. If you love a patterned area rug but worry it will be a distraction, opt for a smaller size and layer it over a neutral area rug for grounding.

14 of 20

Incorporate Your Travels

living room with dark ceiling — Jim Franco

Fabulous fabrics add color, giving this space a global bazaar feel. Spice and jewel box hues, such as curry orange, sapphire, alexandrite, and emerald, add richness to the style. A nailhead trim chair and a glitzy bar cart provide a youthful oomph. At the same time, the colors in the detailed oriental rug are repeated in the throw pillows and centerpiece items. The cherry on top of this perfect room is the navy blue ceiling which keeps the white walls from looking too airy.

15 of 20

Play with Patterns

living room with mix of patterns — Heather Anne Thomas

Modern living room colors and patterns partner to infuse flair into this living room. Combining navy, aqua, and mustard yellow is how to add color to a room for a relaxing yet vibrant color palette. Stripes, ikat, and other geometric patterns help the eye travel through the spacious room. Varying the scale of the patterns, along with large swaths of neutrals (on the sofa and walls), helps keep the exuberant look in check.

16 of 20

Create an Accent Wall

For a color addition that's not too strong, paint one wall and leave the others white. Here, the blue wall stands out against the white ceiling, rug, and adjacent wall. The combination of blue and white invites the light from outside into the room, creating a feeling of openness. Adding accessories in colors from the same blue family helps the accent wall feel at home.

17 of 20

Keep it Subtle and Muted

Living room colors don't need to be bright or bold to make a big impact in a space. In this room, powder blue walls and a white fireplace make a lovely pair. Identical tall, swoop armchairs and flared ottomans match the color of the walls, while decorative rosy pink pillows add a touch of warmth. For a bit of shine, choose a bejeweled chandelier that glimmers with the natural light pouring in to complete an elegant look.

18 of 20

Inject a New Twist

small living room, sofa, area rug — Marty Baldwin

Bright, graphic artwork amps up this cozy family room style. A floating gallery shelf with blue-hued prints puts a surprising contemporary twist on a traditionally rooted room. The adjacent wall is proof that you can fill a bold-patterned wallpaper with artwork. The key to doing this is to keep the color scheme, in this case, black and white, consistent between the wallpaper and the print.

19 of 20

Switch Up Window Treatments

living room with bold drapes — Richard Leo Johnson

To add an easy splash of color, outfit windows in treatments with bold hues and unique patterns. Here, unlikely chevron curtains transform this muted space into a lively living room. Place a few accessories mimicking the color scheme around the room, such as the striped vintage chairs shown here. Stacked white frames placed between the windows tie the neutral wall colors together. To make the room appear larger, hang the curtains from the ceiling to the floor.

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Feature Contrasting Trim

You may be challenged by how to add color to a room. One way to make it easy is to choose whether you want a warm or cool palette and build from there. In this cool living room, the saturated teal wall is the star, and other shades of blue, violet, and gray complement it. For a bit of contrast, the wood elements in the room have warm undertones that look great, contrasting with the other colors.