A good alternative to liven up homes is to fill the space with color.

The use of strong colors on the walls, in furniture and in decorative touches can often succeed in creating a new atmosphere that does away with the former gloom and monotony.

Choose the colors you like best

There are no rules when choosing colors, so don't be afraid to experiment. However, it is key to know what colors you like best.

You don't have to go too far from your favorite colors when choosing colors—don't just choose what designers have set for the season. If you need time to appreciate a wall color, it is probably not for you. Think about your favorite colors found in nature and how they work together. They will successfully apply to your home decor. For example, a scene of autumn trees against a stormy sky can translate into a light grey sofa graced with a deep brown silk throw.

From the soothing character of blues to the energetic and exciting power of reds

Although there are no perfect rules for choosing colors, your choice will stimulate certain moods. For example, cooler blues and greens tend to soothe your senses, evoking quiet and relaxing feelings. Therefore, olive green, mint green, and ocean blue are perfect for a bedroom and other personal relaxing spaces.

Also think of the impact of the colors you chose on other elements of your home decor. Shades of browns that vary from reddish browns to grey-browns will add enough richness so that all you need are a few additional colorful design accents. But if you chose different shades of white for your wall, it will definitely give you more freedom to stage your favorite paintings and accents.

Mixing colors and patterns

Mixing colors and patterns is an intimidating journey. But you can achieve outstanding combinations by following one key rule: take into consideration the weight of the biggest elements in your home decor.

The visually strongest components of a room are curtains, wall treatments and bedspreads, along with big furniture such as sofas or large armchairs. And the larger the area or item of furniture, the more careful you need to be.

To avoid any faux-pas, you can choose to follow one of the two rules: select a neutral color for the biggest items and sprinkle colorful accents in your room, or select a dominant pattern or color for the largest elements in your room and link them all together.

The safest way is to stick to neutral colors for large pieces. Furthermore, they are usually the costlier pieces, and choosing a neutral color means that you will not loose interest and will not feel the need to replace them too often. Consider colors like light grey, matt silver, off-white or mocha colors. You can then be as creative as you like and add splashes of colors and creative patterns with cushions, throws, paintings and various design accents.

The other solution is to give the room a visual flow, by selecting similar patterns and colors for the largest items. It is a bolder approach, but it can produce sumptuous decor! If you choose for example a certain geometric pattern for the bed cover or curtains, replicate similar patterns on the other largest elements of the room. Then, pick the dominant color and use it in cushions, throws and most design accents. You can also create more contrast by adding a few items of a different color, but make sure that they do not break the visual harmony of the space.