Colour: 10 Ways to Lift a White Room with Rainbow Brights
Try the softly-softly approach with these tips designed to take the fear out of sunshine shades
Laura Wheat
26 April 2015
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced in a handsome Edwardian semi on top of a hill.
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced... More
Are you comfortable with colour? Introducing bright elements into your home can seem a little intimidating if you’ve chosen a palette of pale shades. However, rainbow brights sing loudest against a plain background, where they can transform an all-white room into something spectacular. Feeling tempted? Take these 10 baby steps to see how simple it can be to bring colour into your home – you’ll love the lift it gives your space and your mood.
Accent with artwork
For flexible colour you can switch in and out at your leisure, let your artwork accent your space. Bibliophiles will love this set of Penguin classics postcards – which you can buy in boxes of 100 – arranged in a monochrome frame and mount. Their bright covers provide the perfect contrast to an all-white living room.
For flexible colour you can switch in and out at your leisure, let your artwork accent your space. Bibliophiles will love this set of Penguin classics postcards – which you can buy in boxes of 100 – arranged in a monochrome frame and mount. Their bright covers provide the perfect contrast to an all-white living room.
Style a statement nook
Forget feature walls, how about a statement nook? Select an area with defined borders, pick a suitably perky paint shade and get ready to inject some colour into your home. This alcove with built-in seat and storage comes to life thanks to eye-catching coral and statement cushion covers.
Be inspired by more beautiful ideas for decluttering your hallway
Forget feature walls, how about a statement nook? Select an area with defined borders, pick a suitably perky paint shade and get ready to inject some colour into your home. This alcove with built-in seat and storage comes to life thanks to eye-catching coral and statement cushion covers.
Be inspired by more beautiful ideas for decluttering your hallway
Try a new hue
If your taste is geared towards classic styles, look for unexpected places to inject small splashes of colour. These hammered metal lampshades feature bright-painted interiors that glow when lit. Combined with a pale-toned, Shaker-style kitchen, they enliven the scheme without overwhelming it.
If your taste is geared towards classic styles, look for unexpected places to inject small splashes of colour. These hammered metal lampshades feature bright-painted interiors that glow when lit. Combined with a pale-toned, Shaker-style kitchen, they enliven the scheme without overwhelming it.
Plump for pastels
For a soothing sleep space with added interest, try combining classic white bedding and décor with one piece of painted furniture, such as these mint green drawers. If you’re easing yourself in gently, go for a bright pastel rather than primary colours, which can seem jarring if you’re used to pale shades.
For a soothing sleep space with added interest, try combining classic white bedding and décor with one piece of painted furniture, such as these mint green drawers. If you’re easing yourself in gently, go for a bright pastel rather than primary colours, which can seem jarring if you’re used to pale shades.
Encourage imagination
Give your child a blank canvas they can decorate with bright toys and accessories. Keeping everything white blurs the edges of this small bedroom and allows hard-won rosettes and rainbow storage boxes to pop against the plain background.
Give your child a blank canvas they can decorate with bright toys and accessories. Keeping everything white blurs the edges of this small bedroom and allows hard-won rosettes and rainbow storage boxes to pop against the plain background.
Master micro brights
Sometimes it’s the smallest details that have the biggest impact. This chic, minimalist hallway fails to fade into the background thanks to that colourful coat-hanger (ideally it’d always feature a complementary dinky-sized bright anorak, too).
Sometimes it’s the smallest details that have the biggest impact. This chic, minimalist hallway fails to fade into the background thanks to that colourful coat-hanger (ideally it’d always feature a complementary dinky-sized bright anorak, too).
Boost your basics
While it may seem sensible to keep the main components of a room plain so you can introduce colour around them, it can be equally effective to choose one standout element that will add instant style to your space. These retro-coloured Eames-style chairs take centre stage in this all-white kitchen.
While it may seem sensible to keep the main components of a room plain so you can introduce colour around them, it can be equally effective to choose one standout element that will add instant style to your space. These retro-coloured Eames-style chairs take centre stage in this all-white kitchen.
Take the tint outside
When adding spring brights to your home, don’t forget to consider your outside space and how you might give it a lift. By using a neutral white base for walls and fencing, mixed with natural but still pale elements including wood and stone, the fuchsia pink chairs and vivid wall mosaics in this courtyard garden provide a striking focal point.
When adding spring brights to your home, don’t forget to consider your outside space and how you might give it a lift. By using a neutral white base for walls and fencing, mixed with natural but still pale elements including wood and stone, the fuchsia pink chairs and vivid wall mosaics in this courtyard garden provide a striking focal point.
Shade your shelves
Colour-code your bookcase for a rainbow effect that’s totally free. Grouping together same-coloured spines and positioning alternate sets of stacked and standing books creates a surprisingly simple but effective accent in a pared-down scheme.
Discover 10 more fabulous ways to display your books
Colour-code your bookcase for a rainbow effect that’s totally free. Grouping together same-coloured spines and positioning alternate sets of stacked and standing books creates a surprisingly simple but effective accent in a pared-down scheme.
Discover 10 more fabulous ways to display your books
Colour-block your bathroom
If you could use a burst of mood-enhancing colour in the mornings, consider combining blocks of bright tiles with white sanitaryware. This bathroom balances vivid turquoise with plain walls and uses a softening wooden trim to stop the space from feeling sterile.
If investing in colourful tiles sounds scarily permanent, go for white tiles and bright-painted walls instead.
TELL US…
How do you feel about adding rainbow brights to your own all-white or neutral scheme? We’d love to hear your opinions and see your photos in the Comments below.
If you could use a burst of mood-enhancing colour in the mornings, consider combining blocks of bright tiles with white sanitaryware. This bathroom balances vivid turquoise with plain walls and uses a softening wooden trim to stop the space from feeling sterile.
If investing in colourful tiles sounds scarily permanent, go for white tiles and bright-painted walls instead.
TELL US…
How do you feel about adding rainbow brights to your own all-white or neutral scheme? We’d love to hear your opinions and see your photos in the Comments below.
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My mother would have a heart attack if she saw the colour-coded bookshelves. Both my parents were librarians, and our bookshelves were arranged in Dewey Decimal order. The problem with this is that huge books and tiny books end up next to each other so nothing sits right and it always looks a mess. I wasted my breath numerous times over my childhood trying to convince my mother to let me arrange them by size, to no avail. But as she was a junior hoarder and hated doing housework, the bookshelves were the least of our problems anyway.
I keep a rainbow of big, bright bath towels. You can't see all the colors here, but you get the idea.