The right color scheme is important in creating a cohesive style throughout your home. But what’s right for one home may not be the right choice for your home. Which colors you choose—wall color, furniture, and accents—will create the overall statement of the room. What do you want your home to say? Before you get to specifics, first figure out the basics.
Decorate in Neutrals or Vibrant Colors?
If you start out answering the most generic question, it will lead you to more specifics. So, will you decorate your home in neutrals or vibrant colors? Here are the pros and cons of each choice.
Pros of Neutrals:
- Can give a rustic, warm feeling to any room.
- Neutrals make a great canvas to bring more attention to your unique décor pieces.
- They’re versatile and allow you to change your color scheme and style of furniture easily. And without having to buy all new things and paint the entire interior of your home.
- Neutral colors can provide balance for eccentric and eclectic pieces or architectural features.
- Can be calming and peaceful.
- If paired correctly, it can be dramatic and sophisticated. Think of a black and white room.
Cons of Neutrals:
- Can easily become boring and bland.
- Can make your home feel washed out.
- If too neutral, your home will feel like it’s devoid of personality or even lacking unique style.
Pros of Vibrant Colors:
- Vibrant colors can add instant energy.
- They easily become the focal point in the room, drawing the eye toward it immediately.
- If kept on-trend, it can bring a modern vibe to the space.
- It’s easy to add personality when integrating vibrant colors into your décor.
- A little goes a long way in creating flair.
Cons of Vibrant Colors:
- It can easily get out of hand and overwhelming. Too many vibrant colors close to each other can make your home look like a circus.
- Trendy colors are replaced quickly, so you might be left updating your color scheme more often than you would prefer.
- The wrong color can create imbalance in a room.
What Did I Choose?
I’ve always preferred bright, retina-burning color. It just makes me happy. So, when I bought my condo four years ago, I knew adding color was at the top of my to-do list. As much as I would’ve loved to have vibrant colors surrounding me, I knew I needed to mix in some neutrals to achieve the right balance.
I decided to go for it with the bathroom and completely douse it in obnoxious color. And that was the first room our realtor made us paint before listing our condo, of course. Not saying the color choices were the best options in general, but it’s what I felt reflected who I was at the time.
Now that we’re selling our condo, it’s time to redefine my color preferences and style all over again. The house we’re hoping to buy is newly painted and completely neutral, including tans and browns in the floor tiles, kitchen, bathrooms, wall paint, and light fixtures. I understand that a neutral home is more appealing to homebuyers. However, because the home we want to buy is newly remodeled and painted, my husband wants to keep it neutral for at least a few years, taking advantage of the work already put into the house. Unfortunately, it’s not even the neutral colors that I prefer, like gray and black.
But I’ve decided to make the best of it and find ways to add color to create the perfect neutral-color combination. Until I can add some vibrant accent walls, I will add pops of color in new ways. New for me, at least. I’ve been eyeing these for my windows, maybe in the “striped wine” color option.
Now it’s your turn. Which do you prefer, neutrals or vibrant colors?
