Wondering how to decorate with color? Learn how to find the best colors for your home, how to use colorful paint, furniture, and decor, and more.

Whenever you move into a new place, everything is pristine. It seems the default in the decorating world is neutral colors. From white walls to monotone kitchen cabinets — it’s hard to get away from.

If you’re just starting to stretch your decorating wings, jumping straight into colorful designs is a little bit intimidating.

There’s no reason to be shy! We’ll show you exactly how to get your feet off the ground with a gentle nudge out of your neutral nest. In just five simple steps, you’ll be confident enough to decorate with all your favorite colors!

First thing’s first, you need to decide what colors you want to use in your space. Browse through magazines and online to get some inspiration for your perfect color palette. But don’t entirely rely on those images.

Colors on your computer screen or paint swatches at the hardware store will always look different once they’re in your home.

The best way to put together your color scheme is to lay it all out on a table in the room you’re planning to decorate. Take a look at them under the lights they’ll be under all the time.

Do your colors look as cohesive as you hoped? Do they need some tweaking?

Choosing a color palette can be tricky if you don’t know what you want going in. Find things that inspire you and translate that into color for your decorating plans.

Unless you hope to live in a rainbow room, you’ll always have neutral elements in your space. How much is up to you and how much confidence you end up with when it comes to using color.

Keep in mind, colors pair best with true neutrals like pure white and pure black.

Even if you end up using mostly white, consider throwing a few black elements into the mix. They will add depth to the room and make it feel even more complete.

When you’re first getting started with colors, pick a room to experiment with at the beginning. It will be much easier to handle one room than the entire house and keep you from getting overwhelmed.

The living room is an obvious choice for testing your interior design chops. But remember, it’s also one of the rooms in your house that everyone sees.

If you’re comfortable playing around with your newfound love for color where people spend a lot of time, go right ahead! Otherwise, it might be smart to start somewhere quieter, like your bedroom or a bathroom.

One tried and true way to bring decorative color to a room is to incorporate bright pops of it. You can sprinkle small bits of color into a room with a neutral palette. Also, try to choose an accent color rather than having it be the main focus of your design.

The best part about colorful accessories is how easy they are to change out.

You may decide you don’t like your color palette, or simply want to switch to another color after a while. These things are much easier to replace than a piece of furniture. They’re much easier to store as well.

Not to mention you won’t have to repaint the walls if you get wild and want a change!

There are so many ways to add color to your space in subtle but effective pops, including:

● Throw pillows

● Artwork

● Curtains

● Rugs

● Vases of flowers

● Trays

● Mugs

● Towels

● Knick knacks

And so much more!

Now that you have a grasp of using color, you’re on the final step. 

Make it bigger.

This step is optional. It’s your choice how many colors you want to incorporate in your decor. If small pops of accent colors throughout the room are enough for you, stop there.

But if you’re crazy for color and you just can’t get enough, now’s your time to shine!

You can use bold colors in so many ways to take your space to the next level. We’re talking real attention-getters that are impossible to ignore when you walk into the room.

A classic example is the accent wall. By painting a single wall a color different than the others, you turn it into a focal point. You can turn a wall into an accent wall using paint, wallpaper, decals, or pictures in colorful frames.

Artwork is a smart way to incorporate color, primarily if you use large pieces that feature bold colors.

And for the bravest of us, there’s always the option of picking out vibrant furniture.

You can only achieve a certain level of extra with a bright blue couch or yellow dining room chairs. They add oodles of personality to a room and make it totally and uniquely you.

If you fall in love with a green armchair or you keep thinking about a purple chaise lounge, don’t let anyone else’s opinion keep you away.

Color is meant to make you happy — so you do you!

Decorating with color is just like anything else in life. Practice makes perfect. You can pin things to your Pinterest board until the cows come home. But you’re not going to get the hang of it until you actually start bringing color into your life.

Once you start, you’ll never go back!

With these five easy steps, you’re already on the path to confidently decorating with color. Now that you see how easy it is, hopefully you feel empowered to make that dream a reality.

Caitlin Sinclair is the Business Manager at Anson. With over 5 years of property management experience, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. She finds joy in helping current and future residents and makes Anson a place everyone loves to call home.