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5 colourful home décor ideas

July 25, 2022

Not for the faint-hearted, bright, bold colours can add a sense of luxury, playfulness and even sophistication to a room. When contemplating colourful home decor ideas, think about how you want your room to make you feel. Oranges and yellows are positive colours that lift the mood, reds and pinks represent love and compassion, purples are associated with creativity and ambition, greens are healing and blues give off peaceful vibes. But more often than not, we choose a colour simply because we like it or have a key piece of furniture already in that shade. Before you start, take a look at some of these brilliant colourful home decor ideas…

1. Colour in the hallway

Dare to be different with colour and create a scheme that’s individual to you. Look for unexpected ways to introduce colour – stair risers, for example, offer a chance to get creative with paint, tiles or stickers. Bold, eye-popping shades will keep the hall light, bright and fun.

Read more: 9 clever hallway hacks to create space and add drama

colourful hallway ideas: mustard accent chair with sage green-painted stairs and accent runners

Cushions from £7; rattan vase, £20; floor lamp, £45. All from George Home

2. Coloured wall panels

Artwork is a great way to introduce colour into your home and makes an easy first step if you’re unsure about painting a whole wall in a bold shade. You can even create your own coloured wall panels, and use cashing colours for the frames, as shown below. This is a great way to brighten up a living room if you’re feeling bold!

A message from the editor:

Let us help you create the home of your dreams! Get ideas & inspiration from Good Homes every month, delivered direct to your door. Visit goodhomesmagazine.com/newsletter to sign up for the weekly Good Homes newsletter. Meet the Good Homes team at Ideal Home Show and be inspired by our on-trend roomsets.

~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes

Read more: How to create wall panelling with beading

coloured wall panel ideas - contrast bright colours for a bold feature wall idea

Do colourful home decor ideas get any bolder than this? All colours by Crown Paints

3. Colour film for windows

Along with your walls and floors, windows can be a key way to bring colour into a room and can make a surprising stand-out feature. Add shutters, blinds, curtains or window film in your colour of choice, and don’t forget the frames – paint them in a bold shade for maximum effect.

Read more: 6 trending ideas for curtains & blinds in 2022

colour film for windows

Blossom printed window film, from £11.50 at Purlfrost

4. Colour in the kitchen

Avoid the dreaded ‘bland’ room scheme by choosing a colour combo that really packs a punch. Whether it’s blue and yellow, red and pink, or green and magenta, combine two contrasting colours – and you can always bring in some white or neutrals to keep it from feeling too overpowering. A colourful splashback is always a great way to add a bold statement.

Read more: 7 refreshing kitchen splashback ideas

red kitchen splashback with pink painted walls and white cabinets

Juicy Red Essentials splashback, from £109 at AluSplash

5. Colourful bathrooms

Ramp up interest in the bathroom – whether big or small – by introducing a colourful wallpaper in a striking pattern. It’s also a good starting point for the rest of your scheme, as you can pick out one of the colours from your wallpaper for accessories and accents.

Read more: 5 brilliant bathroom wallpaper looks from Instagram

pink roll top bath - design ideas for statement bathrooms - bathroom - goodhomesmagazine.com

Pearl’s Dream in Lilac Wallpaper, from £25 for a 1.25m roll, from Catherine Rowe Designs


Colour styling tips:

  • When planning colourful home decor ideas, remember that colours work best when they’re mixed together, so think in terms of a palette, rather than just a single shade.
  • A colour wheel shows you how colours relate to each other, with 12 basic hues – three primary colours, three secondary colours and six tertiary colours. A colour wheel is a great tool for picking colours to go together, whether you want a tone-on-tone scheme, contrasting vibrant colours or something more subtle.
  • Consider how you want your room to make you feel. If it’s a kitchen, perhaps you want a positive colour that uplifts your mood, like orange or yellow. Or, for a bedroom, a more restful colour such as warm natural stone or oatmeal.
  • Don’t forget to pay attention to how the lighting in your room will affect its colour – it can have a significant impact on a scheme. Take note of how the light changes throughout the day and adjust your palette accordingly.

READ MORE ON COLOURFUL HOME DECOR IDEAS

A message from the editor:

Let us help you create the home of your dreams! Get ideas & inspiration from Good Homes every month, delivered direct to your door. Visit goodhomesmagazine.com/newsletter to sign up for the weekly Good Homes newsletter. Meet the Good Homes team at Ideal Home Show and be inspired by our on-trend roomsets.

~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes