How to bring colour into your home without painting

Adele Cardani shows the numerous ways to add low-stakes and noncommittal vivid touches to a scheme

When decorating, we often forget to look down. Rugs can be a key way of bringing design into a space (Brintons)

It takes a certain level of assuredness to commit to a paint colour. After all, you’ll be living with the choice for a long time. Neutral hues are enduring, safe options that create a blank canvas. But having white walls shouldn’t preclude your dreams of a colourful, personality-filled home. There are an abundance of ways to add low-stakes and noncommittal vivid touches to a scheme.

From playful pillows to lovely lampshades, the experts weigh in on how to bring brilliant shades into a room without picking up a paintbrush.

‘To create a strong style statement, don’t be afraid to mix patterns’ (Andrew Martin)

Cushions

Never underestimate the power of pillows. Adding vibrant cushions to muted seating or bedding is a simple and inexpensive way to instantly breathe colour into a room.

Martin Waller, founder of global design brand, Andrew Martin, says: “To create a strong style statement, don’t be afraid to mix patterns. Think florals and ikats, geometrics and animal motifs. To bring balance and avoid overwhelming a room, try pairing a large-scale pattern with a smaller scale print.”

A patterned carpet provides a great point from which to develop a room’s palette (Brintons)

Rugs

When decorating, we often forget to look down. Jodie Hatton, design manager at heritage carpet company, Brintons, explains: “Layering rugs on a hardwood floor is a wonderful way to bring warmth, texture, and colour into an otherwise neutral space. For a dramatic look, pair dark, moody tones like aubergine and midnight blue. Or for a fresh feel, embrace a rug palette of bright and soft shades, such as lush green with honey.”

A patterned carpet, like a wide-checked plaid, botanical or striped design, provides a great starting point from which to develop a room’s palette. The repeat offers a list of colour ingredients which you can pluck and apply to the rest of the space through furnishings and accessories.

Folk collection, from LSA International (LSA International)

Glassware

Elevate your bar cart or open shelving with an eclectic selection of glassware. Look to LSA International’s new Folk collection, which boasts vibrantly coloured stripes and undulating forms that take their cues from traditional Polish textiles. Casa Celva’s Murrina tumblers also dazzle, featuring thousands of tiny multi-coloured speckles for a joyful confetti effect.

Lampshades are a quick and effective way to transform a space (Matthew Williamson)

Lampshades

A patterned fabric lampshade can double as a piece of decorative art, instilling a cheerful tone and emitting a mood-lifting glow throughout a room. Interior designer, Matthew Williamson, says, “Refreshing and replacing your lampshades is a quick and remarkably effective way to transform a space. I’m partial to pleated designs in animal prints, ikats, florals, and palm motifs which promise to add a graphic jolt of colour and pattern to any tired corner.”

‘Toile de Jouy’ refers to the printed cloth produced near Paris from 1760 to 1843 (French Bedroom)

Headboards

Walk into a bedroom and your eye is inevitably drawn to the bed. A statement headboard introduces striking patterns and bold textures into your scheme, enlivening a bare wall. Look to Andrew Martin, who offers an array of custom fabric headboards in smart silhouettes. Furniture boutique, French Bedroom, takes this one step further, with a selection of fully upholstered beds in delicate stripes and toile de Jouy florals.

Painted joinery creates a striking visual contrast against white walls (Matthew Williamson)

Refreshed joinery

Consider adding wallpaper inside a bookcase, placing it behind the shelves. This transforms a necessary storage solution into a characterful design feature. Alternatively, add a coat of fresh paint to your tired joinery. Duck egg blue, calamine pink, or rust red, for example, create a striking visual contrast against white walls.

‘Don’t be afraid to put very contemporary art in a traditional space, or vice versa’ (Andrew Martin)

Artwork

Hang a bold, large-scale piece directly above a console table, or try playing with proportions by curating a gallery wall. “Smaller pieces of art work well when grouped along a hallway or above your sofa,” says Sara Hill, chief creative officer of gallery group, Clarendon Fine Art. “This allows colour to bloom throughout the space,” by means of imagery that showcases your personality and reflects the things that you love.

Waller adds, “Don’t be afraid to put very contemporary art in a traditional space, or vice versa – it is often the merging of seemingly incongruous styles that creates beauty through surprise. Pick out a couple of hues you love in your artwork and highlight it by using the same tone in your cushions and other soft furnishings.”

‘The pop of colour creates a focal point in the room’ (Addison Ross)

Accessories

“Inject some vibrant colours by way of home accessories,” says Sarah Ross, co-founder and brand director at decor brand, Addison Ross. Swap any drab knick-knacks out for a refreshed selection of decorative objects. “My favourite trick is to add a scalloped lacquer tray to a coffee table,” adds Ross. “The pop of colour creates a focal point in the room and can make organising objects on the surface much more aesthetically pleasing.”

Browse Addison Ross for a range of bold trays, trinket boxes, and photo frames. The brand has also just launched a miniature version of their iconic glossy, bobbin-shaped salt and pepper mills – perfect for brightening your kitchen surface or tablescape.

Houseplants

‘Embracing houseplants is like painting your space with life’ (Clementine Passet)

Whether it’s fresh blooms from the market or potted houseplants, sprinkling greenery into your decor quite literally breathes life into a space.

“Each leaf and stem adds a touch of nature’s spontaneity, transforming static rooms into dynamic sanctuaries,” says Jack Lewis, founder of plant-care company, Sowvital. “Embracing houseplants is like painting your space with life.”

Try a Fiddle-Leaf Fig tree in a sunny corner, or my personal favourite – a Pink Anthurium plant, with its blushing heart-shaped flowers and glossy dark green leaves.