July 26, 2021

Want to refresh a room and don’t know were to start? Although repainting is many peoples go to for bringing new life to a space, there are lots of other ways to go about it.

Before you get started, you will need to decide on a colour palette, I usually recommend a 60:30:10 ratio, let me explain.

60: the dominant colour

This will most likely be the colour on your walls, so if you aren’t planning to repaint, make sure you consider this. If you have a neutral colour on the walls, this gives you a lot more freedom for the direction of your palette. But beware, if you think you are starting with a blank canvas, remember that not all whites are created equal - consider which undertones (warm or cool) your white has, and how this will influence your palette.

30: the secondary colour

This is where you get to have some fun. Once you have decided on what kind of mood you are trying to create, you can work on incorporating this secondary hue (if you are stuck, refer to my blog post about colour theory and perception). This will make up roughly 30% of the room, so you will likely need a combination of approaches to achieve this.

A new piece of furniture is one way to add colour to your home – this blush sofa from CB2 will be a conversation starter for years to come.

decorating small condo, Burnaby interior decorator — Source: CB2

Painting or wallpapering a feature wall is also an effective approach for bringing in a new colour. Finding a wallpaper that you love is a foolproof way of creating a colour palette. The hard work has been done for you, and you can use that as a starting point for your accent colour (see below).

This intricate jellyfish wallpaper incorporates blues, pinks, and yellows, which is how you would form your palette.

interior designer Burnaby BC — Source: CB2

10: the accent colour

The accent colour is an opportunity to go for something bold, that doesn’t have to be as permanent – use things like throw pillows, prints, decorative sculptures, or faux, or dried flowers, to add smaller pockets of colour. These pillows from Canadian brand Tonic Living, offers a wide variety of neutral and coloured stripes options.

If you are looking to make it more permanent, invest in a rug that uses splashes of colour, or a timeless piece of art.

I love how the New York Interior Design Studio Chused & Co have executed this living space, using green as their accent hue, from the art to the side table, complimenting the neutrals and copper tones.