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Abbie is the Owner of Feather&Fossil and specialises in Maximalist Interior Design schemes for residential clients. Abbie has experience and qualifications in Interior Design and Project Management.

Home » Design Ideas & Inspirations » 20 Ways To Add Color To Your Home Without Painting

How To Add Color To Your Home Without Painting?

Are you looking for creative ways to add a splash of color to your home? As an interior designer, homeowner, or renter, you may not always have the liberty to paint walls vibrantly or as you please. But that doesn’t mean your home can’t look like a myriad of colors. Yes, there are ways to add color to your home without painting.

Painting can also be a tough job that involves making a huge commitment. The process can also be very messy and time-consuming if you’re new to painting. The best part? From Etsy to Amazon and Ikea, you can easily find materials and resources – from area rugs to light fixtures and removable wallpapers to give your home a quick makeover. 

Have a white or neutral colored wall and need to add brightness to your interiors? We’ve put together a list of the top 20 things to do if you’re wondering how to add color without painting your interiors.

Read also – How To Choose The Exterior Paint Colors for A House?

20 Ways to Add Color to your Home without Painting:

1. Use Florals

Bright flowers and florals add a lot of dimension and color to any interior space. You can decorate a room with real flowers or use floral prints in the form of wallpapers or fabrics. Florals are available in multiple color schemes and add a lot of vibrancy to any room.

They help in creating a striking balance of a natural surrounding and add a dramatic flair to the interior. Add florals in the form of a rug in your living room, a table runner on your dining table in the dining room, or artificial flowers in a vase. Another great way to add florals to add color to the room is via art. 

Read also – 10 Best Game Room Decor Ideas To Design Your Gaming Room

use florals to add color without painting

Image Credit: hearstapps.com

2. Add Colorful Seating

If you cannot make too many changes to your furniture or replace many interior items, consider changing the seating to add color to the room. You can do this in two ways: either add some seating or change the seat covers.

You can add seating in the form of colorful low-lying pouffes or seats to contrast with the sofa or the walls. Likewise, you can also add colorful seats to the chairs in the living room, or add seat covers to the sofas/recliners. All you need is a color palette or an idea of some colorful accents you want to use, to brighten up the interiors instantly. 

Read also – 20 Best Furniture Brands To Upgrade Your Home Interiors

add colorful seating

Image Credit: nwrugs.com

3. Use Colorful Curtains

Curtains can give any interior a complete facelift. The best way to brighten up neutral or white walls is by adding colorful curtains. Choose from block-colored curtains or printed curtains, depending on the amount of color or color scheme you want to give to your room.

Breathe life into an otherwise dull room by adding layers of curtains – one layer can be a sheer one, the other can be an intense color. Choose from a variety of textiles and fabrics to give your interiors a facelift.

Read also – 8 Best Window Treatment Ideas

use colorful curtains to add color without painting

Image Credit: realhomes.com

4. Add Cushions & Pillows

Cushions and throw pillows can brighten up any room and add dimensions to a room. If you’re looking for ways to fill the positive space in your room, add elements with these. Add colored throw pillows in the bedroom to brighten it up; add colored cushions in your living area, or add colored/printed throw pillows in your bedroom. These are fun, playful, and provide a sense of joy to the room they are placed in. 

Read also – 20 Essential Things for A Perfect Master Bedroom

add cushions and pillows for color without painting

Image Credit: dwell.com

5. Add Art

If you’re looking for ways to add color to your interior spaces, choose to hang art. Irrespective of how much space is available on the walls, you can hang different shapes and sizes of art. Art makes for excellent statement pieces and can also become a conversation starter, especially if used as the focal point of a room.

Interior designers also choose to hang a single large piece of bold art to introduce different hues and shapes into a room. Many designers also choose to hand colorful frames – choose from bright colors to matte-finished frames to refresh the interior of your home. 

Read also – 40 Best Home Decor Online Stores To Buy Amazing Home Arts

add art for color your home without painting

Image Credit: thespruce.com

6. Use an Area Rug

Adding color to a room doesn’t necessarily need to be done on the walls or through the furniture. You can even add a colorful rug under the coffee table, chairs, or furniture in an interior space, to brighten the area up. Choose from bold and vibrant rugs to add more texture. Many interior designers even layer contrast colored rugs or rugs with bright patterns like checks and stripes over hardwood floors for a more dramatic effect. 

use rug to add color without painting for home

Image Credit: hearstapps.com

7. Hang Tapestries

Tapestries help cover the walls – so if your walls are neutral or white toned, you can quickly add a splash of color with the help of tapestries. Choose from various styles of tapestries – layered, colored, striped, or even multi-dimensional. 

hang tapestries to add color without painting

Image Credit: dhgate.com

8. Add Plants

Plants help brighten up any interior – both the outdoor and the indoor. Interior designers can find some of the brightest and most different colors in plants. Bring mother nature indoors with plants that can easily thrive in low light, artificial light, or require low maintenance. Add bright flowers or plants that serve a purpose. Some plants have specific purposes – from purifying and cleansing the air to providing amazing scents. 

Read also – 15 Easy and Healthy Houseplants To Grow Inside Your Home

add plants for color without painting

Image Credit: stylebyemilyhenderson.com

9. Use Bold Furniture

Not everyone has the knack for using bold furniture – but if your interior space needs a little brightening up, then go for bold furniture. Bold furniture can be quite a conversation piece – choose from different colors, printed fabrics, or even unique pieces.

For example, instead of adding a boring sofa to your living room, add a unique-looking and differently colored sofa – for example, an L-shaped sofa. Bold furniture will give your room an extra dimension, and add the pop of color it needs. 

Read also – 40 Best Online Furniture Stores To Shop

use bold furniture to add color without painting

Image Credit: spacejoy.com

10. Display Souvenirs

Another great way to add color to any room is by displaying souvenirs. As an interior designer, check with your client about things they are fond of or have collected over the years. These items not only make for a great conversation piece.

However, it adds a lot of color and character. For example, when displayed in the home, add a collection of paintings, vases, trinkets, showpieces, or artifacts. Each such item will likely have its own color scheme and bring out an interesting vibe in the room. 

Read also – 15 Best Music Room Ideas To Design in Your Home

display souvenirs to add color without painting

Image Credit: pinterest.com

11. Have Open Shelves

Closed cabinets vs open shelves? Go for open shelves when you’re looking to add color to an interior space. With an open shelf, items are on display, whether they are crockery and cutlery or showpieces. Each such item, in turn, has a different color which adds to the overall look and feel of the room. Install shelves at random places to give the interior space some character and let the items on the shelves add to the color on the wall. 

Read also – 15 Best Christmas Decoration Ideas

have open shelves

Image Credit: pinterest.com

12. Coordinate Your Books

Books are excellent for adding color to the room. Don’t have room decor pieces or curios? Get your books to add color to the room. Color coordinate your books or arrange them at random – on a shelf, in a corner, or a bookcase.

Display your books in a stack on top of a rug if you don’t have any furniture. Books have amazing cover art and spines that easily add color to a room. Instead of investing in interior pieces, simply add books to the interior. You can even add a stack of magazines if that’s the vibe you want the interiors to exude. 

Read also – 15 Best Interior Design Books for Interior Designers and Students

coordinate books to add color your home without painting

Image Credit: thisoldhouse.com

13. Use Prints

While colors add a lot of vibrancy to an interior, prints are great for adding character. Prints can be used in various ways – in the form of table runners, curtains, bedding, or even artwork. Choose from bold to subtle prints to give the interiors an interesting feel. 

Read also – The Definitive Guide To Use Line in Interior Design

use prints to add color without painting

Image Credit: pinterest.com

14. Use Lamps

Lamps are great for two reasons – not only do they help provide light inside a room, but they also act as great decor items which add color to a room. Choose from quirky lamps to sleek and modern lamps.

Choose lamps that have interesting lampshades, which could have colors or designs on them. If you’re looking to experiment, you can also use lamps that have differently colored bulbs fitted in them, so the lighting in the room is in a different color. 

Read also – Importance of Accessories in Interior Design

use lamps to add color without painting for home

Image Credit: hearstapps.com

15. Reflect Color & Light

Did you know that a great way to add color to a room is by adding mirrors? Mirrors help reflect light and color, especially if they are placed opposite a window, or furniture and accessories like a study table, curtains, or even the bed. Colors get reflected through mirrors and add the illusion of more space in the room and make it look more vibrant. 

Read also – 15 Best Home Staging Tips To Sell Your House Fast

reflect color and light

Image Credit: paintzen.com

16. Add Quirky Items

Adding quirky items and souvenirs to a room can give it a lot of character – the items may be a statement vase, a piece of wall art, or even a quirky piece of furniture. Adding a single such item can also help add a lot of color and vibrancy to a room’s interiors. 

add quirky items to add color without painting

Image Credit: etsy.com

17. Use Accent Colors

Instead of adding items to a room, another way to introduce color is by using accent colors for the items in the room. Adding accent colors allows interior designers to play around with shades of colors already in use in the room.

It’s a great way to add a little drama and flair to a bland space while ensuring that the room’s color scheme has been adhered to. Accent colors allow interior designers to quickly highlight and showcase even portions of the room. They can be used in paneling, across surfaces, or even to zone out a portion of the room in a way that adds color and excitement to it. 

Read also – The Psychology of Colors in Interior Design

use accent colors

Image Credit: thespruce.com

18. Add Bedding

A great way to add color to any bedroom is by changing the bedsheets or bedding items. The bedforms a major part of the bedroom, and while its colors remain neutral, the sheets, pillows, and covers can all be changed from time to time to add a bit of color to the room. Choose from a variety of patterns and prints to breathe life into the room. 

Read also – 9 Amazing Master Bedroom Ideas

add colorful bedding items

Image Credit: amazon.com

19. Add Patterned Walls

Adding stenciled or patterned walls is a great way to add color to a neutrally toned or bland room. A single wall is enough to create a lot of drama. Instead of painting the wall, use wallpapers. Choose from a variety of prints and patterns depending on the style of the room. You can even choose a solid colored wallpaper and use stencils to create beautiful effects. Instead of covering the entire room, just focus on the accent wall. 

Read also – 20 Best Wall Decor Ideas

add patterned walls

Image Credit: thisoldhouse.com

20. Paint the Insides of Shelves

Interestingly enough, a wall doesn’t need to add color to your room; even other items can. A unique approach is to paint the insides of shelves – be it bookshelves, crockery racks, or even bathroom shelves. You can paint the inner side of these shelves to create a huge impact with minimum fuss. 

paint the insides of shelves

Image Credit: fromhousetohome.com

Conclusion

It’s easy to add color to your home without painting the walls! Yes, paint makes the house look vibrant and colorful, but if you can’t paint your walls, don’t worry. By adding colorful art, furniture, home decor pieces, and other items, you can easily add different colors to your home! The best part? Since these items are removable and replaceable, you can easily change up the color scheme of your interiors from time to time to change things up a bit. 

Looking for more inspiration and creativity when it comes to interior decoration? Browse the Foyr Community. Interact with other interior design professionals and experts, and gain insights into the top design trends in the industry. 

Check out the tools and resources available for interior design professionals and students on Foyr Neo. Find out the latest DIY tips, decor ideas, home improvement techniques, and makeover information. Sign up for a 14-day free trial.

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