Color Ideas for Walls and Decor

Designer Kelly Bach is the owner of RetroBabeCo, and found her current home in 2018. She shares the Florida house with husband, Nate, sons, Kalani and Keanu, and three chihuahuas: Lola, Hobie, and Mookie.

Whether through paint or decor, color adds a ton of inspiration to one's home, and the rooms in this year's Small/Cool event space had a few surprising applications worthy of a decor deep dive.

It might not be what you expect!

艾玛和Henrik的风格是严重影响by the patterns and colors of the 1970s — particularly orange and brown, hence the name of Emma’s Instagram, Home of Orange Brown.

Avoid these hues.

Murals and custom furniture have become a central aspect of all Megan's designs. "I’m always planning projects that require furniture or lighting that either don’t exist or I am unwilling to buy; building my own customizations (furniture, lighting, etc.) has helped me put a home together that really isn’t like any other."

Hester Vogelzang's retro interior-themed Instagram tagline is “Born in the nineties, living in the seventies,” and that applies to the home shared with boyfriend, Jens, and newborn son, Wobbe.

Emily Brinkley is an illustrator/designer working for a small company that designs games, toys, books, greeting cards, stationery, and gift wrap. She describes her London flat as being a totally beige, blank canvas when she first moved in.

What's your season?

Interior decorator Dani Klarić lives in this large, loft-like apartment in Miami with her boyfriend, Bello. Dani pulls a lot of her home's interior inspiration from the Art Deco era, but you'll also find nods to the 1960s, 1990s, and even some mid-century modern vibes, too.

Bonus: Loads of pieces are on major sale!

Charlotte Violet turned an attic space with gorgeous original Victorian cedar beams in her small UK home into a dreamy bedroom, sunset-watching spot, and home cinema.

Raquel Lily is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and online content creator, and she released her debut full-length album, "Fixations," in early March. She lives in this colorful, musical house in Atlanta.

Francesca owns Francesca Grace Home, a home staging and interior designer company, and her California Craftsman in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood is full of vintage furnishings, modern lines, bold colors, and energetic patterns.

Sarah Coleman and her partner had to decorate their Miami house on a very small budget. "Everything we did was stencils and paint because it was the most affordable option. I wanted the gorgeous wallpapers and new shiny fixtures, but we had to do everything little by little and do it creatively, so we weren’t broke all of the time!"

It's gorgeous.

Caley Adams is the founder and creative director of Wildes District, an NYC-based design studio that specializes in design for emerging women's and e-commerce brands. She shares a beautiful house on a small cul-de-sac with her husband, Max, and their 1.5-year-old son.

Carla and Fraser hand painted the tile pattern on their kitchen floor using stencils to mimic some expensive tiles they found online... and that's just ONE of the many DIY projects they've tackled in their UK home.

“They are an eclectic mix of the pure and the humble that evokes the warmth and harmony of a more innocent age while celebrating life today.”

Grace Atwood has written the lifestyle blog, The Stripe, for twelve years now, and is also active on Instagram and has a weekly newsletter. She worked with designer and Elements of Style blogger Erin Gates on decorating this Charleston, South Carolina rental apartment.

Create a calming oasis with these three colors.

Can we all take a moment to appreciate velvet?

Sensi editor-in-chief Stephanie Wilson's apartment is "maximalism to the max" and FULL of wild decor ideas — like contact-paper-covered doors, neon-painted door jambs, and a carefully curated bar-cart-turned-bong-cart.

Pink doesn’t have to be scary.

Add some cheer with these affordable pieces.

Hendrick's shared a glimpse of her dressing room that puts these hues on display.

HGTV star Breegan Jane has good reason.

Andrea rents this hospital-adjacent apartment out to medical students and traveling nurses, and she wanted it to feel like home for them, "with an atmosphere more eccentric than the typical rental," she says. Because she sourced the furniture secondhand, she could splurge on special finishes.

Grab a can of the sunny hue to warm up your mid-winter blues.

Pantone went periwinkle for its Color of the Year, but wood stain brand Minwax is going green. Minwax announced this month that “Gentle Olive” is its 2022 hue, which reflects “the search for serenity in our changing routines.”“Gentle Olive” is a soothing mix of sage green and gray that embraces natural wood tones while adding a subtle pop of timeless color. It’s grounded, calming, and is symbolic of healing and renewal.

Content creator Luna Lindsay has DIYed and painted her rental apartment into a pastel palace... and recently launched a hand-poured pastel candle business called Moonwix.

"If I love it, I include it in my home," says homeowner Joy Angela Russell. "I love earthy colors: cognac, cream, olive, mustard, turquoise, and black. I collect art and love a hand-painted wall or two or three."

Buh-bye, words like "sterile" and "boring."

These are the beautiful, calming shades 2022 will bring.

Don't forget to look up.

From the intentional and subtle to the big, bright, and bold, these spaces all use color in jaw-dropping ways.