Vibrant mixes of two stand-alone shades can create a powerful combination that stands out in home design and makes your color choices “pop.” Let’s examine four popular color combos and impactful ways to use them.
Navy & Teal
The contrast of a dark and bold blue together really catches the eye and can be used in various, striking ways. Navy fabric panels framing living room windows from floor to ceiling are nicely paired with large, square, printed throw pillows in teal arranged on each end of the sofa. Teal shaded dinner and salad plates shine atop printed navy placemats on the dining table. I also like to see teal jewelry and handbags carried when wearing navy slacks or a striped navy cardigan.
Yellow & Aqua
Two bright shades collide and sparkle when yellow and aqua are used together. Perfect for spring, this color combo highlights and brightens rooms and wardrobes alike. Mix yellow and aqua in draped blankets and throw pillows on the couch or in trays, accessories, and glassware on a coffee or console table. Hang a blend of wall art that incorporates these two hues for a modern collection. Yellow and aqua also look distinguished in a tablescape centerpiece or fun melamine dishes used through the summer months.
Lime & Chocolate
Though used extensively, I would not say this duo is on its way out any time soon. This mix is popular for the color scheme in both girls’ and boys’ nurseries and bedrooms, right up to college dorm accessories. These shades are more widely accepted in larger home furnishings, such a brown leather sofa or lime shaded cushions on patio furniture. They can be blended in seating areas amongst the pillows, rugs, and draperies, as well as throughout the home in wall paint colors, art work, bathroom towels and shower curtains, and all forms of bedding.
Hot Pink & Gray
Oh so chic, pink and gray are climbing the popularity chart. You will find the two again in nurseries to designer living rooms to bedroom comforters and shams. The contrast of bright and bold with muted and upscale makes it a go-to for paper products like invitations and note cards, as well as in advertising and logos. Mix the two in kitchen accessories and home décor, and you have a notable look fit for today. So go on – blend bold and bright colors to create your own impressive settings right in your very home.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 10th.
