8 Ways to Live Happily Ever After With a Colorphobe
Appease your partner while satisfying your color cravings with these win-win decorating maneuvers
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
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For color fans, there is no pain like the pain of discovering that your live-in partner is beholden to beige. You long for lavender; she insists on ecru. You beg for burnt orange; khaki is as far as he'll go. What's a couple to do?
Fear not — there's room for compromise. These strategies can help you bring your sweetie around to the joys of stretching the spectrum.
Fear not — there's room for compromise. These strategies can help you bring your sweetie around to the joys of stretching the spectrum.
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| 1. Start small. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the color-averse won't become color nuts overnight. Ease them in with small dabs of not-too-bold hues against a neutral background. Muted scarlet and robin's egg blue add a little spark to this serene beige bedroom without overwhelming it. |
Similarly, the twist of yellow cheers this bathroom up but doesn't dominate it. The space also incorporates multiple layers of pattern, which can be a great alternative to give color enthusiasts more of the visual interest they adore.
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2. Keep colorful pieces changeable. This space seems grounded in color and energy at first glance. Look closer, though: The orange, turquoise and other vivid elements are easy to swap out as whims dictate, leaving a background of mostly beiges, grays and whites.
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This bedroom takes a subtler approach. The soft gold walls and pale tangerine bench are quiet enough to read as neutral, but bright bedding enlivens the scheme. If the mere suggestion of chartreuse and poppy red causes a freakout, you can always dial back the linens to plain white or cream.
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| 3. Go green. Green is perhaps the easiest hue for the color-shy to accept. The reason: It anchors the natural world around us, and we're used to large doses at a time. Lay the groundwork with accents, such as these throw pillows and vase, then gradually tiptoe into a stronger scheme. |
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| The spring-green accent wall in this kitchen blends smoothly with the landscape foliage that's visible through the windows, so it doesn't call attention to itself. |
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by ThinkMakeBuild
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| 4. Disguise color as a neutral. Quick, what hue is this kitchen? The walls may appear cream, thanks to the white cabinetry and natural woods, but they're actually butter yellow. When you cloak a room in a single shade, it often comes across as a neutral. Blue and white textiles and other accents emphasize the yellow here, but switch them out for beige and the room would appear even more neutral. |
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Navy walls in this space are unobtrusive enough not to shout "color!" at first glance.
by Tracy Stone AIA
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5. Use rich woods. Sometimes a color contrarian just won't budge, no matter how hard you plead your case. What's a color lover to do? Look to nature. Suggest using wood (that's neutral, right?), but choose a species with strong undertones, such as cherry, mahogany or yellow pine. The results will whisper of color, even if it's not obvious.
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Pairing yellow woods with purple accents (color wheel opposites) is a sly way to play up their bolder notes.
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6. Brighten lesser-used spaces. It can be easier to deal with color if it's concentrated in rooms that don't get a lot of daily use, such as guest areas. That way colorphobes can (mostly) avoid them if the palette is too much to take. Apple and bottle greens give this guestroom a fresh, happy face.
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Feeling really adventurous? Give a guest bathroom a jolt by painting the outside of a claw-foot tub and repeating the shade in the wall treatment. If your resident colorphobe panics, just keep the door closed, then bask in the compliments on your daring that will pour forth from visitors.
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7. Just add flowers. Who can resist a bouquet of blooming beauties? You get the color you crave; your significant other gets the comfort of knowing they'll wither soon. Win-win.
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If you want to play it extra safe, skip the flowers and stick to houseplants with showy green foliage.
8. Take it outside. People often find color more palatable outdoors for some reason. (Maybe the sun puts them in a more relaxed frame of mind.) If you haven't made as much headway as you want with your indoor palette, try spicing up a porch, deck or patio instead. Citron and watermelon pink, lively yet not garish, are a nearly fail-safe combo.
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You can also choose a rainbow of garden plantings to scratch the color itch ... and if you're lucky, you just might get a helping hand from nature to top it all off.
What's your best tip for making peace with a colorphobe? Tell us in the Comments!
What's your best tip for making peace with a colorphobe? Tell us in the Comments!
Ideabook published on Jan. 29, 2013.
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I love the white room with the green ceiling.