It’s safe to say, you’re starting to see the world bursting with life again in whatever way it does unique to your corner of the world. There’s a special kind of WOW this time of year brings. Vivid colors you’ve no doubt seen before suddenly feel brand new and evoke a surprising kind of childlike delight. An inspiring and uplifting ooh and ahh.
What if you could bring some of that magic inside, too? Let’s do that. When it comes to designing your home’s interior, one of the easiest and most effective ways to bring that kind of energy and life is by incorporating a vivid color palette into your space.
What’s a vivid color palette? Great question. We’re talking about a spectrum of bright and bold colors that, when used together — or in smaller bits — offer an energized look. This can be anything from a collection of primary colors, like red, blue, and yellow, to a combination of pastels and neons. It may at first seem a bit daunting to work with bold hues, but it’s actually quite simple when you know how to use them. Also, it’s fun!
So today, we’ll explore how to use a vivid color palette in your home’s interior design style through the upholstery fabrics you choose. Actually, mostly we’ll explore how to do so using microsuede — that soft and snuggly performance fabric. Because having a vivid and energetic vibe is great. But having a vivid, energetic, and comfy vibe is even better. Let’s get started.
Keep It Simple: Choose A Vivid Fabric For A Statement Piece
Maybe you’re new to using bold colors in your home, or you want to keep things mostly the way they are. Great! Start with choosing one piece of furniture or upholstery that will serve as the statement piece in your space. This could be a brightly colored sofa, an accent chair, or even a set of curtains. Your space, your call.
Maybe dress a sofa in a bright navy blue (yes, bright navy) or an accent chair in yummy pear green microsuede. Step away from microsuede in favor of a woven fabric for curtains in a candy coral abstract pattern.
All three bring a bit of zip and zest to your home. And by choosing just one piece, you can introduce a pop of color without overwhelming the space. (Pro-tip: check out this low-sew DIY slipcover from our friend Aimee at Artisan Upholstery Studio to keep your statement piece costs low and impact high.)
Build It Slowly: Layer In Vibrant Additional Colors In Your Decor
Now, let’s say you get that statement piece going, and you love it. To build on the theme just a bit more, start layering in additional colors. The key here is to choose colors that complement your statement piece.
For example, if you’ve chosen a bold and fruity (yes, fabric can be fruity) sangria red sofa, you might choose accent pillows in shades of blush pink, striped orange, or freesia yellow with a floral pattern. The idea is to build on your bold statement and create a cohesive look that feels intentional. (Because it is intentional.)
Bring The Feels: You Can Awaken And Elevate The Senses With Textures
You may have already noticed that while we said up front that we’d be leaning into microsuede on our journey into a vivid vibe, we’ve thrown some other fabrics in, too. The thing is, when it comes to upholstery, texture is just as important as color. In fact, the texture of a fabric can help to enhance the color and create a more dynamic look.
As you take things in a more vivid direction, don’t be afraid to add a variety of textures into your space. Like a bedroom with a lavender velvet headboard, a creme white French linen duvet cover, and a caramel brown Italian leather slipper chair. Filling your suite with some vivid visual interest, but also creating a soft and diverse tactile experience to wake up to and snuggle up in at the end of the day.
Balance The Mood: How To Ground Your Vivid Vibe In Neutral Fabrics
Did you see what we did there? Just as we broadened the scope of textures, we also broadened the color palette. Because while we’re talking about using vivid colors in your home’s design style, neutrals still play an important role too. In fact, a well-placed neutral can help to further feature the new colors in your space and add a great sense of visual balance.
Consider using neutral upholstery on larger pieces of furniture. Like a pair of facing living room sofas in earthy pine green microsuede — trendy, calming, and grounding. Or a large L-shaped sectional for the whole family in neutral, natural pale acorn brown or an elegant dove grey. Neutrals can free you to go vivid with your vibe through pops of color rather than going all in.
Go All-In: Ways To Use Vivid Colors And Contrast To Make Your Space Sing
Or, go all in. There are few design styles more suited to going all-in than any design style using a vivid color palette. So don’t be afraid to take risks. After all, you get to love what you love and love where you live. The beauty of interior design is that it’s subjective.
Like giving a room a maximalist vivid palette look with shades of a single color for walls and upholstery. You set the mood and also free other art, decor, and personal treasures to really pop. For fabrics, that could mean a sofa in emerald green microfiber, accent chairs in teal aqua, and decadent curtains in mint green.
Draw inspiration from Miami art deco design with vivid, saturated tones. Like your favorite pieces in scarlet red, marmalade orange, hunter green, and electric purple. Go further with a color-blocking technique — pairing contrasting colors together — and pair that orange with deep midnight blue or that purple with canary yellow accents.
You can also get there leaning on contrasting neutrals. Like pairing any of the colors above with pieces or accents in fawn beige, ivory white, or even onyx black microsuede.
It’s Time To Bring Your Home’s New Style Vividly Alive — Your Way
And just like that, you can create a refreshingly bold, eye-catching look. Or you can simply add pops of new interest and energy to come home to. Whatever’s calling you, there’s such energy and inspiration in the colors and new life nature offers us this time of year.
In small ways and large, using a vivid color palette in your home’s interior design style through upholstery fabrics is an easy and effective way to brighten up your space.
And taking the leap can be simpler than you think — with help. And we’re flush with enthusiastic help. Give us a call today for all the support you need picking fabrics, getting samples, ordering a custom slipcover, or a plethora of other ways we love making the process of giving your home interior design style new life — quick and easy.