Last time we were planning to move, I tried something really different. I picked out a color story to use throughout our entire home. So before I picked out a single paint color or bought a piece of furniture, I spent some serious time (maybe even too much time—haha!) collecting inspiration and planning out a color palette I could use as the base for all the rooms in our house.
There were two big reasons I wanted to try this. The first was so that my house would match and flow from room to room. In the past I tended to decorate with bold colors in every room, so my house ended up looking a little bit like a crayon box, or different sets for a quirky girl television show.
This was fun, but not as cohesive or relaxing as I wanted for my new home. The second reason I wanted to commit to a color scheme was so I could move furniture from room to room. I like to change things up often and having everything match is really, really good for that side of my personality.
Almost three years later, I am happy to report that I still love the choice to commit to a color scheme. It made my decisions easier, my purchases longer lasting, and as predicted, I enjoyed swapping things from room to room through the seasons.
These past few months as I’ve started to plan my new home, I have again been choosing a color scheme. It’s a little different from my last one but with a lot of the same colors included.
It’s kind of fun to have a fresh start, but I am still planning to keep almost every piece of furniture from our current home. And for those random items that no longer match, there is always spray paint!
Anyway! I am here to today to share five tips for choosing a color story for your home. I hope you find this useful whether you have a move on your horizon or you just want to become a more planned shopper for future home items.
1. Choose colors that you are comfortable with and that inspire you.
The first place I look is in my closet. Your closet can be a very telling place to discover your go-to colors. Do you wear almost all black and white? Lean toward red? Love denim and white? Gravitate toward hot pink? Jot down what you discover. Your most and least worn colors can tell you a lot about your color comfort zone.
For most of us, we lean toward similar colors in both what we wear and how we decorate—plus you know those colors are flattering and something you’ll love over time.
Another quick way to discover colors that comfort and inspire you is to look at all the home things you already own, especially those favorites that you’ve had for years and know you will keep for years to come.
It’s easy to browse through Pinterest and see amazing rooms, but the true test is living with a space over time. So pay close attention to your shopping patterns for both decor and clothing and you will likely get some insight into your personal “perfect” color palette!
Colors that inspire me tend to be a little different than my comfort colors. Personally, my comfort colors are a lot of textured whites, creams, denims and natural wood, while the colors that inspire me most right now are hot pink, deep turquoise, cobalt blue and blush. Note both ends of your spectrum.
2. Create a mood board of things you love.
Once you’ve identified those go-to colors, start to compile a pin board or folder on your computer with LOTS of items in those colors. Save different textures, rooms, art and even outfits that inspire you and suit your style. Once you have them saved together, you can create a mood board.
Mood boards are helpful because you can see your overall style more easily. I like this because when I’m shopping for individual items, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or to accidentally pick a bunch of cute things that don’t compliment each other.
Having a mood board to reference (I keep mine saved on my phone) is an easy way to remind yourself of the vibe and style you are going for.
The other thing I love about creating a mood board is that it’s easy to see how your colors are going to work together. Maybe your first pass will feel too one dimensional, in which case you can add a few more colors!
Or maybe it will feel cluttered and chaotic, a color scheme that would benefit from an extra large dose of neutrals.
In either case, creating a mood board is the fastest way to see how your colors and style will work, and it’s so low commitment that it’s a win-win!
3. Mix neutrals and fun pops of color.
Maybe I’m a little crazy, but I even like to plan out my neutral colors. For example, in my new color story, black is sparse and natural wood is sporadic, while white, gray and cream are used heavily. Ask yourself—Do you have favorite neutral colors? (to maximize) Are there any neutrals that you dislike? (to minimize)
Neutrals are an awesome way to balance intense color and create a more chill, airy or timeless design. While homes with no color aren’t my personal cup of tea, an all neutral palette can be beautiful and very easy to execute.
And while I’ve never lived in a home without bold colors, I would imagine it would feel very comfy and relaxing.
If I lived in a magazine (which, sadly, I do not), I would decorate each room in head-to-toe intense, saturated color. But I have lived in a room that colorful and I didn’t love it. It gets old. Plus I love switching things out each season and neutrals make that really easy!
Find your balance. Find your ideal proportion on neutral vs. color.
These pops of color are a great place to use those colors from your mood board that inspire you, but would be obnoxious if overused. A little bit goes a long way with some colors, so use them wisely and have FUN.
4. Focus on paint and permanent pieces first.
I like to build my color story like a pyramid, placing the biggest priority (both money and time spent on decisions) on the more permanent “bones” of my design first. Paint colors are a big priority. For both my current and my future home I chose mostly neutral colors with just a few statement walls.
The other elements I have spent a lot of time picking out are our hardwood stain color, a new couch (still haven’t decided), rugs and light fixtures. These are pieces that I don’t plan to swap out or change while we’re living in this home. Choose things you will keep and be happy with for a long time.
If you do choose to go bold on paint colors or furniture, make sure it’s with one of your top few favorite colors, something you’ve gone back to over and over for years–not a seasonal or trendy color.
The details decorating phase is a little bit more fun. Choosing throw pillows, rugs and artwork are more like a reward at the end of all the other stuff. At least that’s how I look at it!
5. How and when to break outside the palette.
In my current home I didn’t regret my color scheme or want to change it in a major way the whole time I lived there (Yay! Success!). But I didn’t always stick to it strictly. For parties and holidays I incorporated a few more colors. I also added different pops of color in certain rooms, like a pink-based art wall in the dining room and coral in the laundry room.
Your chosen color story can represent all the items in your home that you want to mix, match and last a long time. With that said, it doesn’t have to become some sort of rule book. Once you’ve established your basics, you can feel free to break out of your color zone and add as much as you want!
I took this photo a few months ago when I was first picking colors for our new space (It’s since been paired WAY down). Paint swatches are my favorite way to sort a color story because you can keep them in your purse at all times for easy reference when shopping. I never planned to use all these colors on my walls.
Some of them are wall colors, but some are just meant to be accent colors for decor items. I have found it very helpful to keep them with me at all times, to remind myself of the color story I want to go with overall. When I picked a wallpaper recently, it had other colors outside of my plan, but it coordinated and that’s all that matters.
Alright! I’m not sure if I just revealed what a huge dork I am or if this is a helpful blog post for you. Maybe both? Haha! In either case, I have found this exercise incredibly helpful in the initial, planning phases of a new home. I hope you do too!
Time for my favorite part–hearing your thoughts! Have you established any type of color story for your home? Is this something that you think would be helpful in a future home or too restrictive? I’m looking forward to reading your comments. xx- Elsie
Hi Elsie,
Was wondering if there’s a “rule” on accent wallS (yes, plural) AND how many colors you can paint in an open concept floor plan (kitchen/dining/living room)? I noticed most- if not all- your walls are white with pops of color mostly in accessories and some furniture pieces…
Thanks!
Sivan
This is very helpful. I still have to decorate my upper house and this is a good start 🙂 thank you!
I absolutely LOVE the idea of a color story!! My boyfriend and I are renting right now (so sadly no painting), but we’re looking to buy a home in the next year..which leads me to a question! We have two very different styles. I like things light and neutral, with pops of color (especially yellow…because YELLOW!) and darker stained wood. And he hates the idea of white cabinets. He likes all darker colors, ect.
Did you have any troubles compromising on a color story?! Or did you have any tips?
xo-Brittany
www.foxandcoffee.blogspot.com
I seriously love this blog post! My husband and I are (hopefully!!) closing on our first home together this Friday. I have to confess, I was pretty nervous about the decor aspect of things. Generally we agree on the important things, but I tend to be a LOT bolder and more experimental with colors and design ideas. He hasn’t cared a whole lot in the past because we’ve only lived in temporary apartment situations (read: no painting), but I know this home means a lot to him too and I was foreseeing a lot of frustration as we tried to pick everything out together. He gets a little panicky when there is too much color/florals/patterns and wants to default to neutrals and blues (to feel more manly?). Taking the time to go to Lowe’s and sift through all of our favorite colors and come up with a color story that reflects both of us has been a DREAM. It was surprisingly exciting, a fun little day date! We both feel involved and listened to, and are both getting things we love! It’s just going to make everything smoother from here on out, I can tell. I also just really like saying “color story”. It sounds pretty romantic to me! Teamwork!! 🙂 Thanks so much!
This is amazing and so inspiring as always1
Just curious, where did you get the paint swatches? I want to get the swatches like that too.
Tried to comment on this but it must’ve not come through with my phone :'(
Just said that I loved the suggestions of this post. My husband and I have had a “color story” in our minds since before buying our first home (a total fixer). We’re dreaming of white walls and a mid-century color pallet as far as furniture and textures go. We figured that if we hate the white we can always easily change one way or room, anyways. It seems like a risk but we want to go for it! Our house is painted red and I *might* paint the front door a teal color as a little tease to the interior.
this stuff is a lot more fun two homes later, haha!
Hey Elsie!!
Do you remember the name the paint you used for your shelves in your living room? The greenish one?? I am in love with that color!
Ooh, I love this. We just bought our first home – a fixer – and I’ve been carrying around paint chips as we make design decisions 😉 We decided on white (almost taupe) walls and darker stained floors so we would have a lot of freedom with the color we want to incorporate. We’re gravitating toward a mid- century pallet (avocado green, teal, salmon, etc.) and have approached that preference with much more certainty after 2 rentals. Our motto of sorts is timeless fixtures / bathroom / anything of permanence, and the rest can easily evolve with us.
I love this post! Will definitely be using these tips for the future!
These are great tips–it seems like such a simple idea but I hadn’t thought of consciously picking a color story for the whole home. Definitely the perfect starting point…and best way to get to geek out over decor before even having to make specific decisions. 🙂
I also think it’s a great tip to consult your wardrobe to get an idea of your comfort colors, but it’s also funny because I just noticed to myself the other day: I decorate with a lot of green, but I have hardly any green in my closet! I found that a little odd because it is one of my favorite colors. 🙂
Ooh, I love this. We just bought our first home – a fixer – and I’ve been carrying around paint chips as we make design decisions 😉 We decided on white (almost taupe) walls and darker stained floors so we would have a lot of freedom with the color we want to incorporate. We’re gravitating toward a mid- century pallet (avocado green, teal, salmon, etc.) and have approached that preference with much more certainty after 2 rentals. Our motto of sorts is timeless fixtures / bathroom / anything of permanence, and the rest can easily evolve with us.
This is great! You’re so right about your general shopping habits, decor, clothing etc being a great example of the colors you love. I realized this year that pretty much our entire house is full of grays, blues, and greens. I didn’t know why (except for the fact that they’re just beautiful) until I went to my childhood home this past Christmas and realized my parents’ house has always been those colors. They symbolize peace and comfort and HOME for me so I decorated our new home in those shades without even thinking about it. Colors have such an impact on a space and on our hearts, and I love these tips for making your home a more colorful and cohesive space! Thanks for sharing!
Where do you get the color patches from?
XO
Tine
I really like the idea of choosing a color scheme for the whole house and making all the rooms work together. I want to try it. but I’m so curious about why you’re moving. You’ve got your house all decorated and it seems strange to buy a house and only live there a couple of years. Maybe you discussed it in a post I missed, or maybe it’s personal…
I do this instinctually when I’m approaching a new design project, but it was really interesting hearing this articulated so clearly! I’m curious… what brand of paint chips are you playing with in these photos? I love the shape of them. I often use paint chips as part of my seasonal inspiration board I rotate through in my studio, and these would display so beautifully!
Lovely color schemes! This was super helpful in more ways than one! Now I want to color scheme my apartment, my Instagram feed, my closet, EVERYTHING! Thanks for the inspiration!
I cannot believe how quickly you made this seemingly insurmountable task an easy, step-by-step process. Bless you. The bit about focusing on the big things first is particularly logical; and I recently used a mood board for another project, which was hugely successful even though I went into it with skepticism. I don’t know why it did not occur to me to do the same thing for my home. Anyway, great post. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is very timely and something I’m struggling with daily! We moved into our dream home after finishing up our starter home and listing it and while we love almost everything about our new one, its paint is not one of them. I’m struggling too because it’s very large and has very open rooms and I’m not sure where to go once I find one color I like. I keep coming back to white. Oh, and don’t get me started on wanting to paint the kitchen cabinets and the trim- I think this is one of those decisions I need to hire help for! And did I mention I change my mind about neutrals? I was a warm brown/beige girl for years and now I’m a grey/white and completely stuck. Thanks for the tips though! Love everything you’ve done with your old house and I’m sure your new one will be just as beautiful! (Sorry for the random comment! Did I mention I love this blog?)
Love your tips -Hanna Lei