Design pointers from a pro who is not afraid of color
It’s right there in the name: Bright.Bazaar (www.brightbazaarblog .com), a popular interiordesign blog founded by Will Taylor, is all about vibrant, un-self-conscious color. Taylor’s longtime motto? “Beige is boring.” In his new Bright.Bazaar book for retailer Anthropologie, “Dream Decor: Styling a Cool, Creative and Comfortable Home, Wherever You Live,” the lifestyle blogger and creative consultant makes the case that carefully considered color is a crucial part of interior design (along with pattern, texture, furniture and lighting).
“Your decorating toolbox is nothing without color,” Taylor writes. “It’s one of the most influential elements in any decorative scheme. Whether you like to go all out with hue or keep things pared back with occasional accent splashes, introducing color into your rooms will pay you plenty of design dividends.” Following are a few tips we gleaned from “Dream Decor.”
Home in on favorite hues: Taylor documents many of his daily color inspirations on Instagram via the hashtag #MakeYouSmileStyle, and thousands of Instagrammers have followed suit. “Why not take a look for instant access to a bank of shades from all corners of the world?” he suggests. “When you start to pull your color inspiration together — tear sheets, holiday photographs, Instagrams, swatches and so on — see if you can notice any commonalities in each piece.” The patterns that emerge might surprise you.
Beige isn’t always boring: Neither is white or gray. Sometimes they do the important work of helping balancing bright, bold colors. Indeed, when you choose calmer, neutral shades for elements that take up the largest surface areas — furniture, floors and walls — you’ve created a backdrop for elements in eye-popping hues (such as art, pillows or rugs).
Advice for accessorizing with color: “Embellishing a room with colorful accessories works well if you layer in shades from the main color palette or introduce new accent colors,” Taylor writes. Laura Pearson is a freelance writer.