I am a bold color kind of gal. I always knew that I liked color in my personal wardrobe. Definitely no pastel colors for me! But as my decorating style has evolved, I have also learned to love adding pops of color to a room.
Even when my husband and I were renting as newlyweds, we would still always ask if we could paint a few walls. Many times the answer was no, but we did get a few yeses. Regardless, if you only have neutral walls where you live, there are still inexpensive and simple ways to add style and color without painting the walls!
One of my two favorite rooms in our home is the kitchen, which has happy yellow walls that I absolutely love but definitely aren’t for everyone – best decision we made to create a room we love? My husband tried chalk paint on our 1970’s dated china hutch and we both fell in love. Chalk paint doesn’t require a primer and is designed for the imperfect painter (like me!). On our hutch, we used Annie Sloan Pure White for the base and Provence (teal) for the accent pieces.
This huge hutch has tremendous sentimental value and will be an integral part of our kitchen for years to come. The decor is easily changed with the seasons or when I’m desiring to mix it up a bit for a fresh look.
Since he was on a roll in the kitchen, my husband also painted our kitchen table, small hutch, shabby chic chairs and even the shelves above the door. Together we also created a one of a kind window photo frame for an extra large family photo. The teal accent color ties dissimilar pieces together for a unique and pleasing look.
One of the hottest trends in home decor is anything with chalkboard paint. From entire walls to furniture or decorative accents, chalkboard paint is an easy way to personalize your decor. For one project, we repurposed a bathroom cabinet door that we would have probably discarded otherwise. Adding chalkboard paint created a place to greet guests in our home or celebrate a holiday. Grab some chalk markers and write your family love notes, inspirational quotes or even lists and reminder. Make it even more fun, and let the kids help!
Want proof that even YOU can take a stab at painting? My most favorite room right now is our master bedroom, which went through a tremendous makeover but cost very little money. We have lived in our home for 23 years with the furniture in the exact same spot in our bedroom. Can you say outdated and overdue for a change?
Moving the furniture around and then painting it white with gray accents totally transformed this space. Even though our furniture doesn’t match, the paint brought it all together. I learned to paint furniture in this room and there’s no going back! My painting contractor husband is so happy I decided to jump in with a paintbrush because there’s less for him to do!
I used pops of coral throughout the accessories so I could still enjoy some bold color. Even if bold is not your style, painting furniture and accessories is a terrific fix for those blank neutral walls. What do you have to lose?
Want some more ideas? Read this post on Adding Color without Paint and also check out the new Fresh Start with a New Color Guide.
