Colors are a design element that dramatically impacts the overall look of a home. From the exterior siding of the house to the color of the trim around the windows, the environment can be changed wholly based on the choices that you or the previous owner have made.
One way to get creative with how color works in your home is by incorporating accents. An accent refers to an element that has a unique color from its surroundings. It is also typically a smaller volume of that color in the space it occupies, but it nonetheless stands out due to its variance from the norm. Accents can bring more life to a space because they naturally draw the eye and signal the observer to take extra notice of the feature.
There is a myriad of ways that you can adopt accent features for the design of your home. If you are hoping to liven up the space, here are some ideas for making certain features stand out with unique colors.
An Accent Wall
If you feel that a living space feels flat or unexciting, then you may consider adding an accent wall to the room. This could be done in any room, from the kitchen to the family room to a bedroom. Essentially, you choose one of the four walls to really focus the attention on the room.
In the family room, it could be the wall that has a fireplace and mantle that will have the accent color. For a bedroom, whichever wall is opposite the windows could be chosen to reflect the natural light from the sun and make it more vibrant. This change can be done for relatively cheap but will make a huge difference in the space and bring more personality to it.
Highlighting Architecture
When your home has a unique or beautiful piece of architecture that you are proud of, choosing an accent color can better highlight this feature. Say for example you have exposed steel beams in the kitchen. Their natural color may make them stand out from the rest of the ceiling and walls already, but you could paint them in a way that better accentuates them from the rest of the room.
You could choose more vibrant colors like yellow or red depending on which style creates the atmosphere you desire. By choosing a strong accent color, you can highlight architectural elements to draw the eye of the observer and bring more excitement to the room.
Trim, Molding, and Baseboard
These elements are small, but they frame entire interior spaces. This makes them the perfect opportunity for choosing an accent color to change the tone of the room. Plus, painting these smaller features is extremely cost-effective, with a larger aesthetic difference resulting from a little amount of paint.
You could choose bold colors or more muted colors that contrast with the dominant color of the room. This can be particularly effective in bathrooms and bedrooms where bolder wall colors are more popular.
Mulch for the Exterior
Never forget about your yard when thinking of unique ways to add accents to your home. A garden can be the main feature of the outdoors, greatly affecting curb appeal. One thing to consider is how mulch may clash with the colors of your home’s siding, roof, shutters, and other exterior features.
Many gardeners will cover the whole base of their creations with mulch to protect their plants from weeds and help lock in nutrients. With various color options for mulch, you should consider what color could serve as an accent against the exterior of your home, particularly if the garden is right up against the house. Finding mulch near you that can help your house and your plants pop more can upgrade your curb appeal with attractive outdoor accents.
Creating Separate Spaces in One Room
This strategy goes back to the accent wall idea as well. In some larger rooms, homeowners love the idea of creating a unique space with a separate function from the rest of the room. This could be a play area, entertainment zone, or even office space.
By painting the walls of this area with an accent color, and incorporating that color into the other elements in that space, you are essentially creating an additional room without the partitioning of actual walls.
However, you can still incorporate the base color or secondary color from the rest of the room to keep it somewhat unified, with just the accent color making it stand out. Using accent colors to create separate spaces brings more personality and functionality to one room.
Accents Bring Dimension to the Home
As a homeowner, you probably have a vision for how you want to design your space. Accent colors are a great method for being creative with the rooms in your house as well as the exterior. You can determine how others observe your home by using color to guide their eyes around the space and highlighting the aesthetic features that you love. Take advantage of how strategic color usage can upgrade your home, adding dimension and personality to the space.
