"Excellent article! Now here's my question for you: I am stuck in a beige rut. Seems like my entire living room is just varying shades of beige. How can I change it up without freaking out my inner beige-ness?"
This really is a common problem that many people (ahem....including myself...) have faced a time or two. When you're used to your beige comfort zone color is a big deal. Color is commitment! But even for the commitment phobic among us, color is not something to be afraid of. It should be embraced and lived to it's full extent.
But first things first. Beige is not bad. Beige is not a sin. Beige is beautiful in it's own right. It can make for a lovely back drop to draw focus to a beautiful work of art. It can be a starting point for a room full of greatness. Or it can offer a sense of serenity in a room full of chaos. Beige is your beginning.Color can be scary for the beige among us. So I would recommend that you start small. As much as I have always wanted a beautiful red sofa, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you run out and buy one today. For a living room, I would suggest starting with some new pillows for your beige sofa. You could also be looking for colorful accessories including vases, figurines, even art work for your wall.
Now, for the color. The color. There are so many options it can be overwhelming so I recommend that you keep it simple. If you have a favorite color, then go with that. New throw pillows can really spruce up a room and are pretty affordable. And don't feel like you have to go with a solid color pillow. For instance, if your favorite color is red, you can always opt for a white pillow with a red pattern. It will be a gentle introduction of color into your room that won't feel like a huge commitment.
If you don't have favorite color or if your favorite color isn't exactly living room friendly, I highly recommend going with a color found in nature. Blues and greens look wonderful with any shade of beige and are a natural transition since beige is found in nature as well.
One final option to consider is to find something you love and focus your room's color scheme around that. Whether it be an accessory, pillows, art work, a rug, etc., if it is something you truly love you cannot go wrong with designing your room to accentuate that favorite object. Your home should reflect you and your family and what you love. Then you will be living in your room.
Interior Design 101: You have questions? We have answers! (Well, about decorating and design that is.) Leave your most burning decor questions in the comments, and we will tackle them in upcoming posts! PLEASE leave your contact information, because sometimes we need more information or a photo to see just exactly what you're talking about. Thanks so much!
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Once upon a time, this Lady got a degree in Interior Design. She now spends her days taking care of her 2 little girls and 1 computer geek husband. Although it can't be said that she likes to learn everything the hard way, it can be said that she usually does.
You can read more on her personal blog Lady of Perpetual Chaos
