A Splash of Color: How to Add Color to a Neutral Living Room

Looking to add a new living room to your home? If so, you may feel overwhelmed with the idea of decorating your new space and picking out a color scheme. Luckily, you’re not alone! Many of our clients aren’t sure how to add color to a neutral living room. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you discover all the ways to add a pop of color to your living space!

What Does Pop of Color Mean?

The idea of a pop of color stems from the idea that color can help brighten up a space and, using it sparingly, will elevate the room you’re in. Color has a profound impact on our mood and our feelings—it can make you feel relaxed, comfortable, happy, or even hungry. 

A pop of color for interior designers often means adding colors to your space that will heighten your mood for that specific room. For example, reds and yellows in the kitchen or soft blues and pinks in your bedroom. To accomplish this, the color is not the overarching element of the room, but it’s used in little “pops” to bring out the mood you’re trying to create. 

10 Ways to Add Color to a Neutral Living Room

If you love a neutral room but want to find ways to add a pop of color, you have so many options to choose from! Here are 10 ways we’ve seen people add color to their dream living room remodel. 

1. Bold Color Paint

While this option is not for those who want a truly neutral living room, one of the best ways to add color and moodiness to a room is by painting the walls a bold color and using neutral decor and furniture to balance it out. Bold walls are becoming more and more popular, with colors like cinnamon, burgundy, sage, and dark greens dominating the living room color choices. If you want to be encompassed by color, consider painting the ceiling the same color as your walls!

2. Bright Decor

If painting the walls bright, bold colors isn’t your style, the best way to add pops of color is through decor. From colorful lampshades to abstract paintings, decor gives you countless possibilities to add color to your space. To make your room cohesive, we’d suggest you choose one main color with two or three supporting colors and find decor that fits within that range of colors. You may also want to choose a theme, like floral or bohemian, to make the space flow easily and feel put together. 

3. An Intricately Designed Rug

During your remodel, you don’t want to overlook the flooring. While it may not be in your direct line of sight all the time, the color and type of flooring can dramatically change the room. Likewise, if you want to add some color to your room, a rug with an intricate, color design can brighten up the space a lot more than you think! From modern chic rugs to rugs that mimic a vintage aesthetic, the right rug in your living room will help bring its unique character. 

4. Accent Walls 

If painting all your walls sounds like too much of a commitment but you like the idea of colorful walls, an accent wall may be the perfect choice for your space. Accent walls can be one solid color, a design of multiple colors, or even a wallpaper of your choosing—get creative with what you want to do with your accent wall! 

5. Statement Pieces 

When you’re shopping for furniture, you may be met with a lot of browns, blacks, whites, and grays. But furniture can be so much more than neutral colors. From blue couches to a dark green entertainment center, furniture can be a great way to add color to a neutral living room. If you want to find a unique statement piece, we’d recommend looking at thrift stores that sell vintage furniture!

6. Coordinated Blankets & Pillows 

A budget-friendly way to add a splash of color is by simply finding colorful throw blankets and pillows. We’d recommend one throw blanket and then maybe two or three throw pillows—though you can have up to five or six pillows for a more cozy space. Many stores even offer throw blanket and pillow sets, so you can find a coordinated option already packed together for you. Don’t be afraid to choose some with patterns as well! 

7. Flowers & Plants

Love a natural aesthetic? Add some live or fake plants into your living space to add color! Utilizing the natural beauty and color of plants can help bring life into your home and add color while keeping a neutral color scheme. You may even find the plants brighten the space, and some plants are great at keeping the air in your home clean!

8. Unique Lighting 

If bright colors aren’t your style but you don’t want your space to feel cold, lighting can do a lot to give character to a space and affect your mood in a similar way to color. Using lamps instead of ceiling lights can make your home feel cozy and warm, while using ceiling lights can increase creativity and make your space feel bright. There are also unique lighting options, such as vintage lava lamps or LED decorative lights. 

9. A Large Window 

If your home is located in a beautiful area with a lovely yard or view, a large window may be all you need to add color and light to your home. Natural light from a window brightens your space and provides a marvelous view of the natural scenery outside your home. Adding curtains and window decor can further enhance the space with some color!

10. Your Own Personal Library

Are you a book lover and have a large collection of books already in your home? Moving a bookshelf or two into your living room is a unique way to add some color in a scholarly style! Books naturally already have color to their spines, and a small collection of them on a bookshelf that matches your furniture makes the home feel cozy in a sophisticated style. You can even have your remodel add bookshelves directly into your walls to fit your own personal library of books!

Design Your Dream Living Room with McFall Builders

Whether you want a rainbow of colors in your living room or a neutral lover’s dream, McFall Builders can help your vision come to life! Our team ensures that your new home addition matches your style and is built to your specifications. We’ll guide you through the remodeling process, so you have a full understanding of what the end result will look like, colorful or not!

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