How To Bring In + Balance Color In Your Space
Color can be incredibly helpful in adding dimension and contrast to your space - even with a neutral or monochromatic aesthetic. This may be in accent color or texture and tones for added dimension, or there may be a moment you come across a special piece for your space that stands out, and you're not sure how to incorporate it without it standing out, awkwardly, or adding too much color into the space. Whether you're trying to pick a color palette or navigate the finishing touches of tones and textures, it can be an overwhelming decision, so we turn to the expert!
We ask New York-based Interior Designer Brittany Marom, with over a decade of experience and a unique eye for balancing colors in a room, how to navigate bringing color into your space!
The Basics: Choosing + Working With Color
“I always start with what the client currently owns/wants to use in their new space. For example, if a client has a really beautiful and vibrant art piece, I use it as my first step to source inspiration and design the space around the art.”
“Generally, I will pick a color in the art piece and either use that as the accent piece for decorative items (pillows, throws, accessories). If the client is really bold, I will find upholstery casegood items with that same color. It is really important to tie color together and not let it be completely random.”
Top Advice You Give Your Clients
“I love when clients have strong feelings about design and aesthetic but I always stress that you hired me for a reason! So let me do my job :)”
Neutral Colored Spaces - Advice on Adding Color
do plants count as a color?
“Absolutely! Plants are Mother Nature's color palette and should ALWAYS be incorporated in a space. You could have the most beautiful furnishings, accessories and lighting but if you don't have plant life then I find a place feels sterile and museum like,” advises Brittany, and we couldn’t agree more!
“Finding color in art or other family heirlooms or beloved objects are always a great way to bring color in, and it depends on your taste! For me I am a warm palette person. So deep reds and oranges I think look beautiful and very earthy against a neutral backdrop. But if you gravitate towards cool colors dark blues and purples can be beautiful as well.”
Adding Dimension to a Neutral Toned Space
“TEXTILES!! Textiles are a home owner's best friend. It is a great way to bring in texture (velvet, linen, nubby, shearling) and make a space have more depth. Nothing makes me crazier than a space that falls flat with NO texture.”
Avoiding Monotonous Palettes + Adding Varying Shades
“Fabrics or paint wheels are a great way to get an understanding of what shade works best in your space. You will see if it is too close or completely clashes that way. I don't think you can pick too many or too little. Color should be fun!”
Vibrant Colors + Avoiding an Over-Stimulating Space
Brittany advises, “neutral pieces help balance a space and create a clean backdrop to what you fill the rest of the space with.”
Photos + Books, and Other Colors Out of Your Control
“You can always find a way to organize your personal items in a chic way. If you love having photos around of you and your friends and family then buy a consistent frame type. Acrylic frames are a great type that let the picture speak and not get too busy.”
Advice for Decorating on a Budget
“I always shop with photos on my phone of my space when shopping for accessories. It helps keep me reminded of what I am looking for and what I already have.”
Adding a Focal Piece After Decorating - Photo, Rugs, Etc.
In many cases your art piece or focal piece can fit into a well designed or planned out space, however “if you own the art piece already and it isn't working with what you envisioned your room to look like, then move the art elsewhere. There will be a home for it somewhere, maybe even a different wall in that same room.”
Follow Brittany on Instagram and check out her latest extension of her brand, a home decor line starting with beautifully elegant yet contemporary brass napkin rings at www.quettehome.com
Photos Courtesy of BrittanyMarom.com + by Rebecca Pollak Photography
