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Selecting the right colors for your home is one of the most important aspects of interior design. The colors you choose set the tone, impact your mood, and can even influence how large or small a space feels. At MBD, we understand that color choice is a deeply personal decision, but some guiding principles can help you create a harmonious and visually appealing palette for your home.
Colors have a powerful impact on how we feel in a space. Before picking out any shades, think about how you want each room to make you feel. Are you aiming for a calming, peaceful vibe in the bedroom? Do you want a bright, energetic atmosphere in the kitchen?
For a relaxing, serene space (like bedrooms or bathrooms), go for soft, cool tones such as pale blues, greens, or gentle neutrals. These colors promote tranquility and restfulness.
Warmer tones like yellows, oranges, and rich reds can energize a vibrant space (like a kitchen or living room). Bold accents in furniture or art can also introduce energy without overwhelming the space.
A well-balanced room combines warm and cool tones to create depth and interest. Our designers suggest using a dominant color for walls and larger pieces and then layering with complementary shades through furniture, rugs, and accessories.
Warm tones (reds, oranges, yellows) bring warmth and make a space feel cozier.
Cool tones (blues, greens, purples) create a calming, spacious feeling.
For example, pairing a cool-toned room with warm-toned accents—like a cool gray wall with burnt orange or terracotta decor—can strike the perfect balance.
When in doubt, turn to nature for color inspiration. Desert landscapes, for instance, offer a palette of soft beiges, warm rusts, and muted greens, perfect for creating an earthy, grounded feel. As an Arizona-based design firm, we often draw on the desert’s natural beauty, creating homes that reflect the surrounding environment.
Coastal homes often draw their color inspiration from the beach, using soft blues, sandy neutrals, and crisp whites to mirror the ocean, sky, and shoreline. These colors create a light, airy atmosphere that mirrors the serenityf the coast. Likewise, mountain homes take cues from the surrounding forests and rugged landscapes. Rich earthy tones like deep greens, browns, and warm wood shades reflect the mountains' trees, stone, and natural elements, creating a cozy, grounded feel similar to the environment. Both styles use nature as a guide to create spaces that feel connected to their surroundings.
To maintain cohesion throughout your home, choose a consistent color palette that flows from room to room. This doesn’t mean every room needs to be the same color, but there should be a unifying element—whether it’s similar undertones, complementary shades, or repeating accent colors.
One approach is to select a neutral base for most of your home and use accent colors to differentiate each space. For example, a soft beige or greige can serve as the base color for your living spaces, while varying accent shades like navy, emerald, or coral can add personality to individual rooms.
Lighting can dramatically change a color's appearance, so always test your choices in the actual space before fully committing. Paint swatches on different walls to see how natural and artificial light affect the color at various times of day. You might find that a color you love in the store looks entirely different in your home.
Our designers recommend selecting a few samples of your top choices and living with them for a few days. This ensures you love the color in all lighting conditions before deciding.
Your home’s current furniture, artwork, and decor play a significant role in determining the right color palette. If you’re working with pieces you already own, take note of the dominant colors and choose paint or accent colors that complement those elements. If you’re starting from scratch or doing a complete overhaul, you’ll have more freedom, but it’s still essential to consider how your new colors will interact with everything from couches to curtains.
Color trends come and go, but your home is a long-term investment. While it can be fun to incorporate trendy colors, choose shades you’ll enjoy living with for years to come. A trendy accent wall can be a fun addition, but the central colors of your home should align with your personal style and the overall mood you want to create.
Choosing the right colors for your home doesn’t have to be daunting. By considering the mood you want to create, balancing warm and cool tones, and using nature as inspiration, you can create a palette that brings beauty and harmony into your space. At Meg Behrens Design, we believe that a thoughtful color palette is crucial in making your home feel like a true reflection of you. Whether planning a full remodel or simply refreshing a room, we’re here to help you make the perfect choices for your space.