March 19, 2014

Teal: Make It An Accent

Heidi Milton

I’ve long had a love affair with saturated color.  And in fact, for years the walls of my home were painted in bold colors that I love… eggplant in my home office, deep sage green in my dining room, pepper red in the powder room… you get the idea.   As the years have gone by those colors have over time been replaced by grays and creamier neutrals.  But I still find myself in awe of interiors with bold colors on the walls;  last summer I showcased here some amazing teal interiors that illustrate perfectly how to manage all that color.  And a quick search on Pinterest will show you even more.

Teal bathroom inspiration. I love teal its classy and looks good with almost anything! #TealLover
Found on myhomelookbook.com
Design Crisis'  Teal Room Tour  IMG_2921
Found on design-crisis.com

The truth is that as beautiful as teal is, with its gradations of deep blues and greens, most of us probably couldn’t live with that level of color saturation for long.  I know I couldn’t.  But should we abandon ship on our favorite bold colors in decor?   Never.  Just use them as an accent color instead.

Like on a perfectly placed arm chair…

Check out this item at One Kings Lane! Lindsey Chair, Teal
Found on onekingslane.com

A revived antique piece…

Chippy Teal Dresser at Create Inspire -- I like the idea of painting over the place for the mirror (or the mirror!) with chalkboard paint.
Found on diyshowoff.com

A welcoming front door…

Great picture and love the colors on this Creole cottage.  "Shutters on the door. New Orleans" by gcl1964, via Flickr
Found on flickr.com

Or a gorgeous throw pillow or two…

Belgium Cotton Velvet Pillow
Found on etsy.com

A beautiful rug to anchor your space

11748 416 060096_rm (2)
Strata Teal Forest Suzani Rug

Or paint the risers on your stairs… LOVE this idea!

Looks like Heinz to Me!!!
Via LaineAlee

And I’ll let you in on a little secret I use to update pieces with bold color choices.

Are you ready?

teal spray paint

Check out this thrift store lamp with a damaged brass finish…

teal lamp before

A couple of coats of spray paint later and…

teal remade lamp

Notice how a fresh color and an updated shade made that tired lamp new again!  Introducing bold colors like this teal into your decor doesn’t have to be intimidating… accents are the perfect solution!  If you end up not liking it, you’ve not invested a lot of money or time, so it’s simple to change.

Would you give teal a try in your home?  What accent would you choose to add teal to your decor?

See more of my home decor DIYs and decorating tips at Decor & More.

 

Comments 1

  • In my part of the country, winter is still wild and white. Your article is a help in getting through! Great post.

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