How to ADD color to a Beige Room.
Did you read my March 16, 2011 post titled When decorating a Beige Room, think Tones, Textures and Sculptural Interest? If after reading that, you still want to add some extra color, to your beige space, I have a few suggestions.
First of all, I want you to keep ALL of your beige furniture. It will be your room’s foundation. What I am suggesting is to color it up with some new accessories.
Look at the color samples across the bottom of the illustration. The strip of beige tones, represents many shades of beige that could be used in a room. The blocks of color below it are Jewel Toned Colors, that could be added to an already beige room, and would work well. You can find things that are in any one of the solid jewel colors, or you could find things that are a combination of the jewel color and beige.
Besides the jewel tones shown on the illustration, you could also introduce Black or White, as other accent colors for the room. Black would be super dramatic and sophisticated, when combined with beige. White would suggest a nautical feel.
You can also pick and work with any two of the accent colors. By two, I mean things that incorporate two accent colors and beige, as the colors that make up, for example, a pillow or rug. Navy, Beige and Dark Red are one combination, Rust, Beige and Plum are another. A third combination could be Plum, Beige and Green, a fourth Navy, Beige and Green. The jewel tones that I picked are just a starting point. You might be attracted to a beautiful Pumpkin or Peacock Blue. You might spot a pillow, throw, or rug in some wonderful color-ways that incorporated beige in it, and that will be your Starting Point-Color Inspiration Piece and everything will go from there.
Now that I have covered color a bit, you have to work with it in the room. First add your new accent color(s) as pillows on the sofa and a throw on a chair. Second find vases in your new color(s) and put them on your fireplace mantle. Third get a wonderful ceramic dish or wood or metal tray in that color, and put it on the coffee table. Fourth find vases, decorative boxes, knickknacks, even book dust jackets in the color(s), and put them on shelves. Fifth lay an area rug on an already existing carpet, in front of the sofa in the new color(s) to move the new color(s) around even more. Sixth get new drapes, or add some decorative ribbon, or trim to the inside edge of already existing beige one. Seventh add even more of the new color to your room through paintings, prints and drawings that have the color(s) in them. I suggest that you try to incorporate some, or most of the seven steps to work the color around your space, to tie it together.
When going shopping for new accessories to add to your beige room, bring samples of things you already have. Bring a pillow from a sofa, cushion from a chair, an arm protector, piece of carpeting, and wallpaper or paint color samples. These are all parts of your decorating puzzle. Lay them out and see if they look good with the new color and texture of the accessories, you are thinking of adding. A lot of the time, a new piece might be the right color, BUT the texture would not work with what you already have.
Finally look at the illustration. Study how I worked the accent colors around the space. What I did, follows the Seven steps just provided. Follow them, and you will have a successful room.
Companion Posts …
When Decorating a Beige Room, think Tones, Textures and Sculptural Interest 3-16-2011,
Arranging your Decorative Accessories (Knickknacks and Collectables) 6-7-2011,
A Bridge unites a Tablescape and Wall Decor 6-10-2011,
How to Pick the Perfect GRAY PAINT..A Popular Color Choice of the Moment 2-15-2014,
Pick (Use) Four colors when Decorating a Room 3-7-2011,
Paint a Room a Dark Color then ADD Light Accents 3-27-2011,
Accent Walls..Some Ideas for Painting or Wallpapering an Accent Wall in Your Home 10-29-2013,
Picking a Color for your Front Door 1-17-2012,
It’s Easy to Paint Horizontal Stripes on a Wall, Step by Step Instructions 11-8-2013,
Picking the Right paint colors to go with the Wood in your home..Color Theory 3-9-2013,
The Right height of a Table Lamp for your End Table 5-19-2011,
The Right way to hang Curtains and Drapes 5-3-2011,
Looking at Patterns used on Upholstery Fabric, Drapes, Wallpaper and Carpeting 3-10-2012.
Fred Gonsowski Garden Home 
Hi Fred,
I love your blog. Thank you for your useful and detailed articles. I have been enjoying reading them and looking at your drawings. I am redecorating my living room and was looking for some direction. I had dark wallpapered walls and dark drapes. Now I have light walls and I was looking for something to balance the dark wood furniture with the light flowered sofas. I am interested in a more light romantic feel, but haven’t found the right accepts and color. Parts of the room works – near the fireplace but not other parts. Do you have any suggestions? Also wondering if you could post pictures of the paintings you used to do on the closet doors and room doors?
Eva
Hi there Eva, I hope all is well with you and you family. Here is a list of posts that I think might inspire you. Interior decorating is all about Equal Balance, Pick (Use) four colors when decorating a room, Paint a room a Dark Color, then add light accents, Mixing and Matching Fabric and Wallpaper Patterns, Arranging Living Room Furniture so Sofas talk to chairs, Arranging furniture TWELVE different ways in the same room, It’s Easy to decorate a Room with a Tall / High Ceiling.
Look at the Categories on the Right side of the screen: all the interior decorating topics I’ve written about are in there under Interior Decorating Principles. At the end of the first page, look for the word older posts and click on that, more articles will come up.
Maybe down the line I will show the painted doors, but not yet ;-}