Photography by Megan Lorenz and Ashley Gieseking
Left: Jessie D. Miller Design Right: Amie Corley Interiors
Ask four interior designers how to add color to a space, and you’ll likely get four different answers.
Jessie Miller, of Jessie D. Miller Design, says the easiest way to bring a splash of vibrancy into a room is to introduce new throw pillows, books, or decorative objects to a coffee table or bookcase. When a client is unsure about what colors to use, Miller asks for a peek inside the closet for inspiration, she says: “You wear the colors you enjoy living in.”
Adding a pillow or two is the right choice for some homeowners, but it can come off as too tentative, says Amie Corley of Amie Corley Interiors. Dive in and change up the paint on the walls, she says; that’s a relatively inexpensive decision compared with the cost of installing wallpaper or upholstery. But, she cautions, it’s crucial to choose not just the right color but also the right tone. “That’s where people go wrong: forgetting that there will be so much of that color when you paint the walls. It needs to be toned down,” Corley says. “But when doing accents, you want to go brighter than you think, because there is going to be hardly any of it.”
Amy Studebaker, owner and principal designer at Amy Studebaker Design, loves to layer vibrant hues onto muted tones. She looks at the items that are already in the room. “If you have a favorite piece of art or [a] rug, something that you have already invested in,” she says, “start by pulling colors from the beloved pieces.”
Creative art director and designer Jenny B, of JIPSI Vintage Boho, takes a less traditional approach, incorporating unique vintage pieces into her projects, and doesn’t shy away from mixing colors, patterns, and finishes—or from using paint in unusual places. “The paint can go on the cabinets, furniture, walls, floors. I like to flipflop and do a neutral color on the trim and the walls,” she says. “Lighting is an easy way to add color. If you have a chandelier or hardware, make it pink or chartreuse. It really lifts the room.”
Corley loves to create monochromatic rooms that contrast different shades of a single color with one contrasting one. Miller and Studebaker tend to play with three or more hues, and Jenny B doesn’t limit her projects to just one palette.
“It doesn’t take much effort to look at elevated design,” Miller says. Her advice: Think of places that you like to spend time in when you travel. Then go from there.
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From L to R: Christian Lacroix, House of Hackney, Cold Picnic, Iksel
Favorite Colorful Wallpaper
Christian Lacroix | Prête-Moi Ta Plume Printemps
“It’s just a really large-scale organic pattern. The installation has a ton of movement to it, and it’s just beautiful.”
-Jessie Miller, Jessie D. Miller Design
House of Hackney | Emania Climbing Walls
“The Tourmaline colorway is fabulous! The layering of color and pattern is just beautiful. It will be making its way into a project that we have in the works in Palm Beach.”
-Amy Studebaker, Amy Studebaker Design
Cold Picnic | Disappearing Daffodil
“I’m into that craft paper color and then a vibrant fluorescent tone with it. I think it’s good for anyone who wants an avant-garde or nature-inspired look. It would be nice for a butler’s pantry or powder room.”
-Jenny B, JIPSI Vintage Boho
Iksel | D-Dream Multicolor
“I love it because it looks like something that you would have seen in a house a hundred years ago in Europe, but it’s reimagined for today’s homeowners with a bit more of a brighter palette.”
-Amie Corley, Amie Corley Interiors
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From L to R: Benjamin Moore, Raccoon Hollow, Sherwin-Williams, Greek Villa, Benjamin Moore, Swiss Coffee, Farrow & Ball, Wimborne White
Favorite Neutral Paint Color
Benjamin Moore | Raccoon Hollow
“It’s a wonderful change from the grays that we’ve seen for far too long. It works well with both cool and warm tones,” says Miller. “I’ve used it in probably three different bedrooms because it’s a relaxing, wonderful color, and it works in different applications.”
-Jessie Miller, Jessie D. Miller Design
Sherwin-Williams | Greek Villa
“It is the most fabulous white! It has a warm undertone that creates a soft and cozy feel without looking yellow. My entire home, inside and out, is painted in Greek Villa,” says Studebaker.
-Amy Studebaker, Amy Studebaker Design
Benjamin Moore | Swiss Coffee
“I’ve used Swiss Coffee on everything from cabinets to walls to trim to chandeliers,” says Jenny B. “It’s so transitional. It literally has four or five shades of white in it.”
-Jenny B, JIPSI Vintage Boho
Farrow & Ball | Wimborne White
“It looks great, and it’s got enough warmth to keep it from being too sterile and cold,” says Corley.
-Amie Corley, Amie Corley Interiors
