A little paint can go a long way when revamping a dated room. But before you slather a fresh coat of neutral paint on your walls, take a moment to consider all the cool but unconventional ways you can paint a space to make it look more modern.
Not sure what we mean? We rounded up some contemporary paint ideas that are every bit as eye-catching as they are DIY-able. From brightly colored kitchen islands to scalloped wall designs and more, here are 15 ways to use paint to make a statement in your home.
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1. Paint a Colorful Kitchen Island
Big fan of crisp white rooms but still itching to play with some bright color in your kitchen? Try painting your kitchen island in a bold color — like the rich blue shade that Studio McGee used in its Calabasas, California remodel — to integrate a surprising hue into the space.
2. Color Block Your Walls
Dreaming of a colorful living room, but can't commit to painting the whole space? Use painter's tape to color block squares or stripes on your walls and turn your humdrum living room into a vibrant and artful scene, like Annie Sloan did using pink, red, and orange Chalk Paint.
3. Paint Your Ceiling a Bright Shade
Want to make a colorful statement in your bedroom without completely overwhelming the rest of the space? Take a cue from Cortney Bishop and paint your ceiling in a daring shade that draws from the colors of decor accents in the room.
4. Dress Up an Archway
If you've got an archway or an open frame dividing two spaces, consider giving that inside strip a pop of color. Or, continue the color from one room on the arch, as seen at The Courts, a hip new California desert retreat.
5. Combine a Stark White Space With Unexpected Combos
Let this hallway serve as a roadmap for creating a truly edgy scene. Think about unexpected color combos you can bring to a hall's trim, doorways, and floors.
6. Paint a Faux Finish
A good faux finish is a goof-proof way to add visual interest to just about any area of your home. Take a cue from Becca Interiors and paint a faux leather finish on the insides of your built-ins to create textural contrast in a uniformly painted room.
7. Paint Your Cabinet Facades
Searching for an easy way to update your kitchen without having to call a contractor? Simply paint your cabinet fronts in an unexpected shade, like the blush pink Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY used in her own home, to liven up your kitchen in a pinch — no assistance necessary.
8. Got Beams? Make Them Stand Out
When looking to add colorful whimsy to your home, it can help to take into consideration your home's existing architectural details — things like baseboards, trim, and even beams.
9. Give Your Medicine Cabinet a Surprising Pop
We know: Once you start painting, it's hard to stop. If you're itching for an easy weekend project, try painting the inside of your bathroom medicine cabinet.
10. Paint Accent Pieces
Painted furnishings are a stylish way to experiment with contrast in an already colorful space. Offset eye-catching colored walls with a boldly painted chair or shelving to create a bright and eclectic scene, like we saw in deVOL's New York City showroom.
11. Contrast Your Door and Wall Colors
There's the age-old trick of painting your doors, but we think you should take it one step further: Go wild with your wall color, then make your doors even more attractive, as seen in this colorful London townhouse.
12. Paint a Scalloped Edge
The only thing more stunning than a two-toned wall is one with a hand-painted edge. Follow in the footsteps of Brepurposed and use a scallop stencil to paint the bottom half of a bedroom wall in a daring paint color, and keep the top half white to balance it out.
13. Match Your Tile Color to Your Paint
Most of the time, when installing a tile kitchen or bathroom backsplash, folks tend to focus on color in the tile and stick to a more neutral paint on the wall. Instead, go monochrome by asking your paint specialist to match the hue of your selected tile.
14. Create a Statement Wall
Never underestimate the impact of a striking statement wall. Whether you opt for a dramatic hue like red or fuchsia or a dark and moody shade of green, like Dream Green DIY, a single feature wall brings a pop of color and personality to a neutral space — without you having to paint an entire room.
15. Create an Unexpected Contrast
You can always count on a commanding color of wall paint to turn a sparsely decorated room into a swanky scene. If you're worried about overdoing it, balance out boldly painted walls with a more basic door or trim color (like black, white, cream, etc.), just like we saw in the Chiselhurst Avenue project by Sklar Design.