Home decorating guide

Freshen up your living spaces with color, smart display, and strategies for maximizing style

5 tastefully bright paint palettes

The secret to lively (yet livable) rooms: Team a bold paint with robust neutrals

Blue, gray and white room
Photo by Jeffery Cross, styling by Miranda Jones

Tips for getting started

Swatch-test colors before committing. Really. We mean it. Printed pages (even ours) and paint chips can vary from the actual paint color. Happily, you’ll now find many paints in inexpensive sample sizes.

Choose low- or no-VOC paints. In addition to the formulas available from eco-friendly brands, almost all paint makers now offer one or both of those options in all colors.

Use a tinted primer for dark and bright colors. Testing for this article turned us into believers; it greatly improves coverage. Ask the paint retailer for a custom mix compatible with your surfaces and paint.


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