The Best Ways to Add Character to a Room

One of the great joys of finally owning a home or other property of your own is being able to do whatever you want with it from a creative perspective. That is something that is simply not within the realm of possibility if you are stuck renting and tossing good money after bad. With your own property, however, you can add character to each room until the whole home takes on different aspects of your personality.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five great decorating ideas you can unleash to bring the power in any room.

1. Accent Walls

One of the best ways of adding character to a room is giving yourself a whole wall to act as your canvas on which to express yourself. An accent wall allows you to explore more experimental painting prospects without the cost or burden of having to paint an entire room or home that way.

This can be a fantastic way to unleash some Jackson Pollock-esque dribs and drabs of tastefully-splattered paint over drywall or brick to give your home a more bohemian look.

Conversely, you can also consider designating a single wall in a room to be painted a different color than the rest so as to introduce a bit of variety.

2. Carpeting and Hardwood-Paint Combos

When it comes to selecting decorating ideas for rooms, the significance of your flooring should not be taken for granted. You don’t want your paint colors and carpeting or hardwood flooring to clash.

Brighter flooring goes well with light paint tones, while darker floors go well with bright yet slightly darkened options.

Middle-ground options offer the best of both worlds and thus the most freedom when painting. If you’re looking to use reds, blues, greens, and other vivid primary and secondary colors, medium-bright floors may be your best bet.

3. Consider Your Lighting

What type of lighting will be present in this space?

For example, different kinds of grey will look different in natural versus artificial light, so you need to consider that when choosing which hue to choose.

You don’t want your painting choice undone by bad lighting, so make sure you consider that before buying buckets of your favorite color.

4. Au Naturel

Lighter blues and greens go wonderfully with natural lighting, as do beiges and creams. All of these colors are quite natural, and can help rooms feel so as well. For example, sea blues and sandy-beige whites can be great for creating a beachy atmosphere.

5. Be Electric

Walt Whitman famously declared “I Sing the Body Electric,” and while he probably wasn’t talking about wall paint and décor choices at the time, you can electrify your interior decorating in your own way with electrically-bright tones. 

Think bright neon blues and greens here. Painting whole rooms these colors can be a bit overwhelming, but in smaller doses they can jolt someone into appreciating the space anew. For example, putting a bit of neon green in family rooms can make them appear all the more vibrant and modern.

All of these choices can bring some vibrancy and variation back into your interior decorating.