What is colour blocking?

Whether you're designing your bedroom or your living room, it's important to make sure your renovation is stylish, bold, and tasteful. One popular interior design trend is colour blocking. When you use colour blocking techniques in your home, you can create a welcoming atmosphere for you and your guests. Let's discuss more about colour blocking; by the end, you'll know what colour blocking is and how to do it well.

What is Colour Blocking?

Colour blocking refers to the process of painting a room with two (or three or four or more) bright colours. You might paint one wall pink and another wall green. Or you might paint one wall orange, another wall pink, and another wall blue. Whatever combination you choose, and wherever you choose to paint each colour, colour blocking requires you to use several different bold paint colours in a space.

Principles of Colour Blocking

When it comes to colour blocking, you need to be creative; so if you're not willing to take risks, it's not the design choice for you. It's always a good idea to be smart with the colours you choose, though. Whether you choose a monochromatic palate (use many shades of purple, for example) or you use analogous colours (green, blue, and yellow, for example), your colours need to go with each other. To find the right colours for your space, think about what mood you want to set in the room. If you need help figuring out paint colours, check out this information about paint colours.

Practical Tips for Getting Started with Colour Blocking

You don't have to be a professional painter to achieve a colour-blocked room. All you have to do is follow some of these simple tips. For one, don't be afraid of the painter's tape. It's always best to use a lot of tape, so that you don't make mistakes when painting. Moreover, be sure to follow all the proper steps for painting a wall—an in-depth, helpful guide can be found, here.

Colour Blocking Examples

Now that we've been over a basic introduction to colour blocking, it's time for the fun part. Let's discuss a few creative ways you can implement colour blocking into your home that goes beyond simply having a statement wall or two. You could paint bright murals in your home, create a 'statement ceiling,' paint your staircase with different colours on each stair, paint each pillar in your home—if you have them—a bright colour, paint doors and door trim a different colour than your walls, and so much more. The possibilities are truly endless.

Colour Blocking: How to Make It Work in the Home

If you're unfamiliar with colour blocking, you might initially have reservations about its boldness. However, in practice, a colour-blocked room does not overwhelm or come across as excessively bold. Keep in mind that you can use decorations to make your colour-blocked rooms even more cohesive. With the help of artwork, cushions and textiles, and furniture, you can tie your space together. A well-designed colour-blocked room will be tasteful—but still incredibly creative. The perfect combination.

Get Creative and Try Colour Blocking

Our homes are our happy places. We spend each day in our homes, so why settle for an environment that's less than perfect? When you experiment with colour blocking, you can let your creativity run wild, and you'll surely end up with a beautiful home that you truly love. For more information about decorating and painting, visit our decorating category.