Are You Afraid of Color? | Color School

Have you ever been stopped in your Pinterest scroll by a colorful interior and thought, "I absolutely love this," followed by, "I could never"? Well, you're in the right place and not alone. Welcome to your first day of Color School, a series of mini-lessons designed to help you embrace color fearlessly into your home. If you want to follow along over the next three weeks and receive exclusive bonus content and tips directly to your inbox, sign up below!

While I've never been known to paint my walls in a security blanket of white, I've seen this whitewash trend sweep the internet in the last ten years. It's only a matter of time before the pendulum naturally swings the other way, and within the last few years, more and more people are incorporating color back into their homes through paint, wallpaper, furniture, decor, art... I couldn't be more thrilled about it! For over 14 years, Chris and I have been using our homes as our renovation playgrounds, and I've experimented with every color of the rainbow. I've had ups and downs, but through it all, I've learned a thing or two about incorporating color into my home more fearlessly.

Exhibit A

Shop the music room

Exhibit B

Shop the study

Exhibit C

Shop the living room

Are white walls out of style?

I'm certainly not anti-white-walls, nor am I a stranger to them. But did we go overboard with white? This Apartment Therapy article from 2017 suggests that more people were painting their walls white to achieve some sort of Instagram aesthetic. I'll admit, white walls are pretty photogenic, and in a world of content creation and documenting our lives on social media, that may have contributed to how we wound up in an epidemic of white backdrops walls.

Globe Pendants

And what happens when you, your neighbors, and seemingly everyone you follow on social media have a houseful of white walls? Well, it eventually gets boring.

Shop the living room

All that being said, I don't think white walls are leaving us anytime soon, nor do I think they should. White is such a classic, simple, effortless way to make a space feel bright and airy, but when you douse the whole house in white, it's bound to feel redundant. There's a time and place for white (which we'll get into in another lesson), but it's time to make your home a reflection of you rather than playing it safe.

What if I don't like color?

I have good news for the color-adverse: You don't have to like color! We all have our preferences, and it's totally fine by me if you naturally gravitate toward neutrals. Embracing color in your home isn't about forcing you to like something you don't. Rather, it's a challenge to push the limits of creativity, fun, and self-exploration by inviting more color in. As Natasha Bedingfield would say, "Release your inhibitions!"

Shop the dining room

Even if you're not a huge fan of color, I would argue that there's color in everything! This seemingly monochromatic dining room, for example, is a balance of cool blue grays and warm woods, which was completely intentional, by the way. So whether you're a skeptic, afraid, or simply don't know where to start, we're here to help.

Where to start?

Shop the bonus room

In the upcoming lessons, we'll be guiding you through the following:

• color theory to help you feel more empowered to make informed decisions
• tips on intentionally using color in your home
• psychology and history of color
• teach you how to design a whole home color palette
• embracing your own authentic home style through color

If you want actionable steps, accountability, and bonus content, follow along with the email course!

One of the best ways to get over your fears is through a little exposure therapy. While I'm no psychologist, one way to inspire some more color into your life is by flipping through pretty interior photos. I have a growing collection of coffee table books I look to for inspiration and they double as home decor! Here are some of my favorites to get you started.

Coffee Table Books

1. British Designers at Home $36
2. Charm School $42
3. Sophisticated Simplicity $60
4. The Most Beautiful Rooms in the World $65
5. Down to Earth $29
6. The Joy of Home $37
7. The Beauty of Home $33
8. The Nature of Home: Creating Timeless Houses $57
9. The Finer Things $37
10. S is for Style $75
11. Poetry of Place $55
12. A Tale of Interiors $45