At Albertsson Hansen Interior Design, we often begin with a question that resonates with nearly every client…
“What makes a house feel like home?” One of the most revealing answers comes in the form of color. Yet, for many homeowners, color feels like a risk.
What if it overwhelms?
What if it goes out of style?
What if I get tired of it?
However, a truth we’ve discovered in our years of crafting timeless residential spaces is that when used with intention and care, color doesn’t detract from timelessness; it enhances it. It roots a home in joy, reflects the personalities who live there, and connects to the rhythms of daily life in a way that monochromatic schemes simply can’t.
So let’s talk about why you shouldn’t be afraid of color in your home, and how to use it well.
Why We Fear Color (And Why We Shouldn’t)
But your home isn’t meant to be a showroom, it’s meant to be a haven. Your haven. And your haven should reflect you. If you’re someone who feels joy in a deep cobalt blue, peace in sage green, or energy in a sun-soaked coral, why not invite those feelings into your daily life?
At its heart, color is personal. And personal is powerful.
The Myth of “Timeless” as Synonymous With Beige
We love a well-executed neutral palette, but timeless doesn’t have to mean beige or gray. Look to historic homes across the world: Mediterranean villas washed in ochre, English cottages with forest green trim, Parisian flats with dusty rose walls. These homes have stood for centuries and remain beautiful, not in spite of their color, but because of it.
Timelessness is about harmony, balance, and quality, designing a space that can evolve while retaining its soul. Color, when chosen with intention, adds to that soul. It invites the eye to linger, adds a sense of space, and makes a home memorable.
How to Start Small With Color
If you’re nervous, you don’t need to start with a bright yellow living room. Start where it feels approachable:
· Paint a powder room in a moody hue or cover the walls with an unexpected wallpaper. These smaller spaces are perfect playgrounds.
· Add colorful upholstery to a reading chair or breakfast nook bench.
· Layer in art, rugs, and textiles that introduce color in ways that can be changed seasonally or as your tastes shift.
· Try a bold front door, it’s a statement, and a welcome one.
The key is to use color as a layer, not a blanket. Let it add richness and contrast to an otherwise calm palette. You might be surprised at how those small doses give you the confidence to go further.
Give Yourself Permission
If there’s one takeaway we hope to leave you with, it’s this: you don’t have to earn the right to use color. You don’t need to be a designer. You don’t need a “perfect” eye. You just need to start with what you love.
Designing a home is an act of storytelling. And color is one of the richest tools in that story. So go ahead and hang the pink curtains, paint your door red, choose that green tile. Your home is a canvas, and you are the artist.