Myth & Matter: Pop of Color

Oct 8

From Pop to Explosion (or somewhere in between)

If there’s one phrase I never want to hear again in my life, it’s “pop of color.” And don’t get me wrong, I’m all about color, and I am so guilty of using this phrase when trying to express the need for an infusion of visual interest.

What’s gotten lost though is any sort of intention or meaning behind it. The phrase went mainstream if I remember correctly back in the days of Trading Spaces- do you guys remember that show?! Heinous. I love it.

The phrase “pop of color” has been distilled down to just that – a random burst of a color to add… something…. to a room of otherwise bland-ass neutrals.

Again, I’m not shaming the practice, rather, I’m asking for us to treat our color curation with a little more intention. Not only will doing so make our space look and feel more cohesive, but it allows for us to meaningfully style rather than throwing spaghetti at the wall just for a little sauce.

Ask yourself:

Why are you choosing that “pop” of color and what are you expecting it to do?
Are you looking for an infusion of energy? A wash of soothing relaxation? An explosion of vibrance?
How can you take that little bitty pop and turn up the volume?

From Pop to Show-Stop

One way you can get more intentional about your color infusions is to repeat them 3 or more times throughout the room – in pattern, art, fabric, etc. This takes a random pop to an intentional infusion.

You can also create layered depth by using the 3-Shades method. You take your “pop” color, let’s say, green, and repeat it using 3 shades: light, medium and dark.

For example: sage curtains, a deep forest rug and a smokey sage green throw blanket. Something as simple as layering tones will make your home look truly styled, more casual and less forced.

To be clear, there are no hard rules, so if a pop of color calls to your heart, I’ll always support you.

However, if you’re looking to dial up your style and create a more intentional-looking space, digging a bit below the surface is the first step.

I walk through color curation in my Home Alchemy Manual: The Foundry Formula. It’s a $27 guidebook that walks you through color curation and beyond. You can get it here.

If you think you need more hands-on support, I’d love to chat about your ideas and roadblocks. You can contact me here for a free consultation to discuss your custom Foundry Formula guidebook.