Important Tips For Working With Color From An Interior Designer
Who says bright hues should be reserved for play areas?

Be it for outfits, makeup or interior design, pairing and mixing colors can be very tricky. While monochromatic homes are stunning, skipping on bright hues means you'll be missing out on breathing life into your space! To help you out, interior designer Tito Villanueva gives tips for decorating a home outside the basic palette of neutrals and whites. Check them out below:
1. Echo a strong color.
"I can paint an entire wall in navy blue, and everying else is just off-white. That navy blue can be the accent wall, but at the same time, I can change a countertop to blue marble, so that picks it up." Simply put, it is like choosing the theme for your home—pick something that you wouldn't mind seeing all over your space.
2. Choose colors you can live with.
"I've experienced doing a house where we had an argument because the client went to a bar and saw violet, yellow, and red walls—three or four different colors. She said, 'Oh, I love those colors! I want that in my kitchen!' I discouraged it because you go to a bar once a week maybe, you stay there for a few hours—but, you don't live in it. But she insisted, pinagawa. Wala pang two months, she called me to have it repainted." As much as possible, you should stick to softer and more relaxing colors since you're going to see these hues almost 24/7. If you're really set on using neon-like shades, at least try and balance the look by using it sparingly.
3. Don't be afraid to mix colors with patterns.
"There are clients who question sometimes, "Bagay ba yang stripes sa floral [or bright colors]? When you think about it, if you can wear it as an outfit, it can work [in your home], too. When you look at the colors, at least dapat coordinated." Apart from painting your walls, experimenting with colors and patterns isn't that hard! Feel free to switch up your pillowcases, throws and carpets anytime you want to freshen up your space.
These tips originally appeared in the July 2017 issue of Real Living Magazine. Main photo by HOMEINFO.