City living is exciting and energetic, with non-stop change and growth. But surrounded by large concrete buildings and never-ending bitumen roads, it can sometimes feel a little grey.
Adding colour to your apartment that fits in with your existing decor style and brings a point of contrast can help make your living space feel more homely – and more like you. That’s especially so if you’re contrasting against neutral tones, or renting with limited scope on what large-scale interior changes you’re able to make, if any at all.
Luckily, a handful of push pins and sticky-back hooks can make all the difference. If you’re looking for idea inspiration, we can help! Below, we’ve listed 7 ways you can add a little (or a lot) of colour to your home in your inner-city Melbourne apartment.
1. Feature artwork
Displaying artwork is a great way to express your style, and an opportunity to bring colour into your home. Choosing art suited to your space and budget is essential. Wall art prints in Australia are readily accessible online, with many sizing options from both famous and lesser-known artists that can provide an affordable way to add some artistic beauty.
For expansive blank white walls, an extra large artwork draws the eye to a central point and infuses the room with colour. Alternatively, a display of smaller prints, original art and photos in neutral tones with brightly coloured frames allows diversity. They’re also easily interchangeable if you feel like swapping something out.
2. Stand out furniture
Investing in coloured furniture is a practical way to add colour to your apartment and can inform the style of your other decorative pieces. Decide which area of your home needs a point of interest and install furniture that draws the eye there.
Think about how the colours you pick will inform the atmosphere of each room. Bright tones like pinks, oranges and yellows evoke energy, happiness and fun, whereas cool blues, greens and purples have a calming, restful effect.
3. Vibrant textiles & textures
Texture and textiles in the form of throws, cushions and bed covers can be used as a pop of colour amongst more neutral shades in your apartment. Whether you’re after subtle hints or bold statements, the diversity and colour range of home textiles make them the perfect prop.
For more subdued colour, opt for patterned textiles that feature neutral tones too. Larger textiles such as curtains, blankets and rugs also work well in more toned-down shades: the textured fabric enhances the colour without being overpowering.
Bold colours and patterns can also draw attention away from damaged, old or dirty furniture.
4. Colourful flooring
Apartment flooring is generally an unobtrusive neutral shade, a perfect canvas for adding colour to a room. Floor rugs can provide a grounded focal point, and bring together the design elements of the furniture, decor and fittings of a room.
Rugs come with added bonuses. They protect floors, provide insulation and warmth, and muffle noise from your neighbours. The positioning of a rug is also important to get right… and they don’t always need to be in the centre of a room!
5. Indoor plants & flowers
Whether you have a green thumb or kill plants just by looking at them, bringing nature into your home adds effortless colour and style.
You wouldn’t be alone in thinking houseplants only come in shades of green, but that’s not the case. Leaves grow in mixes of pinks, purples, greys to name just a few. For flowering plants, you have even more colours available to brighten up a drab Melbourne day.
These days, artificial flowers and plants look incredibly realistic – and they’ll never wilt and die! They are much easier to care for and you may be more likely to find the specific tones or variations that fit your interior design. So don’t rule them out, especially for rooms with no natural light.
6. Styled ornaments
Ornaments are objects designed to enhance the beauty of a space, and they don’t always need to have a function, other than to bring aesthetic joy.
Lamps, vases, statues, clocks, stools and bookends can all be a means to add or enhance colour and texture in your home. They also give your home a personal touch, providing comfort and peace when you’re unwinding from a long day.
Whether you have treasured items already to display, or you rootle through flea markets and thrift shops to find objects that suit your interior style, ornamental décor is a surefire way to add colour and interest to your home.
7. Feature walls
Creating a feature wall can be achieved by painting, wallpapering, panelling, tiling or adhering fabric to one of the walls in a room. Designed to stand out, feature walls bring a splash of colour without making a room feel overbearing.
Modern interior design regularly incorporates painted or raw timber beading, in linear or geometric patterns. Wallpaper can be plain, textured, patterned, and even serve as an art piece. The same goes for fabric, which has the added bonus of generally being much cheaper.
Renting an apartment limits the possibility of creating a feature wall. However, many wallpaper suppliers now make renter-friendly wallpaper which is self-adhesive and easily removable.
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Adding a pop of colour to your apartment can be simple. Some changes, like incorporating art prints or ornaments are quick and easy, while others require a bit more thought and effort. However you decide to add colour, doing so will undoubtedly add a unique touch to your abode, and make your inner-city apartment feel one step closer to your dream home.
