We spoke with five design industry pros who shared why color is so important in interiors and how (and when!) to use it.

RICHARD SMITH, Madeaux

"Colour is fundamental to any room — a dark space for evening use suits jewel like tones, a bright and light room tends to work well with a pale colour palette, perhaps punctuated with a shot of an accent colour. For example, an emerald green decorative tape along the leading edge of a plain cream curtain would both bring the outside in as well as give a refined edge to a decorative scheme."

EUGENIA SOTO, Frederic Magazine

“Color, like many things, is best when it’s balanced. Some of the greatest colorful interiors
feel simultaneously harmonious and filled with tension."

KATE RHEINSTEIN BRODSKY, KRB

“Color in interiors is like punctuation marks in a sentence—it helps provide visual structure, clarity, and emphasis. Sometimes you need a period and sometimes you need an exclamation point!”

CELERIE KEMBLE Kemble Interiors

“I tend to be very bold where color is concerned — it is a principal ingredient in making a home distinctive and personal. I think it is one of the most emotive ingredients in a well-layered room. As a DJ needs beat and a chef flavor, what is a designer without color?”

KATIE RIDDER Katie Ridder Inc.

“I love using color for all sorts of reasons. It can be a more dramatic backdrop for art and neutral furnishings… I also think color blocking is always interesting in a room. Color is candy for the eyes.”

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