In interior design, fashion design and home accessories, one can create visual interest by using solid colours in either geometric or completely random patterns. Colour blocking is now an extremely popular choice for homeowners or interior designers who want to bring vibrancy into what might otherwise be a dull home.

Homeowners are beginning to discover that they can employ this technique in their own properties with only a small amount of know-how. Many would argue that colour-blocking is more suited to a contemporary environment; however it can still be used to bring vitality into a more traditional setting as well.

By using solid blocks of colour in either complimentary or contrasting colours, colour blocking is accomplished. The most obvious way of doing this is by painting the walls in blocks of colour, but DIY-ers can get off the ground by doing simpler things such as placing throw rugs of solid colour. Other ways to colour block include using fabrics, art and upholstery.

Paint

Squares, rectangles or circles of colour can be placed on neutral colours, or alternatively a coloured wall can be the backdrop for shapes of, again, contrasting or complimentary colours. Lines of colour are another option. Lines going from top to bottom make rooms seem taller, and lines going from side to side appear to widen rooms. Placed next to each other, lines of colour can follow either of these directions.

Solitary shapes of colour make a good background for art, whilst contrasting shapes placed near to each other work well on their own as a tool to grab attention. If shapes are of clashing colours, they work best on walls with neutral tones, and for a more completed look, bigger shapes of colour can be surrounded in neutral or contrasting tones. Using creativity and inventiveness can be useful, as long as proper forethought is used so as not to go over the top.

Open shelves provide a good opportunity to introduce a selection of contrasting colours in order to apply colour blocking, and kitchen tiles used next to the kitchen worktop as a backsplash is a common and simple way to execute colour blocking into the design of the room.

Fabrics and Upholstery

Fabrics are everywhere in the home, and most of the time there for completely practical reasons. Towels, flannels, cushions, furniture coverings, window coverings and wall hangings are all examples of fabrics around the home, which can incorporated in the colour blocking. Roller blinds are a good choice for window coverings, as are roller shades which come in many different tones, including bright and more neutral ones.  These kinds of blinds are very hard-wearing, and offer a choice between relatively thin fabrics that let in a lot of light, and thicker made material that is intended to keep the sunlight from getting in.

Headboards, though usually neglected when considering interior design in the bedroom, can be used with a similar or complimentary colour around the windows and colourful pillows on the bed to bring energy to the room. Some colourful accessories like a material lampshade and matching towels in the nearest bathroom will help you complete the look.

Art

Matching frames around block colours make an exciting display when hung on the same wall, and abstract art in frames that match a particular colour in the piece itself could be placed on a more contrasting wall.

From kitchens, to bedrooms, to the entire house, colour blocking is a simple but effective way to brighten up any home.