Our Favorite Color-Blocked Dècor Ideas for Your Home

Welcome to the block: If you're looking to reinvigorate a mostly neutral space, color-block pieces are the way to do it. There are so many ways to incorporate these two-, three-, or four-tone decorations (the more colors, the merrier!) into any room of your home, but a foolproof method is to use a multi-hued statement detail as a jumping off point, then integrate additional accents in corresponding colors throughout. The result? A bright setup that looks intentional, not overwhelming—and one that's sure to have the impact of a complete room overhaul, without the major work.

Looking for a good example of a color-blocked scene gone right? Take this neutral, but tonal nook, centered around a denim daybed that is as versatile as a good pair of jeans. Make it your own by topping it with dramatic colors to make a statement, or take Martha Stewart Living home editor Lorna Aragon's chic, laid-back approach with canvas pillows that solidify this palette of ocher, gray, white, and navy.

Bright and bold décor enthusiasts will find more room-by-room inspiration on the slides ahead, which set the scene with inspiring design vignettes—and then offer products to help you craft your own color-blocked space. And doing so might not be as costly as you'd think. Consider small ways of trying out the design trend, like popping a dynamic pillow onto your couch, adding a pink-and-gray vase to your coffee table, or stocking your desk with multicolored pencils that will make to-lists and work projects that much more fun.

Shop Now: Coterie Color-Blocked Pillows, from $53 each, coteriebrooklyn.com; H&M Home Solid-Colored Pillow Covers, $6 each, hm.com; Creative Candles Pillar Candles, from $18 each, creativecandles.com; March Splatterware Pasta Bowl, $55, marchsf.com.

To wake up wood-paneled walls, consider painting the lower two-thirds bright white or another contrasting color (and the floor as well, if your space allows). It's a clever sleight of hand that creates the look of beadboard, draws the eye upward, and makes small areas like a bathroom feel more spacious and airy; try it in a paneled basement, too. Then add tactile touches: Japanese-cotton towels in tonal grays and bold yellow—which always go well together, says Lorna—will pop against the pristine background and keep the mood clean and sunny.

Shop Now: Benjamin Moore Paint in Cloud White (on walls and floor), benjaminmoore.com; Rikumo Chambray Block Bath Towel in Yellow/Gray, $59, rikumo.com; Rikumo Hand Towel in Yellow/Gray, $21, rikumo.com; Rikumo Two-Tone Chambray Hand Towel in Black, $24, rikumo.com; Sawkille Bench, from $3,100, sawkille.com; Crate & Barrel Sutton Gunmetal Mirror with Shelf (similar to shown), $329, crateandbarrel.com; Schoolhouse Alabax Small Sconce in Black, $139, schoolhouse.com.

If you're starting with a blank canvas, a color-blocked item you love can inspire an entire room's palette. Or add a piece to a finished space to give it more visual interest, suggests Lorna. As long as one of the shades matches an existing element, like the walls or a sofa, it'll fit right in. A graphic rug or pillow (like this earth-toned option), for example, can enliven a neutral living room. 

Shop Now: CB2 "Pata" Pillow, $40, cb2.com.

A colorful, sculptural lamp—we're partial to this deep-teal-and-white two-tone option—doubles as modern art on an end table.

Shop Now: Jamie Young Copenhagen Table Lamp in White and Navy, $540, lampsplus.com.

Consider this print, which reimagines the colors you most often see at the seashore (from bright blue skies and rolling waves to white ocean foam and wispy clouds) in an abstract, color-blocked way, for your living room.

Shop Now: Amanda Phelps Calm at Sea Framed Print, 18" by 24", $197, minted.com.

This dimensional rug, which features a myriad of rich shades like cerulean and ochre, looks more like a mosaic than a floor covering.

Shop Now: Hanne Kortegaard for Linie Design Arguto Rug in Mosaic, from $995 for 5' by 8', dwr.com.

Add a few ranunculus (in more than one color, of course!) to these unique fluted vases for an extra dose of whimsy. 

Shop Now: Ichendorf Milano Bouquet Colore Vases in Smoke/Pink, $145, and Amber/Smoke, $125, hawkinsnewyork.com.

With a cream shearling base and emerald velvet back, this modern chair is as comfortable as it gets.

 Shop Now: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Poppy Chair, $1,675, mgbwhome.com.

Two-tone pencils will sharpen any workspace; these look particularly chic poking out of a monochrome holder for contrast.

Shop Now: Room Essentials Wooden Pencils, $3 for set of six, target.com.

Embrace the color-block trend in your laundry room, as well, thanks to this hamper, which goes from burgundy to neutral.

Shop Now: Makaua Hamper in Mora, $149, goodeeworld.com.