If you follow design shows on TV or read design blogs (like this one), you’ll be familiar with the beloved “pop of color” used by designers.  The pop of color is that burst of accent color that adds life and energy to a design.  It can be a single color, contrasting colors, or multicolored. These pops are typically accent pieces and accessories.  Even a large piece of furniture in a color can be a pop of color if it is in a neutral space. More commonly the pop of color is something small that can easily be swapped out for another object, should the mood strike.

In this living room, predominate colors are neutral.  Neutral color upholstery on the chair, neutral wall colors, and the neutral carpet make for an almost monochromatic room. The dark brown TV stand/cabinet creates a focal point for the room.

While layers of tonal colors can feel sophisticated and chic, interest in this room comes from the small pops of color.  The purple accent pillow on the chair and area rug add a nice layer of color. The green and red bottles as décor on the TV stand/cabinet also add more depth.  Any of these colors can be swapped out and the effect would be the same.

Art on the wall introduces other colors to the room and becomes its’ own pop of color. The fact that the painting colors don’t perfectly match the other accent colors makes the combination more interesting and less matchy-matchy.