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ROOM IDEAS > COLOR INSPIRATION
20 Rooms That
Make a Strong Case
for Monochromatic
Color Schemes
The epitome of cool, easy decorating.
BY HADLEY MENDELSOHN
PUBLISHED: OCT 8, 2022
SAVE ARTICLE
OSKLO STUDIO
When you have a favorite color, decorating
a room (or even a whole home), is
infinitely easier. Why force yourself to
branch out when a room dipped in a single
color is visually captivating and very, very
chic? Sure, variation is important, but you
can inject personality and intrigue with
textural contrast and tonal nuances. And
aside from looking stylish, going
monochrome makes it infinitely easier to
come up with a color scheme, thus making
the entire design process much less
stressful. To give you a taste of the trend's
beguiling effect, we rounded up nineteen
monochromatic rooms, from neutral to
vibrant, minimalist to maximalist, and
everything in between. So keep reading for
designer spaces that'll inspire you to
commit to a monochromatic color scheme
and never look back.
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Explore Our Collection
The White Teak Company
1
Clay Tones
PHILLIP NGUYEN
French & French Interiors gave this adobe revival
home a fitting monochromatic color scheme of
terra cotta, deep brown, cinnamon red, and clay
for a rich and earthy atmosphere.
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2
Soft Blue
BARRY DIXON
Everything in this soothing sitting room designed
by Barry Dixon is cast in a heavenly glow, thanks
to the soft sky blue paint color. It brings out the
blues in the chrome, glass, and mirrored accents,
while also cooling off the wood frames of the
armchairs.
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3
Leather Yellow
ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Every day is sunny in this bedroom designed by
Anik Pearson. Babouche by Farrow & Ball, a yellow
paint color that's both intense and mellow at once,
is largely to thank.
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4
Cream Variations
KEVIN SCOTT
Designed by Studio Diaa, this open-concept room
is light and airy. Whitewashed oak wood flooring
pairs with white pine tongue & groove walls and
sheer curtains for a minimalist and monochromatic
base.
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5
Bubblegum and
Mauve
THIJS DE LEEUW/SPACE CONTENT/LIVING INSIDE
In the Amsterdam home of actor Carice van
Houten, designer Nicole Dohmen of Atelier ND
was tasked with incorporating pink—and lots of it.
She introduced a ruddy mauve tone and blonde
wood flooring with matching chair frames to bring
in just a touch of contrast.
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6
Moody Nuetrals
OSKLO STUDIO
If you think crisp, all-white interiors look too stark
but still like the look and feel of light neutrals, opt
for warm oat-y creams or layers of soft, smokey
grays. The results are edgy and industrial yet
gentle and understated. Antique furnishings and
classic moldings will also ensure that it feels
timeless instead of overtly modern, as exemplified
by this space designed by Osklo Studio.
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7
Mint Green and
Teal
WILLIAM ABRANOWICZ
Mint green and teal steal the show in Sean
Scherer's antique-filled living room. "We have six
months of winter up here," he says, of his Upstate
New York home, and "bright colors are a way to
warm up your spirit." This color scheme does the
trick.
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8
Chocolate Brown
LESLEY UNRUH
Chocolate brown takes the cake in this dining
room designed CeCe Barfield Thompson. High
gloss walls in Benjamin Moore's Van Buren Brown
and a coordinating Schumacher fabric set a
sophisticated scene.
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9
Pinks, Creams, and
a Touch of Red
HB
While some monochromatic color schemes mean
dipping everything in the exact same color, it can
also be achieved by using varying tones within the
same color family. For example, in this living room
nook designed by Janie Molster, we see splashes of
magenta and bubblegum pink in the carpet, a
background of high gloss salmon on the wall, and
bold lipstick red stripes in the settee. The creamy
white details throughout create both contrast and
consistency.
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10
Periwinkle
Squared
CROSBY STUDIOS
Periwinkle, everything. In this space designed by
Crosby Studio, the calming, powdery blue hue
stains every inch, from the curtains to the trims,
ceilings, furniture, and counters. There's
something undeniable modern about using one
specific color, and a pastel or neon shade delivers a
great sense of bold quirkiness that doesn't take
itself too seriously.
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11
Black With
Splashes of Brown
and Gold
FARROW & BALL
Contrary to popular belief, painting your walls an
inky black hue won't necessarily make it feel
smaller. Indeed, it usually has the opposite effect,
making it feel larger. Here, the soft black paint
makes it feel special and intimate in ways you'd
never be able to achieve with a lighter hue (this
specific shade is Farrow & Ball Railings No. 31).
The charcoal bedding and velvet pillows along
with the black painted picture frame, door, and
bed frame contribute to the black-out effect while
the bronze accents and wooden furniture brings in
just a touch of contrast. The eclectic non-black
pieces also assert a more lived-in, homey feel.
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12
Cheerful Yellow
and Mellow Gray
HB
From the cheery yellow stripes on the ceiling to
the marigold coverlet and the buttercream and
amber throw pillows, this room designed by Juan
Carretero is a successful experiment in tonal
decorating with the sunniest color of the rainbow.
And while it's the sunniest, it isn't necessarily the
easiest to match with in interiors. When in doubt,
pair it with gray. Here, the gray touches cool things
down without taking away from the all-yellow
bliss.
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13
Bright White and
Silver
STUDIO RAZAVI
All white interiors have infinite iterations, from the
bohemian, texture-rich end of the spectrum to
classic, coastal spins on the trend. And then there's
this ultra-modern take by Studio Razavi, which
punctuates white pieces with icy metallic accents.
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14
Pale Pink and
Cream
GTR ARCHITECTS
A light, delicate pink that provides just a touch of
oomph looks undeniably stylish when paired with
more modern, streamlined, and geometric pieces.
In this kitchen designed by GRT Architects, the
clean linear cabinetry and island complement the
tonal palette in unexpected ways. It feels fresh and
modern while the pink color makes it feel open
and bright.
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15
White, Blue, and
Everything In
Between
BJORN WALLANDER
In this bedroom designed by Alisa Bloom, the rich,
liquidy sheen of a lacquer-like finish bounces light
around a dark room. Bloom used Fine Paints of
Europe’s Delft Blue 4003 in Hollandlac Brilliant to
illuminate this bedroom, while the painting on the
wall along with the trimming on the bedding and
the wallpaper on the ceiling bring in more shades
of blue.
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16
Black and White
Spectrum
FANTASTIC FRANK
Bold graphic black and white stripes create a fun
house effect in this dining nook, which is
extenuated by the trippy zebra decor adorning the
tilting table top. The gray furniture lightens the
intensity of the graphic black and white strips
while the gilt mirror introduces just a touch of
warmth.
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17
Warm Light Brown
Neutrals
NICOLE FRANZEN
These light walls create the perfect backdrop with
various shades of warm caramels and creams
throughout the space. The architectural elements,
like the sconces, corner fan, built-in sectional,
ceiling, and coffee table, bring nature-inspired
personality to the monochrome living room.
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18
All White With a
Pop
REID ROLLS
With light blond stained hardwood floors and a
bright white painted framework, the chrome chair
upholstered in a vibrant print is a welcome accent.
Leanne Ford Interiors is the master of all-white
decorating with unexpected pops that really shake
things up.
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19
Soft Blue-Gray
MIKAEL AXELSSON
Enveloped in a soothing soft blue, this bedroom
promises rest and relaxation (plus style). Even the
floors are stained in a blue-gray tone to enhance
the walls, bedding, and side chair. This is the
perfect monochromatic color scheme for an
ethereal, dreamy quality. The linen bedding and
makeshift side table accent chair contribute to that
easy, undone elegance.
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20
Brown, Yellow, and
Cream
FANTASTIC FRANK
Pale yellow walls on the upper half of the wall
complement the geometric mustard and white tiles
framing the bathtub. The terra cotta herringbone
floor tiles are a nice transition. They feel subtle
and "accidental," yet match nicely—perfect for a
lived in country chic vibe.
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