A splash of color can change everything.
You don’t have to look much farther than history’s famed unnatural blondes—Madonna! Marilyn! Dolly! Diana!—to witness the transformative power of a color change. Sometimes, a new hue is all you need to find a new you. The same goes for designers, who find that a fresh coat of paint is the ultimate “presto, change-o” move. Here, 30 of the shocking things they’ve overhauled, plus other ideas to mull over. DIY-ers, pick up your brushes and start your engines.
You know to paint your trim—but what about making it an accent color? "I do it with all sorts of colors, often," says designer Chauncey Boothby, who cut the paint she used on the kitchen island in this Maine project (Farrow & Ball Yarmouth Blue) with 50% white for the trim in the room next door. "I thought this would be a perfect area to highlight the trim and the millwork in there without making it too shocking of a color. It’s a cost effective way to go in and make a statement without splurging on wallpaper or a lot of expensive paint."
Artist Rajiv Surendra embellished the black chalkboard paint walls and ceiling in this Montreal writing room to mimic elaborate moldings. It feels fresh, modern, and stylishly cheeky. Plus, it can be erased and replaced with a new look thanks to the chalky nature.
If your pantry features exposed shelves, paint them all one color for a fun pop in a room that doesn't allow for much creative expression due to a lack of free wall or floor space. For a playful but practical spin in this pantry, Pulp Design Studio used Sherwin Williams Daredevil in a satin finish, which has a low but washable sheen.
Leanne Ford gave this lackluster staircase an artistic makeover. To revamp your outdated or traditional stairs, paint them black and then grab a paintbrush. We love the abstract and bold brush strokes here.
In this dining room designed by Janie Molster, the ceiling was custom painted by H.J. Holtz & Son. "There's no such thing as too much of a color you love," she says. For a similar look, map out your desired design ahead of time, or use a stencil.
Designer Fitz Pullins painted the moldings and door frames in a high-gloss finish. Aside from being visually striking, it's also easier to clean, making high-traffic corners more durable. Almost all the moldings and door frames are painted in the same shade, which creates a lovely thread to follow throughout the Florida home.
Instead of adding contrast with moldings, paint the actual door. Corey Damen Jenkins did so here to introduce a pop of color that feels fun and keeps things interesting but doesn't clash with the primarily understated decor throughout.
“In this basement remodel, we would’ve had to spend a ton of money rerouting the HVAC air duct," says designer Max Humphrey. "Who wouldn’t go with ballet-slipper pink instead?”
“Do something groovy on the actual steps! The bolder you go, the bigger the smile when you see them,” says Fawn Galli. A painted-on runner by Annie Sloan looks just like carpet.
“After cleaning, sanding, and priming twice, we painted in stages and added a few coats of clear, high-gloss acrylic for protection.” —Shannon Kadwell, Anthony Wilder Design/Build
“My patio was poured using two different mixes, making it multicolored. So I had it painted, and I actually like it better now!” —Danielle Rollins
“Send it for an overnight stay at an auto-body shop for a coat of high-gloss paint and it’ll be the centerpiece of a modern kitchen.”—Joseph Berkowitz, JAB Design Group
“They are often too obvious and look out of place, so we paint them to match.” —Shannon Kadwell
“You’ll be happier when you open it,” says Stephanie Sabbe. This surprise hit of orange in a space by Studio DB does exactly that.
”Replacing these tiles was not an option, budget-wise. So I created a stencil, painted them, then polyeurethaned over it all!” —Jessica Davis, Nest Studio
“Paint it with a chalky white, then lightly wipe it down just before it dries, letting some of the gold show through,” says Rollins. Designer Bunny Williams painted this gilt frame white in her Punta Cana home.
“Why not push past conformity and paint wicker in a bright, happy color? We used this sunny yellow to punctuate the entire color story.” —Kirill Istomin
“We painted this mural to convey that these are people who want their guests to enjoy a rum drink and some laughs.” —Sara Gilbane
“I wanted to create uniformity in this library with wood paneling, so we painted the books two shades of blue.” —Kelley Proxmire
“A light aqua color is unexpected but soft enough that the brick won’t stand out.”—Katie Gibson
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