Corey Damen Jenkins, an ELLE Décor designer, is known for creating layered interiors that mix vibrant hues and patterns to create homes that feel classic yet unexpected. He offers tips on how to make these colors—or any saturated shade—work in your own house.
Choose your paint colors last
There are a lot of paint colors to choose from, but you might not have as many options with carpets, furniture, or textiles for sofas or window coverings. Invest in the large anchor pieces first, and then go through the vast library of paint hues with extreme caution. You’ll find the perfect color to complement your existing furnishings.
Identify the inspiration
Jenkins recommends starting with “the tie that binds” when developing a color scheme for a room.
“That tie can be a wallcovering, rug or patterned fabric that best sums up all the disparate colors I am aiming to introduce to the space. Once I’ve identified that player, I spin off of that into different hues and finishes for everything else.”
Look at your wardrobe
Most people enjoy looking at images of homes with deep jewel tones and a lot of colors, but they won’t do it in their own homes. Jenkins recommends looking inside your closet for a modest nudge towards the saturated side if this describes you.
“People will find that the colors they are most comfortable with putting on their body are the same that they are open to putting on their walls and furnishings.”
If painting a space is too much of a risk right now, accents and accessories can be a simple and inconspicuous way to introduce bright color.
Take cues from nature
If Jenkins is looking for color inspiration, he goes to the New York flower area first. He enjoys observing the varied color combinations found in flowers and bird wings.
“If you’re stumped on whether or not that shade of blue will work with that shade of purple, look to nature. If these colors work together in these petals, on this ranunculus or this dahlia, or on the feathers of this hummingbird, why wouldn’t it work in a room?”
Choose timeless colors
Nobody wants to paint their dining room in a hue that will be out of style in three years. Open a history book to make a vibrant room timeless.
“Leading from the past rather than leading from the future”
This could entail looking at the 1970s or 1980s fashion or going back millennia to examine the colors utilized by previous civilizations.
Work with the light, not against it
It’s critical to understand how natural light passes through space since it affects how color appears throughout the day. Work with what a room is telling you by increasing the sunlight in a well-lit area and using bold, happy colors.
Accent walls should make a statement
An accent wall may appear to be a low-risk way to introduce bold color into the home. Still, Jenkins warns that it must be done correctly or appear haphazard and out of place. The accent wall in the bedroom, for example, should draw attention to the bed. Jenkins also loves to use molding to frame accent walls, similar to a mural, “to make it feel more personalized and couture.”
Fully commit to your choice
If you’re set on a particular paint color, Jenkins advises, “you have to really commit to that choice.” “And that might go in two directions.”
The first step is to make everything match the color scheme. For example, if you’re working with Celtic Green, incorporate hues of jade, pistachio, aquamarine, sage, kelly green, and olive.
Color-blocking is another approach for creating contrast. “Choose a sofa that is white or strawberry red—a hue that is a stark contrast” if you’re choosing Celtic Green, he says.
He argues that you have to go all out in either situation—and why wouldn’t you if you’re using bright paint colors?
Read more: An A-List Designer’s Secrets To Picking Perfect Paint Colors
