Whether you are moving into a new house or simply reinventing a room, the best place to start is by picking a color palette. Think about a color that make you happy.  Add a second coordinating color, perhaps another shade of the same color or one right next to it on the color wheel.  But don’t stop there.  Go bold and add a third.  Be so daring to find one on the opposite side of the spectrum such as orange, hot pink or maybe even red.  Something that you’ve always been drawn too but have been too nervous to try.  This is your accent color.  Voila!  You’ve done it.

Even if you can’t get rid of the neutral-colored furniture, you can dress them up with pillows, curtains and accessories from your new color pallete.  You’re officially on your way to good design.

Orange + yellow + white =  the juicy, citrus-colored Norma’s at the Parker Palm Springs.  Photo courtesy of Sunset Magazine.

Cobalt blue + navy + eggplant = beach house beautiful.

Once you’ve picked your color palette, make it a little more interesting by playing with different patterns.  A good rule of thumb is to start with a large pattern and mix it with a smaller scale pattern and a contrasting one.

Turquoise + green + yellow blends together well.  Large scale leaves mixes with a bold wave pattern and a mitered pillows (cleverly used stripes) makes this pillow arrangement much more interesting.  Crate and Barrel pillows, turquoise leaf fabric by Chris Stone and mitered pillow in Robert Allen bayside blue stripe.

Purple + grey + coral in fun geometric shapes such as stripes, zig zags and ikat make a perfect summer statement.  Paisley summer collection courtesy of Kerry Cassill.

This east coast beach house is playful and sophisticated with its mix of bright colors like orange, yellow and aqua with different scale patterns.   Curtain and blue pillow fabrics are from Duralee’s Seaglass Elements. Orange pillows are Meloire Reverse by Quadrille; the yellow pillow is Arcadia Sulphur by Raoul Textiles.  Photo courtesy of House Beautiful.

Trina Turk’s Santorini print in marine contrasts with a pillow in her large scale Super Paradise print in pool.  Love it.

Mix and match several of these blue textiles from Santa Barbara-based Raoul Textiles in curtains, pillows or even upholstery for a fresh-looking, coastal room.

While these Raoul Textiles samples may vary in color and pattern, pick three colors and three patterns that vary in scale and your room will be the talk of the town.

What are you waiting for?  Take a risk and have some fun.  It’s June already.