The 8 Most Dynamic Color Combinations, According to Designers
Photo: Lance Gerber
Honing in on a color story for a room can either be thrilling or unnerving, depending on your POV. For some people, the concept of color combinations might feel overwhelming, especially when you’re pivoting from sensible neutral palettes (like the greige trend beloved by millennials and endlessly mocked by Zoomers). While one accent color in an otherwise neutral room can pop, a pair of complementary tones adds even more visual interest. Even in multiples, the right permutations shade in pigment to a room like a piece of art, whether through the accessories and furnishings or the paint on the walls. As Palefire Studio founder Rowena Morgan-Cox reminds us, “color combinations often improve in groups, and, like layers of a cake, each color adds subtlety and complexity.”
If you’ve been feeling starved for interior inspiration lately, we’re prepared to serve you the ultimate treat—we spoke with four seasoned designers about their favorite color combinations of all time. From primary hues that feel truly evergreen to more subtle variations that you should consider next time a wall of paint swatches triggers anxiety, this rotation of combos will never expire.
Red and Blue
Primary colors are the foundations of the color wheel, so it’s no surprise that they work well in tandem. Morgan-Cox declares that red and blue are “probably my favorite color combination in all its possible iterations,” noting that the duo is the most frequently used pairing in her house and wardrobe. The London-based designer also associates the palette with early-20th-century artists Sonia Delaunay and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. For a look that feels more grown-up and sexy compared to your kindercore shades of red and blue, lean into lighter, brighter variations like cornflower blue and cherry red.
Lavender and Camel
AD PRO Directory designer Ashley Lavonne thinks that lavender and camel could easily be overlooked because of their more generic counterparts, but the hues balance each other out beautifully when combined. “One tends to think about purples in a bolder ‘grapey’ sense and of browns in a drab, lifeless way, [but] I think both hues can really make a space feel magical when used together,” she explains. The best part? Lavender can be deployed to evoke calm in a room, while camel injects “rich, radiant warmth” into a space.
Middle Green and Cool Violet
Vibrant color is deeply embedded in design studio Another Human’s DNA, and one of its founder Leah Ring’s favorite combos you’ve likely seen before on a certain TV dinosaur. She prefers the look of subdued, jewel-toned violets and greens set against a neutral backdrop for heightened “color drama,” but points out that there are so many green and purple tones that work well together. “You just need to balance the saturation and value of each color to work in harmony,” she adds.
Dirty Blush and Golden Yellow
Color schemes don’t have to be loud to make a statement, perhaps you could subtly pull in pastels or serene neutrals. “I love combining a dirty blush tone with a more intense pop of color like a golden yellow or pistachio green, and even putting those all together,” says Anne McDonald, a recently nominated New American Voices designer. In the living room of a house in Minneapolis that she designed in late 2023, this color palette created a warm environment, complete with a textured sisal rug, vintage coffee table, and lamp layered in for an extra jolt of color.
Yellow, Blue, and Brown
Even if it feels more daunting to map out a scheme that involves several hues, sometimes colors look even better synchronized with multiple complementary shades. “I find the yellow, blue, and brown combination interesting because, as pairs, yellow and blue or blue and brown work less effectively than the whole,” Morgan-Cox explains. She suggests China blue, pale yellow, and espresso brown or acid yellow, mid-blue, and toffee brown for two midcentury takes on the same palette.
Carrot Orange and Cornflower Blue
When in doubt, revisit the color wheel for more consistently harmonious pairings. “Blue and orange are complementary colors, so it’s no real wonder that they work well together,” Ring says of the psychology behind this splashy combination. To pull it off seamlessly, she advises leading with one color and then adding in a softer counterpart “so as not to overwhelm the eye”—all the while using different values and saturations of the hues throughout.
Red and Green
Red and green together are usually synonymous with Christmas and holiday decor, but Morgan-Cox insists that the duo shouldn’t just be reserved for seasonal festivities: “I think people tend to shy away from this combination for its obvious seasonal association, making it an unexpected choice for the brave.” Her advice is to mix a bright terra-cotta with a deeper olive green, or a burgundy hue with a bright green (à la these Vico Magistretti chairs) for added depth.
Emerald Green and Turquoise Blue
Bold colors, at minimum, keep a space from feeling drab, and when properly apportioned throughout the room, the contrasts between them can really sing. In general, McDonald likes to mix and match all sorts of jewel tones with deep solids in her work. Several come into play in a recent project of hers seen here, from the bright emerald green settee to the saturated turquoise drapery. “We even painted the trim a really deep blue green that feels almost black,” she says. “The design feels more bold than if we used neutral solids, but it still feels really sophisticated and cohesive.”
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
