How to Decorate in Funky Colors

Create Funky Accents

• Funky colors can evoke memories, convey a retro style or just delight the senses. When decorating with off-center colors, some decorators choose to use the funky colors sparingly, as accents. A popular way to do that is create a focal point like an accent wall. Select the wall or area you want to make the focus of your room. Create and paint a pattern on the wall using the funky colors you've selected. You can paint the wall a solid color, but creating a pattern, like a checkerboard, is an effective way to use more than one color.

Feel the Funk

• Good decorators don't stop at picking paint colors. They infuse their rooms or home with feel-good fabrics. To find funky-colored fabrics, you may need to shop at retro fabric stores or have your fabrics custom-dyed. Try plush velvet throw pillows or a shaggy area rug dyed to the perfect shade of hot pink. Textured wall paper, painted furniture and even textured lamp shades invite visitors to touch your funky decor.

Funky-Shaped Furnishings

• Standard furniture is boring and expected. If you've taken the bold step of using funky colors, you should try funky-shaped furnishings too. You may have to pay a little more for these unusual pieces, but they make the perfect finishing touch. Buy a lavender, circular couch with unusual wooden legs or a black lamp stand in the shape of an animal. Try quilted furniture in bold blue or vibrant mustard. Decorate a bedroom with a padded pink leather headboard mounted to the wall. Transform ordinary fixtures into funky conversation pieces.

Full-on Funky

• If you have limited space and feel comfortable with your selected color, you could paint the entire room in the funky color. To mute a bright color like coral, use a fleur de lis stencil and stencil on a black pattern over the solid color. You could use the stencil in a horizontal or vertical orientation. Then incorporate the fleur de lis motif throughout the living space with black accents that tone down the funky color and complement it. A full-on funky-painted room looks stunning with crystal chandeliers and luxurious fabrics.