The Boldest, Coolest Color Combos We Saw This Year

December 16,2021

Of all the elements in a designer’s toolbox, nothing wields quite as much power as a strong combination of colors. And an unexpected mix of hues is even more visually arresting. This year, I spotted quite a few pairs that blew me away in house tours. Below, 11 of my favorite color combos.

Olive green + navy blue

The master bedroom in Susannah Watts ‘ Michigan home has very dark, almost-black navy blue walls (what some might call a “midnight blue” hue). And she’s paired those dramatically dark walls with a velvety headboard that’s a delicious shade of olive green.

Pinky peach + mint green

You’d be forgiven if you didn’t even notice the colorful walls of this home at first; thanks to those gorgeous tile floors, this 1920s Cuban Victorian house called ‘The Turquoise House’ is a perfect, patterned architectural dream. But mixed in with those tile floors is a beautiful wall color palette, and the pinky peach playing off that mint green is simply stunning.

Rust orange + cerulean blue

I absolutely love bold colors on curtains and in rugs—it’s an especially great way to add color to a rental home, like Sarah Taub did in this Los Angeles house . This room features rust-orange linen curtains which complements the saturated blue rug nicely.

Hunter green + rustic wood

Some might argue that “rustic wood” isn’t a color, and while that technically may be true, when used alongside this gorgeous hunter green color in this 100-year-old Spanish Revival New Orleans house , it absolutely constitutes a color combo I support.

Mustard + terracotta

There were a lot of color palettes I loved in Dani Nagel and Phillip Butler’s Hollywood home , but the earthy mix of nature-inspired hues in the bedroom makes for a serene sleep space.

Light blue + magenta pink

Blue and pink had a bit of a moment in 2019 as a color combo, and nowhere was it done as good as in Mariana Pussacq ‘s Argentina home . The magenta pink is concentrated on super-saturated fabric dining chairs, while the baby blue shows up as stripes on the wall.

Salmon pink + lavender

Pink and purple were a favorite color combo of mine from the ages of 5 to 10, but I grew out of the (sometimes) garish palette as I got older. After spotting the bedroom in this home , however, I’ve been rethinking mixing those hues. Here, a deep salmon-colored pink (almost orange) works with a medium-hue lavender for a look that’s bold and elegant at the same time.

Hot pink + bold blue

Not only did Samone Bos rock a very bold color blend of hot pink and bold blue in her Modernist Australian home , she did so right up in the front entryway . Now that’s how you make a first impression.

Seafoam green + navy black

Susana Ordovás didn’t mention what the paint colors are in her simply stunning Madrid home’s living room , but I’m calling the wall paint color a “navy black,” because it’s definitely black but also might be a little blue? Whatever its exact hue, it’s dark, dramatic, and delicious, and the seafoam green accents coating the the window molding and doors are the icing on the cake.

Blush pink + matte black

All-black kitchens are indisputably cool, and when paired with a very pale blush pink, as in Jennifer and Matt ‘s Brooklyn home , it’s also undeniably gorgeous.

Shades of orange + shades of gray

Pretty much every square inch of Andrea Serboli’s remodeled, modern Barcelona home is jawdroppingly wonderful, but the small, windowless hall bathroom is something else. Bathed in shades of orange, all the bold color is contrasted and complemented by a cast of gray hues.