Interior Design
Do You Dare to Decorate With ‘the World’s Ugliest Colour'?
Hard-to-love, even harder to work with? See how this hue can actually look quite good with the right accompaniments
Here’s a dark brown wall colour that appears, from my monitor anyway, to have a slight green undertone, but I would in no way call this ugly. Quite the opposite. It’s a deep, rich hue that brings a warm and cosy vibe to this luxurious master bedroom. Sure, I could imagine a space in which this colour would not be appealing, but that’s true of all colours. And the reason it works well here is that there’s a pleasing mix of materials, many of them with a luxurious feel, as well as dashes of compatible colours, such as red and white, that pull it all together.
Note: The colours you see on your monitor are usually not accurate depictions. If you see a colour you like here, it’s best to gather up paint swatches and compare them to what you see on your monitor to make the best match.
Note: The colours you see on your monitor are usually not accurate depictions. If you see a colour you like here, it’s best to gather up paint swatches and compare them to what you see on your monitor to make the best match.
A similar dark brown with a greenish cast adorns the walls of this elegant dining room. It’s a fantastic foil for the crisp white mouldings, making them really stand out.
Walls painted in ‘French Roast’ C2-353: C2 Paint; trim painted in ‘Lumen’ C2-416: C2 Paint
Walls painted in ‘French Roast’ C2-353: C2 Paint; trim painted in ‘Lumen’ C2-416: C2 Paint
This beautiful bedroom is painted in Sherwin-Williams ‘Enduring Bronze’, which has a similar formula to Pantone 448C. I think this colour works best for spaces in which a relaxing, cosy vibe is desired, such as dining rooms and bedrooms. Here it’s the perfect neutral background to the more colourful components – the upholstered bench and the ceiling. The wall colour adds drama without distracting from these interesting elements.
Lime green also came up as ‘unappealing’ to those interviewed by the market research team. I was shocked by this, as it happens to be one of my favourite colours. It’s a bold hue for sure, but when used with care, in small to moderate doses, it adds so much personality to a space. It’s especially useful for adding some zing to minimalist spaces.
Doors, whether interior or exterior, are the perfect canvas for a fun, bold colour. Here lime green adds a fantastic burst of energy to this cool, contemporary space.
Also making the list of finalists for so-called ugly colours: mustard. I’m going to assume those interviewed were referring to a brown mustard hue rather than mustard of the bright yellow variety. The presence of brown actually knocks down the intensity of the hue, neutralising it somewhat.
As with lime green, I think the key to working with mustard yellow, especially darker mustards, is limiting it to small areas. When used in large doses, or in spaces that lack plenty of natural light, it can look a bit dingy. Both of the examples here use the colour brilliantly. The spaces include lots of white to help keep the look clean and crisp.
As with lime green, I think the key to working with mustard yellow, especially darker mustards, is limiting it to small areas. When used in large doses, or in spaces that lack plenty of natural light, it can look a bit dingy. Both of the examples here use the colour brilliantly. The spaces include lots of white to help keep the look clean and crisp.
Perhaps white made the list of unappealing colours because many people find it cold, stark and institutional. When it comes to interiors, however, white has been extremely popular the past few years.
The trick to making an all-white, or mostly white, room sing is to pay attention to contrasting materials, textures and sheens. Since you aren’t employing a variety of colours to add depth and visual interest, you need to generate appeal via the materials in the room.
The trick to making an all-white, or mostly white, room sing is to pay attention to contrasting materials, textures and sheens. Since you aren’t employing a variety of colours to add depth and visual interest, you need to generate appeal via the materials in the room.
Beige has taken a beating lately, and it too was on the list of ‘bad’ colours. Like white, beige can look fantastic when care is taken to vary the materials and textures. I also think using a mix of colours in the beige family, from the lightest of warm whites all the way to dark tans and browns, challenges the notion of being bland with beige. Both these examples embrace beige in a way that’s interesting and appealing.
Dark grey is another favourite hue of mine that also made the list of ‘ugly’ colours. I can understand why this is a challenging colour for many. While I find it dramatic and elegant in a home’s interior, many feel it can make a space appear gloomy. When paired with contrasting crisp white and warm wood, along with a variety of textures, as done here, the spaces get cosy while maintaining a sophisticated vibe.
16 Rewarding Grey Combos
16 Rewarding Grey Combos
I think the takeaway is that taste in colour is extremely subjective. And I, for one, am thrilled that we don’t all like and dislike the exact same things – imagine how boring the world would be if that were the case. Plus, I’d probably be out of a job as a designer.
TELL US
What colour or colours do you find too unappealing to work with? Or how have you embraced a colour that others tend to deride?
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Read more stories focusing on colour
TELL US
What colour or colours do you find too unappealing to work with? Or how have you embraced a colour that others tend to deride?
MORE
Read more stories focusing on colour
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The winner? Pantone 448C, shown here. It’s essentially a dark brown with a dab of olive green. Among the finalists were lime green, white, beige, dark grey and mustard.
Now, I tend to believe that there are no ugly colours. Whether a single hue looks terrific or awful often depends on the context in which it’s viewed. Factors such as the other colours it’s used with, lighting, materials, textures and sheen all play a huge role in influencing our perception of a colour.
So as a lover of all the colours, I decided to take up the challenge to see if I could find successful uses of these so-called ugly colours in homes.