The materials palette that I chose is light in color with a few splashes of color. This lightness holds the space open and gives it a contemporary feel.

In the kitchen, Walker continued an earthy color scheme. The range and wall oven are by BlueStar, the hood is from Zephyr, and the island is Caesarstone.

The color of the Fishers’ front door was inspired by an old Land Rover Defender’s hue, which Charlie had Benjamin Moore custom-match.

The couple snapped up a 2,600-square-foot late-18th-century flat, which they’ve since filled with vintage finds and Hayon’s own designs and prototypes.

Yolo Colorhouse / Paints Poster-sized sample swatches, a host of attractive colors, and nontoxic paints let pint-sized paint company Yolo Colorhouse handily compete with their mega-sized corporate competitors.

Xystum Color Block vase by CB2. Postmodernism appropriates classical cues in a Pop-y, contemporary manner. Therefore, this vase’s name, a Greek architectural term loosely translated as “portico,” is apropos.

Images by Raw Color hang in a room upstairs.

Here's the weathered wooden dining table where the family gathers for meals and conversation.

Three’s Company Inspired by the minimal color scheme of a hotel they stayed at in Bali, Winterhalder and Ehlers decided to limit their palette to three colors: anthracite black, concrete gray, and a light larch wood. The first move was to paint the backyard wall gray. Next up for a coat of dark paint was the villa’s old-fashioned wooden staircase, which the couple didn’t like but didn’t have the budget to replace. The consistency works to unite the different styles found in the house. “Somehow,” says Winterhalder, “it all fits.”

Marbelous Wood by Snedker Studio. Danish designer Pernille Snedker Hansen’s custom installations involve treating local Nordic wood with a marbling effect in toned-down hues.

A color swatch and color chip of Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year.

Poodle by Devine Color.

Flamingo by Devine Color.

Just Glaze Double-glazed windows are typically composed of two layers of glass with a layer of air in between. You might spend more on them upfront ($200–$1,500 each), but the extra insulation can save loads on your heating bill and more than recoup your investment over time. weathershield.com

The gradient lives on. Patricia Urquiola for Moroso at Salone.

The four neutral shades of the tile are also suitable for outdoor applications.

Color Explosion in the Bedroom

The bed in Sara’s room has been in the family since the early 1900s.

Marsala (18-1438), an earthy brownish red, has been dubbed Pantone's color of the year for 2015. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes it as "nurturing and fulfilling... Marsala is a natural fit for the kitchen and dining room, making it ideal for tabletop, small appliances and linens throughout the home."

The recipe for each color is attached to its corresponding fabric swatch, and after the designer chooses the right combination, the recipes are sent to the color kitchen. Some colors, such as beige and gray tones, are more difficult to produce than others; turquoise is notorious for sticking poorly to fabrics. “We have our trade secrets that ensure that the colors work,” says Anu-Mari Salmi, the production manager.

Linda Geary is cofounder of the Painting Expanded Symposium, a program that promotes discussions around contemporary painting. Her series of vibrant notebooks aims to continue that conversation. The Stack Book contains 32 color swatches that formed the basis of one of Geary’s collaborative art projects and encourage you to get creative, too.

When you find a color scheme that resonates, the app will find brand-specific color codes that you can bring to the hardware store. Currently, it only works on interior spaces.

To prevent damage to phone and case alike, these Pantone-matched iPhone 5 covers ($27.99) are composed of durable, scratch-resistant plastic.

The desk can be lit in 15 different colors, plus white.

Wipe on, wipe off! Initially planted by the idea of temporarily colouring the hair of models during fashion shoots, Kevin Murphy, a haircare expert, dreamed up the Color.Bug. Post-realization, Container concocted up a spherical shape with side gripping for easy handling. Inside, intense color powder for 24 hours awaits the temporary daredevil.

Hella Jongerius / Jongeriuslab in Berlin

Repainting simple wood chairs added a dose of whimsy to a conference room.

Furnished with vintage Eames chairs, a second-hand sofa, and pendants and tables designed by Nathalie, the space is kept purposefully casual. She painstakingly mixed and tested the paint for the mustard-yellow walls herself—15 times—to match the hue of a Kvadrat textile.

Side Yard

Street View

The window partition motif is repeated in the kitchen, allowing for communication between kitchen and living area. Gray cabinetry and white Silestone counters fit in alongside vibrant yellow pendants by MUUTO and a retro, light-blue Smeg refrigerator.

Photo by: Flickr/enigmachck1

San Francisco designer Tina Frey creates modern resin products for the home, using a thoroughly executed design, hand sculpting, and hand casting process. Her products are all food-safe, making them an excellent serveware solution in the modern kitchen. The Short Trough is a standout container that can be used to hold and display fruit, or as a vessel for an artful centerpiece.

The brilliant Gradient Puzzle by graphic designer Bryce Wilner is available in two color gradients, red to yellow and blue to green.

Polychromie Le Corbusier by kt.COLOR Produced with the Le Corbusier Foundation, this historically faithful swatch of 81 hues was sourced from the architect’s own wallpaper samples, paint chips, designs, and storied investigations into the essence of color.

A splash of color can provide life to an otherwise dull space and a whole lot of color can transform just about anything. We've "pinned" a few of our favorite uses of color on this board that inspire us and challenge homeowners to go bold! Click here for more uses of bold color.