Stop Playing It Safe: Why Bold Colors Are Stealing the Home of the Month Spotlight
Home Introduction
Let’s talk about Emma Nguyen’s house in Minneapolis—my new obsession and, trust me, not your everyday Pinterest beige box. Emma, a pediatric nurse who describes her style as ‘refined chaos with a botanical soul,’ lives with her partner, dog, and—oh yes—her absolutely enormous, slightly moody calico cat. Their tidy 1,650-square-foot craftsman was a safe white-and-gray zone three years ago. Then Emma went through what she calls her ‘life-too-short-for-bland-walls’ phase, and… everything changed.
She jokes she started painting after a 2am TikTok spiral on color drenching; twelve months and a lot of bold choices later, people now actually come over for her hallway tour. This home screams personality. The overall design philosophy? Let nature, color, and comfort punch through everyday stress.
Room-by-Room Breakdown
The Living Room: Emerald, Curves, and Plants Gone Wild
So, picture this: you walk in and—BAM—floor-to-ceiling Benjamin Moore Rochester Green (SW0067) everywhere. The walls, the trim, even the built-in bookcase. She went all-in with color drenching, and honestly, I was skeptical at first. But the deep green feels like a big leafy hug, especially with the massive Monstera and a couple of screamingly healthy snake plants in ceramic planters from West Elm ($69, by the way—I bought one, it changed my coffee nook completely).
And then there’s the sofa. Ugh, this sofa. Swooping curves in a delicious, nubby cream bouclé. CB2’s Channeled Cloud Curve Sectional (around $2,399). I wanted to nap on it instantly. Emma added a thrifted velvet peacock-blue armchair ($110, Facebook Marketplace win—seriously, what luck?), and a wavy, hand-painted arch mirror above her fireplace. She told me she stalked Etsy for ‘arch mirror mural’ and found it for $130 from a French seller. Oh, and let’s not forget the lush rattan and jute Ottoman tucked in the corner (Serena & Lily, $248). The whole vibe is moody, cozy, but with a side of ‘jungle glam’.
Dining Room: Eclectic Maximalist Playground
This space is for maximalists only—or, at the very least, dreamers. Emma’s dining room explodes with bold color and texture: one wall in Valspar’s Sunken Dock (5011-4), a punchy blue that changes with the light, then the ceiling done up in Cole & Son’s Botanical Botanica wallpaper ($299/roll). I nearly hyperventilated when I looked up! The table was a thrift-store mahogany find she refinished with a local eco-friendly stain, adding a set of mis-matched Anthropologie velvet dining chairs (she got the Lookalike version from Wayfair, under $140 each, with mixed reviews—one wobbly, two perfect, one replaced after a tear thanks to that cat I mentioned). Oh, and the lighting: a sculptural, globe-filled, arched brass pendant she found at CB2 for $499. Totally worth every cent, she says.
And on the wall, a rotating gallery wall of prints and vintage oil paintings—some from thrift shops, at $12 or $20 each, a couple from Society6. She likes to move them around when she’s bored. I tried a similar thing this spring and, full disclosure, my version looked like chaos for weeks until I bought several large-scale mat frames and stuck to a palette of blues/golds/green. Pro-tip from Emma: Plan first, and accept imperfection!
Main Bath: Biophilic Sanctuary in Sapphire
This room is small (7x5 ft!), but feels like a luxe little spa. Emma painted every wall and even the door in Farrow & Ball’s brilliant Hague Blue (No. 30)—rich and cocooning. The vanity is vintage (Facebook Marketplace again, $90) with a marble top Emma and her partner installed themselves. She paired it with scalloped-edge rattan baskets from The Container Store and a leafy green fern that’s honestly living its best life right here thanks to the natural light (I can never keep a fern alive? Anyone else?). Her towels are all mismatched jewel-toned Target finds, and she swears by the eco-friendly, unscented bath products from Public Goods.
The standout? Textured peel-and-stick tile decals on the floor! Yes, vinyl—they’re FloorPops in the Galway style ($1.99/sq ft at Home Depot). I tried them in my laundry area (total impulse buy after Emma’s bathroom tour)—easy to clean, survived my dog’s muddy paws, and zero regrets.
Bedroom: Calming Sensory Haven
If you think the rest is wild, her bedroom is the antidote. Painted in Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW7042), with layers of cozy textiles and a super soft, blush-toned area rug from Ruggable ($259 for a 6x9'). She splurged on blackout linen drapes from Parachute ($229/panel, slightly makes me wince), but honestly? The best sleep ever. There’s a DIY floating wood shelf with little ceramic vases, stacks of books, and a single watercolor—handmade by her friend. This space is proof: you can do peaceful without going sterile or boring.
Design Highlights
Emma’s signature move: nature-inspired interiors that use bold color as a ‘mood amplifier.’ She’s obsessed with her indoor plant jungle (17 and counting—her secret’s Home Depot’s $10 snake plants and the always-overlooked IKEA FEJKA fauxs for dark corners). The curvy Cloud Sectional has become a social-media darling—she showed me how she styled throw pillows (H&M Home, $14 each, in emerald, ochre, and coral). The arch motif repeats everywhere from the DIY wall mural to the tasseled, arched hallway sconce from Schoolhouse ($195, hello, birthday present to self!).
And then there’s her unplugged DIY moments—like when she painted her bedroom closet door in bright ochre as a ‘secret sunshine surprise’ (she used Behr’s Amber Brew, $36/gallon). I tried this in my pantry and my son actually leaves the door open now just to show it off. The details matter. Really!
Challenges & Solutions
You know what’s hard? Living with bold color when you have, erm, an enthusiastic cat and a gravy-loving partner. Emma went through three different rug attempts in the dining space (dirt, spills, disaster) before she found Ruggable’s washable Perseus rug. She told me the first bright wool rug shed everywhere and the cat immediately barfed on it. The blue/green palette, though, never shows paw prints—who knew?
Painting everything yourself can be slow and demoralizing. Emma learned to pace herself (one wall per weekend), and she suggests low-tack tape and a good podcast for endurance. When money got tight, she DIY’d accent details—spray-painting thrift-store vases or reupholstering a side chair with discounted fabric from JoAnn ($9/yard sale score!). Waiting for sales, stalking Facebook Marketplace, and being okay with ‘perfectly imperfect’—that was the key.
Biggest regret? The knockoff velvet dining bird chair that arrived with a leg bent so badly it squeaked. Return process was… a journey, but at least Wayfair’s chat people were patient.
Homeowner's Advice
Emma’s kitchen magnet sums it up: ‘If you’re going to mess up, do it with color.’ She swears bold paint changed her mental health—seriously. Her tips: trust your instincts, start with one wall or decor layer, and don’t let friends' or family's cringe faces phase you. Most of them learn to love it once they see how the house feels.
Her biggest lesson: Don’t spend all your energy on perfection. For every high-end splurge, do a few smart saves. Shop sales, and don’t knock browsing the local Habitat Restore—her brass entry knob ($18!) was a total score. And don’t buy everything at once, because—you will change your mind.
Get the Look
- Main Paints: Benjamin Moore Rochester Green SW0067 (living room), Farrow & Ball Hague Blue No. 30 (bath), Sherwin-Williams Shoji White SW7042 (bedroom), Valspar Sunken Dock 5011-4 (dining room). These are available at most hardware chains—try to get a sample pot first, always!
- Sofa: CB2 Channeled Cloud Curve Sectional ($2,399). For a dupe, check World Market’s Adrian Curved Sofa ($999).
- Wallpaper: Cole & Son Botanica (ceiling)—high-end, but Spoonflower has vivid botanicals from $80/roll.
- Rugs: Ruggable for washable convenience (Perseus Blue/Green 6x9 at $259).
- Lighting: Schoolhouse Arched Sconce ($195) or try the Globe Electric Leclair Sconce ($49, Amazon) for budget.
- Thrift Finds: Facebook Marketplace, local Habitat for Humanity Restore, sometimes even Goodwill (look for solid wood, real brass—wiggle everything before buying!).
- Textured Details: FloorPops Peel-and-Stick Tiles at Home Depot, $1.99/sq ft—affordable magic for retro bathrooms or laundry nooks.
- Accessory Stores: H&M Home and Target for affordable pillows/throws; West Elm and Serena & Lily (watch for their big spring sales) for woven ottomans and plant baskets.
If you want to try a tiny commitment, grab a can of Behr’s Amber Brew, do a closet or inside a pantry. Or, buy one big Monstera (Home Depot is cheaper than local boutiques, sorry) and get a wild, curvy ceramic planter from Etsy. Try peel-and-stick wallpaper on a ceiling—or, heck, in a bookcase. Live a little!
For seasonal transitions, Emma swaps out throws (cotton for summer, chunky knit for cozy season), changes art from botanicals to abstracts, and rotates plants to spots that need a pick-me-up. She’s got bins labeled 'Fall Layering' and 'Spring Brights'—my kind of organized chaos.
Resources & Inspiration
- Fixr’s Color Trends report and the Essential Home trend guide both spotlight how nature-inspired and bold, expressive palettes dominate 2025. Designers and data agree: the bigger, the braver, the better. Color drenching is the move right now.
- The 1stDibs, Homes & Gardens, and Artsy roundups point toward maximalism, curves, and hand-crafted artisan decor—perfect inspiration for anyone wanting a more layered, interesting home. Seriously, ditch the beige and let your house have a personality!