1. Bright Office Space

A former closet—sans doors—became an office under Jacksonville, Florida, designer Andrew Howard’s deft hands. “We upholstered the walls in a fabric to contrast the room’s green wallcovering,” he says, “and went with ruby red upholstery tape as trim for even stronger contrast.”

Push the classic trio of primaries more modern by shifting paint colors toward richness: Earthy green replaces blue; yellow becomes honey; and red, claret. For accents: “Pair a color you like with shades across from it on the color wheel,” Howard says. “For green, that’s red,” Howard explains. The result, he says, is a space that’s “striking enough that you remember it when you leave.”

To replicate the look, look for an earthy green paint with a touch of gray. Howard used Avon Green HC-126 by Benjamin Moore and a golden yellow fabric (color-matched to Benjamin Moore’s Vellum 207).

Mike Garlick /Interior Designer: Rosanna Bossom

2. Cozy Reading Nook

“If you’re nervous about color, start with a nook. Let it be a jewel box—that’s exactly what this space is,” designer Rosie Bossom of London’s Rosanna Bossom Ltd advises.

This library nook offers a place to lounge and curl up with a favorite book. “Architecturally, it feels built-in and permanent, which immediately gives it gravitas,” she says. Walls coated in a bright green (Apple Smiles II 570, Paint & Paper Library), which Bossom says “combines warmth and freshness,” set the space apart from the larger room’s stone-hued paint (Stone IV 204, Paint & Paper Library).

“The rest of the room is much more muted. There are other greens, but none this bright. We wanted the nook to shine,” she says. “A nook is the perfect place to take a risk because it’s contained, immersive, and emotionally impactful.”

Ethan Herrington / Interior Designer: Ghislaine Viñas

3. Bold and Cheerful Bathroom

“This nook feels unapologetic and is a cheerful nod to a contemporary move in a more traditional home,” New York designer Ghislaine Viñas says of a bathroom’s vanity wall in her own Arts-and-Crafts abode. “Everything else in the room can remain quiet because this design gesture carries a bold attitude.”

For something similar, the designer says, “You don’t need to limit yourself to white paired with something bold.” She advises thinking “of colors that genuinely make you happy.” Even pairing pale hues, she says, achieves “the same color blocking effect yet less intense.” The crisp white paint used in this space is White OC-151 by Benjamin Moore, and the orange is Electric Orange 2015-10, Benjamin Moore.

Max Burkhalter / Interior Designer: Zoe Feldman

4. Moody Dining Room

This dining room’s palette, Washington, D.C. designer Zoe Feldman says, “works because it balances warmth and depth, allowing the room to feel both polished and comfortable.”

The room’s walls are a muted blue-green with gray undertones (Pigeon No. 25, Farrow & Ball), and the nook is a rich burgundy (Brinjal No. 222, Farrow & Ball). When pairing hues like these, “think in terms of related tones rather than isolated colors,” Feldman advises. “In this space, the colors share a muted quality, which allows them to work together naturally.”

Organic textures are also key to the palette. “Wood grain, leather, and matte finishes add depth that color alone cannot,” she says. “Avoid matching everything too closely; contrast is what gives a room dimension.”