13 Stylish Ways To Incorporate Jewel Tones Into A Small Space

If you're not careful, jewel tones can overwhelm your home decor with their bold, brilliant hues. You can either use too many together at once, not use complimentary hues, or not create a good balance. Balance is especially key for small spaces. When decorating with jewel tones like emerald, amethyst, marigold, and others, make sure you are always looking to balance out the intense colors stylishly. Focus on making the whole room look cohesive and put together instead of throwing random colors and trends alongside each other. 

There are many excellent ways that you can achieve the right balance with jewel-like tones. When you're focusing on incorporating them into smaller rooms around your house, work purposefully. You might focus on adding color in accent items, like throw pillows or blankets. Or you can paint one main wall a bold color to bring out subtle details elsewhere in the space. Whether you want a jewel-toned fabric trend to replace your boucle furniture or need a little bit more luxurious vibes in your space, there are many options. Thankfully, you can put jewel tones to good use even if you don't have a large space to work with.

Wainscoting, decorative wood panels and moulding, adds the right amount of interest and detail to a wall that can balance out a jewel tone. This style tip works best if you'd like to avoid painting all the walls in a room the same color. Instead, focus on the main accent wall, which could be the back wall of a living room or the main wall in a bedroom. The idea is to use the wainscoting design to further accentuate the wall without making it too busy or chaotic. Perhaps you can add extra decorative touches in the space in a similar color to the accent wall to tie everything together. 

In a small space, jewel tones can be too much if you add too many different hues in a small area. However, if you focus on decorating with multiple different shades of the same jewel tone, you can have great success. The basic idea is to choose one main color for your room, like amethyst. Take that color and work it into the walls, the furniture, the decorative accents. But ultimately, you should avoid using too many of the same shade. Use a lighter option for a cabinet and a darker option for a chair or wall color. With the right balance of light and dark, the effect can be cool and quirky.

When you want to add a jewel tone but feel like it wouldn't work in your small space, try using it as the color of your accent decorations. In a bedroom, decorate cleanly with a neutral color like white or brown. Then, you can style the space with throw pillows and blankets in a jewel-tone color. The effect is a balanced look that does not feel overdone. With this tip, focus on one color, all in a similar shade, for the best cohesion. There are so many jewel-toned accent colors that will make a room feel glamorous, including ruby red, marigold yellow, and sapphire blue.

Use neutrals to counteract the brightness and boldness of a jewel tone in your space. It could be a lighter wood against a teal cabinet or a white-colored rug or couch next to a dark purple wall. The goal is to always balance out the full colors and pull them back down. This is very important in smaller spaces where you don't have a lot of room to separate decor into distinct areas or focus on one area with bright color and another in a relaxing hue. When done right, there should be harmony between the lighter neutrals and the rich jewel tones.

Jewel tones always run the risk of over-saturating a space with too much color or brightness. In smaller areas, where you might have even less space to work with, a bold jewel tone can make the mood to deep and brooding. Glass accents, like a glass tabletop or coffee table, do the opposite. Adding one or two glass furniture pieces or decorative elements can lighten a small space, especially when paired with the right lighting. The right interplay of light off the glass can help brighten any shadowy spots in a small space.

If you're going to be committed to a jewel tone, make sure you carry it through a space. In smaller areas, you can do this by choosing a wall color in a bold hue like emerald and then dotting the room with little decorative details in the same color. You don't want the bold wall color to feel like an afterthought or out of place. The best way to do that is to show intentionality with similarly colored ottomans or couches. To make sure it doesn't overwhelm the room, add lighter colors. You could also add other accents in a matching jewel tone. 

Match warmth with warmth by finding warm jewel-tone pieces in ruby or gold and using them alongside warm woods. Consider unstained cherry, maple, or white oak, which all have warm tones. The combination of warm hues is sure to add plenty of character to your home interior. For the best look, this will work best in a space with a well-lit window where light can hit the warm pieces. It's also a good idea to never mix warm woods with cooler jewel tones. This warm pairing is also a great way to avoid styling a small space too dark and moody.

While mixing warm woods with cool jewel tones or the opposite might not look the best, warm and cool jewel tones can hit the right note. For example, if you have a space with a lot of turquoise, a dash of red or yellow can put the right amount of interest. Consider the overall style you are looking to create, whether you want an island paradise theme or a velvet luxury style. The important thing is for everything to blend well with each other. Try to pair two main jewel tones to avoid making the scene too busy.

People love working with jewel tones because they scream luxury and plush maximalism. Styling jewel tones can be even more fun when you strive to add vintage items throughout. It could be as simple as finding a vintage velvet furniture piece to design a room around. Or you might like to add a vintage or antique lamp to a side table to bring out the colors on a rug or wall. The idea is to make your space feel more lively with a rich history. Look for vintage items at thrift stores and garage sales, making sure to curate pieces that work with the decor you already own. 

A fun and modern way to add a jewel tone to a small sitting room or bathroom is to decorate the rest of the space in a pure monochrome palette. Find sleek black cabinets or chairs, snowy white countertops or tables, and smooth grey couches or pillows. Then, pick a piece in a beautiful jewel tone that can draw the eye. Maybe you will find a thrifted armchair in a bold midnight blue or perhaps a gorgeous mulberry rug. Picking one lone piece to highlight is also a great way to focus attention on the central area of a small room.

If you're worried about using jewel tones in a smaller kitchen or bathroom but really like the luxurious look of the colors, start with one crucial piece — the cabinets. Working jewel tones, like blue topaz, into the cabinetry is a great way to style pure white marble in a kitchen or bright white walls in a bathroom. For anyone who loves having a colorful home, a bold cabinet design can be a fun and functional way to achieve that. You can use this tip as a way to update honey-toned cabinets on a budget for a kitchen or to upcycle an old cabinet from a secondhand store.

Pairing pastels with jewel tones is a sure way to create a balanced space in a small room. The best way to get started with pastels is to find corresponding hues to match the jewel tones used in the space. It can lighten up the heaviness of the jewel tones and add a more whimsical, spring-like vibe to your home. For example, pair pastel purple chair cushions with deeper amethyst rugs for a polished final look. Or you could tone down all of your jewel tones to pastel shades, keeping your home open and airy without giving up the luxurious comfort of rich jewel tones.

Sometimes, jewel tones don't need to be the center of attention in a space. For smaller areas, use them instead to pull everything together. You can accomplish this easily with a jewel-toned rug that complements the rest of your decor. Consider staying away from completely matching your rug with other pieces in the space. The resulting look will be tied together by a single, bold style statement. You want the jewel tone to pop in a small place but not overwhelm everything else if you're going to create a relaxing spot in your home.