Some Maximalist Color

Designer Emily Hall chooses a bold color palette to play on the rest of a home’s mostly black and white aesthetic.

By Michelle Mastro

When her client wanted a space distinc t from the other rooms inside the home, Emily Hall decided to do something a little more unexpected. Emily, principal designer and owner at Emily Hall Interiors, chose vivid colors for this cocktail room, a grand departure from the house’s other mostly white and black interiors.

“The rest of the home has a much more neutral color palette with hints of black,” Emily explains. “So, I essentially flipped the palette for the cocktail room. The client loves clean white spaces, but also loves something more fun and dramatic. So we really decided to go for it in this room.”

Despite its seemingly out-of-place choices, the room fits in with recent trends in home interiors where there’s been an overwhelming a resurgence in maximalism. Key pieces in the room like the curved sofa, over-the-top chandelier and playful art hint at a maximalist design perspective, but, here, this dramatic style extends to the room’s color choices.

Many homeowners these days have been leaning towards brilliant peacock blues and vibrant emerald greens on the cooler side of the spectrum. It’s a gradient of color this cocktail room also employs. “I love the contrast of the rich greenish blue walls with the vibrant pink of the art,” Emily says. “The marbleized fabric on the pillows help tie it all together while adding in even more fun colors.”

The result is an unexpected escape perfect for a cocktail space where guests can kick up their heels a bit and let loose. Emily adds, “The console table works great as a bar setup when entertaining and the fabrics are all performance, so bring on the red wine.”

And yet, she was sure to pull elements from the room throughout the home to make sure everything flowed as well as the wine. Colors in the space reference an entryway rug, for example, and the creams of the sofa hint at the mostly white tones in other rooms.

To hit the r ight notes of fun, Emily mixed different elements, colors and textures. “The marble coffee table with fluted wood console, jewel tones mixed with different shades of white, boucles with velvet and silk, everything paired together creates such a warm and appealing space,” she explains. With all this varied splendor, she says, “You just want to be in the room.” See stlouishomesmag.com for resources.

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