From jewel-toned walls to pleasantly vibrant upholstery, apply these expert-approved tips in your next renovation or seasonal refresh. What makes interiors thrive? Since humans are inherently visual, the first thing that comes to notice is colour. It could be a mellow neutral palette or soothing coastal pastels. Then you have the bold colours. But using them can feel like walking on eggshells, as they can easily make a space look too gaudy or overwhelming. Add colourful decor to the mix, and too many attention-grabbing elements can turn your well-curated interiors into one big hotchpotch.ALSO READ: Decorating a boring room corner? 6 ways to make it look Instagram-worthy without overdoing the decorLearn how to embrace bright colours for your interiors. (Representative picture credit: Freepik)Does that mean you rule out bold colours entirely? Not really. It is much more nuanced, and when you follow some design principles, you create an expressive space.Let's hear from experts on how you can use bold colours, from upholstery to walls. There is a consensus that balance and restraint are what make all the difference, so whether you introduce vibrant shades through statement surfaces, textiles or smaller decor elements.Now the trick is you don't have to introduce bold colours in the same way across the room. You can incorporate them through different elements, from natural stone surfaces and feature walls to upholstery, rugs and smaller decor elements.Bold natural stones can become the room's visual jewelleryRamesh Bhandari, director at A-Class Marble, told HT Lifestyle that choosing tones that find the common ground between expressive and understated energy can make a space feel sophisticated.Describing the colours, he added, “While muted, earthy tones have an understated charm, jewel-toned hues can instantly energise a space and lend it a distinct personality without feeling excessive. Yet, many shy away from bold colour palettes, fearing they may overpower a room. Sometimes, though, the most memorable spaces come from stepping outside the safe zone and doing a little experimentation.”Add jewel-toned natural stones for flooring. (Picture credit: A-Class Marble)Here are his tips for introducing bold palettes while maintaining a sophisticated balance:1. Apply jewellery box ruleYou do not need to clad an entire room in a vibrant hue to make an impact.Use bold materials strategically.Treat dramatic natural stones like a vivid mango or a deep tiger's eye as the room's visual jewellery.Limit its application to a single high-impact feature, such as a powder room vanity or a kitchen island, so the surrounding space can breathe.2. Anchor drama with quiet elementsIf you commit to a rich, expressive accent, anchor the rest of the space with materials that whisper.Pair an intense, colourful feature wall with the quiet elegance of a classic white marble or a soft, muted floor finish.This contrast prevents visual exhaustion.3. Embrace biophilic tonesMoving away from flat, artificial brights toward nature’s palette ensures a bold colour feels grounded.Earthier, organic tones, such as the calming depth of green onyx or the serene azure of calcite blue, inherently possess a comforting quality that never feels aggressive.4. Use light to soften intensityLighting is the ultimate equaliser when working with deep colours.Utilising backlit applications with translucent stones changes the dynamic entirely, turning a solid structural element into a soft, glowing ambient light source.He also asked to do one litmus test: “Test your palette under natural daylight, as it is the most honest indicator of how colour behaves.”Layering colours through textiles and decorNow that you know how to set the foundation with natural stones and permanent architectural features, let's understand how you can experiment further, this time with elements that can be changed easily whenever required. This includes textiles such as curtains, rugs and upholstery, which should complement the broader design of your interior. Let's hear from another expert and break these principles down into practical ideas that you can apply at home.Mandeep N. Housego, creative director at Shades of India, shared his insights with HT Lifestyle, challenging the perception that bold colours are always too much.“Bold colours are often associated with maximalism or visual clutter, but I’ve always believed they can bring incredible warmth, depth, and personality into a home when used thoughtfully. The secret lies in balance, layering, and understanding how colour interacts with texture, light, and space,"he opined, highlighting the untapped potential of bold colours, which are often dismissed as too loud.Mandeep also emphasised that bold palettes do not necessarily have to appear overpowering. Pairing them with softer elements can instead create a more nuanced space.Here's another set of tips from Mandeep on how to use bold colours within interiors:1. Ground bold colours with softer neutrals and natural materialsOne of the easiest ways to make stronger colours feel refined is by balancing them with muted tones and tactile materials.Deep shades like burgundy, forest green, indigo, or burnt orange feel calmer when placed against neutral walls, natural wood, stone, linen, or earthy textures.Colours become overwhelming only when every element in the room competes for attention.2. Use textiles to introduce colour in a softer, more fluid wayTextiles have the ability to soften even dramatic colours. Instead of introducing bold shades through large permanent surfaces, incorporate them through curtains, cushions, rugs, upholstery, or layered fabrics.A deep red or rich indigo may feel intense on a painted wall, but the same colour translated through handcrafted fabrics, embroidery, or textured weaves feels far more elegant and comforting.Textiles allow colour to feel more nuanced and lived-in.3. Repeat colours subtly to create visual continuityWhen working with bold palettes, repetition is extremely important.Rather than introducing too many unrelated colours within one room, prefer selecting one or two dominant tones and carrying them subtly through different elements of the space.A colour introduced in a rug can reappear in cushions, artwork, or smaller accessories.This creates rhythm and continuity, helping the room feel cohesive instead of visually chaotic. When colours echo gently across a space, the eye moves more comfortably through the room, allowing richer palettes to feel balanced and harmonious.4. Balance statement pieces with quieter surroundingsNot every object in a bold interior needs to make a statement.In fact, restraint is often what gives stronger colours their impact. A striking sofa, patterned textile, or colourful accent chair stands out more beautifully when paired with calmer elements around it.Neutral flooring, soft lighting, minimal furniture silhouettes, or subtle wall treatments help create visual breathing room.Always try to balance expressive handcrafted pieces with softer textures and quieter corners so the overall space still feels relaxed and open.5. Let light and texture shape how colour is experiencedLighting plays a huge role in how bold colours are perceived within a home. Natural light can enhance warmth and depth, while softer ambient lighting helps richer shades feel intimate instead of heavy.Texture is essential in making bold palettes feel multidimensional. Layered weaves, embroidery, handcrafted finishes, and tactile surfaces prevent colour from appearing flat or overpowering.In a nutshell, bold colours do not need to take over your home with a loud presence. They can exist subtly as well, through statement natural stones, upholstery, and rugs. The key is to give stronger shades enough breathing space. Balance it out and let your interiors have character.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More