The 8 Most Dynamic Color Combinations, According to Designers

Anne McDonald juxtaposes Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon hue (painted on the fireplace bricks) with a fabric called Golden Syrup on the upholstered chairs in this living room.

Photo: Taylor Hall O’Brien

Dirty Blush and Golden Yellow

Color schemes don’t have to be loud to make a statement, perhaps you could subtly pull in pastels or serene neutrals. “I love combining a dirty blush tone with a more intense pop of color like a golden yellow or pistachio green, and even putting those all together,” says Anne McDonald, a recently nominated New American Voices designer. In the living room of a house in Minneapolis that she designed in late 2023, this color palette created a warm environment, complete with a textured sisal rug, vintage coffee table, and lamp layered in for an extra jolt of color.

Palefire Studio’s multicolor palette seen here feels both youthful and welcoming at the same time thanks to the bright undertones linking the three hues.

Photo: Kim Lightbody

Yellow, Blue, and Brown

Even if it feels more daunting to map out a scheme that involves several hues, sometimes colors look even better synchronized with multiple complementary shades. “I find the yellow, blue, and brown combination interesting because, as pairs, yellow and blue or blue and brown work less effectively than the whole,” Morgan-Cox explains. She suggests China blue, pale yellow, and espresso brown or acid yellow, mid-blue, and toffee brown for two midcentury takes on the same palette.