The Guide to Decorating With Color

After a quick glance at this home’s interior, you might guess that its designer is unstoppable with color—and you’d be right: Erika Rundiks is a dyed-in-the-wool chromatic obsessive. “Our mantra at Atelier Interior Design is Color, Pattern, Culture,” she says. “We like to get at least one of those things in every space, ideally more.” She went even brighter than usual in this Northfield Stapleton home, and with good reason: First, her clients, Shawn Buchanan and Travis Smith, demanded it. They’re young and hip, and they wanted their home to reflect that. Second: “Linear, contemporary architecture can really hold these bolder palettes,” Rundiks says. To that end, she injected each room with showstopping choices that wouldn’t read as chaotic. “For how bold it is, it’s not junked up with a bunch of stuff—everything that’s there stands alone and has presence, and doesn’t need fluff to carry it,” she says. “It just feels good.” Here, her tips on nailing a color-rich home, room by room.

Dine By Design

“I’ve always wanted to do a moody charcoal dining room—it just feels good to hang out in, like a nightclub, in a good way,” designer Erika Rundiks says. Honeyed wood tones and gold accessories (like the Arteriors chandelier) warm up the gray. An accent wall of Hicks’ Grand wallpaper (by Cole & Son) complements the bold artwork by Colorado painter Ben Strawn.

Embrace Bright Bedrooms

Rundiks has some advice for toning down walls that are as over-the-top exciting as the accent wall in the master bedroom, which is papered with Cole & Son’s aptly named Circus: “Paint the ceiling a color you pull from the paper—to both embrace it and calm it down.” Here, yellow warms and grounds the space.

Living Large

“I know Travis and Shawn were a little nervous about the Nathan Anthony chaise, but everyone loves it,” Rundiks says of the tufted, purple perch. “It’s an unusual piece that really holds the room and has a lot of texture. It’s so rich—not too masculine, not too feminine.” Global Views’ Rose Window rug in blue grounds the sitting area.

Cooking With Color

“Underneath the kitchen island is a forgotten space,” Rundiks says. Her solution: Bold and colorful wallpaper (Hicks’ Grand by Cole & Son) that demands attention.

“Color is really personal—everybody has their favorites.” -Erika Rundiks, designer

Go Wild Outside

The homeowners chose furniture for the patio after working with Rundiks on the main house. “Color is really personal—everybody has their favorites,” Rundiks says. “Put it in something big, like a painting or sofa, and let that be the driving moment, with everything else accentuating it.” Architect Kevin Anderson of ArcWest designed the patio.

Get The Look

Playing with color is easier with these finds, inspired by the home Rundiks designed.