It's no secret that color can transform a room, but choosing the perfect palette for your home can be quite tricky. You have to consider everything from the atmosphere you're aiming to create in your space to the natural light it gets. Then there's the fear of commitment—of course, you want to live with your color choice for a significant amount of time without any regrets.

While there are no guarantees in this crazy color game, one thing's for sure: Choosing a single hue is certainly easier than trying to pair two (or more) together. Interior designer Sasha Bikoff, who is lauded for her perspective on color, shares her top tips on pulling off a monochromatic look.

1. Stay true to your design aesthetic.

It's crucial to be confident in your personal approach to color. "Any room looks great with a monochromatic color palette, but it's more about how much color you want to live with and how far you want to take it," Bikoff explains.

2. Aim for contrast.

"Monochromatic interiors automatically give traditional furnishings and colors a modern twist," she says. It's also important to weave in personality-packed accessories for added visual interest. "What you have to be mindful of is things looking too flat, so make sure to incorporate different textures and shades."

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Patrick Cline

3. Start with the carpet.

"I like to set the tone of the color palette for a room with the carpet," Bikoff says. "You can deconstruct the colors in the carpet and spread them around the room."

4. Consider the mood.

Once you have selected your ground color—for instance, an African violet shade can be showcased in everything from carpet to stools—you can build a palette upon that. Softer complementary colors like lavender, gray, and white can be added to the mix. "A deeper and brighter purple is a bold statement, especially for a bedroom, but when you enter the lavender color field you get a more tranquil, calming effect. Lavender and light purples have silvery and blue tones within them that are very soothing to the mind's eye."

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Genevive Garrupo

5. Placement is key.

Bikoff suggests using the more calming, softer shades on large surfaces like the walls and the ceiling, and saving the brighter hues for smaller, more whimsical pieces that you want to stand out. For a bedroom project, Bikoff chose to upholster heart-shaped vanity chairs in the same purple cashmere fabric used on the chrome and brass stools. She then went with a white dresser and neutral white bedding to break up the purple colors and allow the eye to rest. "However, the small purple accents at the border are key to blend all of these elements together," she adds.

6. Put your mirrors to work.

"A mirror works especially well with colors like purple that have blue tones in them because it almost gives off a moonlit glow," Bikoff says. "When you throw in mirrored pieces, all of these colors blend together in a really sparkly and glamorous way."

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Patrick Cline

7. Don't rule out any hue.

Bikoff, who is also a classically trained painter, believes every color has a place. "I love all color, and believe that there is a time and place and tone for each of them," she says. When it doubt, "revert to nature and see all of the different colors that look so beautiful together," she suggests.


12 Single-Color Room Ideas
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Monique C. Valeris
Home Design Director

Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."

Headshot of Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson

Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson is a New York-based lifestyle journalist. Her work has been featured on HuffPost, ArchitecturalDigest.com, Lonny.com, and ELLEDecor.com, where she served as digital director.