In my column, Ask Deb Nelson, I was asked about how to add colour to a room. I personally gravitate toward neutral, layered spaces. But I do like to add some colour and pattern in a room, for example in the picture shown above, I added colour with the rug, and I'd normally have pillows on the sofa in contrasting patterns and colours. Many of the clients I work with love colour, so we find ways to integrate bright, bold colours. Typically this is done with fabrics, rugs and artwork. If you love colour, one thing to keep in mind is to keep the walls painted in a neutral colour and add the colour in the room in the accents. This allows you to change things from time to time, and I think bold colours painted on walls can get tiring, and you won't want to paint again when you're tired of the colour. So, lets say you want to add orange to a room, I wouldn't paint the walls orange, but I'd add the colour in your accents in the room (like the first picture below).
I think these three rooms below also show how to bring in some beautiful colour and pattern. These rooms have neutral wall colours but the colour is in the accents, and they still look bright and colourful. If you're adding some colour, think about the accents like: window treatments, pillows, rugs, artwork, light fixtures or lamp shades, flower arrangements and upholstery to create a bright and cheerful room.
Image from Lonny magazine
Image source unknown
Image from Elle Decor