What Are Jewel Tones & How to Decorate With Them
Lean into luxe hues.
Whether you're looking for a way to amp up the drama or simply add unexpected color, jewel tones might be the chicest solution. These hues are saturated with depth, warmth, and moodiness, allowing you to curate a space that feels luxe and inviting. Keep reading below to learn more about jewel tones and how to style them.
What Are Jewel Tones?
The term "jewel tone" gets its name from gemstones and jewels, such as sapphires, rubies, amethysts, and emeralds. The jewel-tone color palette has a moody, inviting ambience that works well in small doses or in allover applications. Popular hues often include eggplant, emerald green, navy blue, burgundy, and deep magenta.
Despite their bold feel, jewel tones can work across a variety of different styles – from modern to glam to traditional. Jewel tones are also easy to scale across a space. You can practice color drenching by painting the entire room in one shade, or take a more subtle approach by topping your sofa with jewel-toned pillows.
How to Decorate With Jewel Tones
Jewel tones can bring plenty of style and depth to your space. From bold upholstery to chic accents, we've gathered a list of ways you can incorporate these shades into your home. Find jewel-tone decorating ideas below.
1. Create a Balance
Jewel tones often skew dark, so finding the right ratio between light and dark can help you design a well-balanced room. Choosing large, light-colored pieces like a sofa or area rug can soften dark walls, while jewel-toned accent chairs or throw pillows can create a clear through-line that matches the wall color.
Jewel-toned upholstery is an easy way to give your living room a chic upgrade. A bold shade sets the tone for the space, especially when the upholstery is in a light-reflecting material like velvet. The deep magenta hue of the sofa above creates a playful juxtaposition with the more pastel palette of the rest of the room.
Tip!
Read our guide Decorating With Magenta: 10 Easy Ways to Style Magenta to find more ways to style this trendy color.
3. Choose Bold Bedding
Bedding is the perfect place to experiment with jewel tones. From a well-placed bolster pillow to a velvet throw, it's easy to style jewel-toned bedding as a pop of color on top of a neutral foundation or as part of a larger color scheme (like in the photo above).
Just like with the gemstones that inspire the jewel-tone color palette, silver and gold bring out the best of these shades. This classic combination can break up swaths of dark color and really lean into the glam undertones of jewel tones.
It's undeniable that jewel tones are statement-making, so why not take that statement to the next level? Mix a vibrant jewel tone with a black-and-white color palette for a high-contrast look. In the photo above, the navy walls bring a chic edge to the black dining table and crisp white chandelier.
While rooms drenched with jewel tones are stunning, you can always start by adding these shades in smaller ways. A moody throw pillow on a neutral sofa can add depth and comfort, or a stack of colorful books can elevate your bookcase.
If jewel tones feel too dark for your space, using wall mirrors or mirrored furniture can reflect natural light and make moody spaces appear brighter. Plus, the mirrored finishes can make your room feel more spacious.
Threading one distinct color throughout a room can be another chic way to implement jewel tones. From the wall color to the upholstery to the bedding, using the same shade throughout the space can make your bold design choice feel intentional.
Like we mentioned before, jewel tones and glam seem to go hand in hand. The rich hues work well with luxe fabrics, mirrored finishes, and over-the-top details. You can embrace glam style with tufted velvet upholstery, crystal chandeliers, and curtains that match the wall color.
