Not being able to paint your walls shouldn't restrict you from creating a personalized and colorful space. Check out 3 ways to create an interesting effect in your space displaying knick knacks inside shelves, cabinets and armoires.

I have been a renter for the last couple of years. In our last two apartments I couldn’t paint the walls. That was really frustrating for someone like me that craves color so much. The inability to personalize my space pushed me to look for creative ideas to display color around the house. I used textiles to cover the sofas, bought lots pillows, added removable vinyls and displayed knick knacks on top of a credenza I had behind the dining room table and inside the kitchen cabinets. One piece of furniture that I have always wanted to have in my home, is an armoire. Armoires are basically a wardrobe or movable cabinet, typically ornate or antique. They are a beautiful and unique piece of furniture that tends to catch the attention because they look so interesting and powerful. Armoires were made to store clothes in the bedroom, but that doesn't mean you can’t use them somewhere else. They work great as kitchen cabinets or storage in the living room.Chairish shared with me their amazing vintage furniture collection, and I couldn’t love the armoires more. I picked some of my favorites to share with you and how you can creatively display color in your home using a similar piece of furniture. It’s such a simple technique with a happy effect. 

1. Get color inspired.

You need to start by looking around your home and checking out what colors are predominant in your space. Let’s say that you bought some beautiful navy blue pillows. Inspired by that, pick decorative elements to display inside your armoire. You don’t need to match everything with your color inspiration. The elements can have one, two and even more colors in it, just make sure your color inspiration is one of those accent colors.  

2. Create a gradient effect.

Similar to the option #1, pick one color you love. To display the knick knacks, go from the darkest shade to the lightest or vice versa. You can do it layer by layer, from the top to the bottom. Another interesting way to use the gradient effect is adding small elements in a gradient order in the same line. 

3. Rainbow power.

For color lovers the most fun way to display color is by adding lots of color. The best part is that you don't need to be careful with the colors in the elements you pick to display, just try to maintain the style (modern, rustic, vintage) so everything looks somewhat coordinated. Images credit: All collages were created by Elba Valverde using the beautiful products from Chairish. You can check out their armoire collection here and decorative accessories here.  I hope these three ideas inspire you to start collecting interesting items and displaying them colorfully inside an armoire, shelves, credenza or kitchen cabinets in your home. These tricks are so simple and easy, a great options for renters or people that want that burst of color without the trouble of painting a whole wall.