There’s something about summertime that makes us crave bold color. Maybe it’s the bright sun in a vibrant blue sky shining down on vivid green grass. Or the flavor-topped sno cones and happy flip-flops and printed t-shirts. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time to be brave with bold color in our homes.

Primary colors are bold, to be sure. Change it up a bit by incorporating them in unexpected ways – arcs instead of linear stripes, rugs instead of throw pillows. This method works as well for outside decorating as it does for interiors, which makes it a logical choice for summertime design.

Bold color doesn’t have to take over your world just because it’s summer, of course. Perhaps too much vibrancy gives you a headache or a racing heart. No worries. Confine bold color to one specific point or piece in the space. You’re still getting the color kick without the adverse side effects.

Give a favorite neutral piece a pick-me-up with bold color. This might not work with every piece, but you could consider adding eye-catching colorful casters to a chair or table, just for fun or as a nod to the sunny season where (almost) anything goes.

You’ve been eyeing that bright yellow side chair for months now. Summer is the perfect time to spring for it! (Punny seasonal reference not intended.) Update your dining area, inside or out, with a great piece or two with even greater bold color.

Experts agree that, in the case of bold color, it’s practically impossible to beat red. A red chair, a red side table, a red door, or even a red bowl instantly draw the eye and get the heart pumping. As with any bold color, though, but particularly red, a little goes a long way. Be careful not to overdo it.

There’s no time like summertime to pull out all the stops. Bold color plus bold shape definitely checks the box to “go big or go home.” You can achieve a similar larger than life vibe with relative ease by using boldly patterned and colored seasonal tablecloths, pillows, wall hangings, and even window treatments.

Who wouldn’t love a little unexpected lime green on a walnut stained stool? It’s a refreshing, easygoing, and lighthearted way to bring in some bold color in a non-traditional format but to a classic piece. You could achieve a similar look and feel with paint-dipped summer furniture legs, also.

Butterflies and flowers and nature, oh my! Filling a compilation of shadow boxes or cubbies or even bookshelf nooks with boldly colored pieces makes for an eye-catching collection. You could achieve a similar look with a gallery wall, too. Be sure to keep the bold color palette rather restrained (keeping to two or three colors) and the content of the collection somewhat related to avoid complete visual chaos.

The use of a rich, bold color with a saturated yet more sedate one (such as the magenta settee here against a foamy green wall) is particularly poignant. Both colors are bold in their own right, but to maintain balance, one is much richer and energized than the other.

Bold color is one of the most perfect accents for a black or very very dark wall. While black is grounding and feels somewhat cumulative, bold color snaps its fingers, breaks the spell, and pops in with some cheer and fresh aesthetic, not to mention energy. Bold color with circles is particularly powerful, because the vibrancy keeps circling round and round, never ending. Be brave with bold color this summer!