Indigo is the second to last color of the traditional rainbow ROY G. BIV spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet), but it often gets omitted because people move straight from blue to purple. But this deep, moody color is such a staple for decorating one’s home for a number of reasons. We’ll look a little closer at indigo color to see why it should never be left out.

Indigo is the color of many night skies. Hovering between the deepest of purples and blues, indigo epitomizes vast heavenly spaces. Its depth of hue provides reassurance, but it leaves plenty of questions and musings in its wake. This is truly a thought-provoking color.

Snippets of indigo can be used amid a pattern of happy-go-luckier colors to stabilize the combination. Because it’s such a dark color, indigo is a lovely grounding force without being as harsh as black can be. After all, indigo is still a color – it’s even part of the rainbow.

Indigo color can be overwhelming in some circumstances, when used in massive chunks without interruption. That’s why a print or pattern to work along with the color is a great way to keep things visually grounded, interesting, and in proportion.

Indigo started out as a natural dye, which makes its home on ikat an absolute match made in heaven. Find a piece of indigo-dyed fabric and frame it out with a hefty light or white border for a gorgeous, and budget-friendly, piece of wall art with a tribal flair.

Indigo works equally well as a buttoned-up cover to clean-lined and streamlined furniture. Slightly less nautical than navy, indigo is both grown-up and romantic. Keep in mind that a color such as indigo, whose lineage is pretty equally from two separate colors, can be swayed rather easily by incorporating an accent from one of the parent colors.

Indigo, like most dark colors nearing the end of their color line by black, makes a dramatic cap to an ombre layout. Notice that this ombre lineup starts with white; one might assume it should go all the way to black to complete its cycle, but its end at indigo feels complete because of the color’s depth and richness.

Indigo can stand alone, without color palette reference or cohesion, in most interior spaces. Its richness allows for this. Sometimes, it’s that same richness of tone that demands it – one great dose of indigo just might be all your space can handle.

As a color based thoroughly in nature itself, indigo works particularly well paired with other natural hues. Greens and browns are particularly lovely color teammates to indigo, particularly those of a lighter tint because the set off the deep indigo quite nicely.

This is an example of what indigo, lightened up, might be. Of course, a tint moves us away from the luxurious depth that is indigo color due to its very nature of being lighter and brighter. But you have to admit that it’s still a lovely hue with tons of decorating potential.