The High Point Furniture Market is basically a mecca for the design world, and I’m always on the lookout for really amazing and eye-catching trends when I visit.
A trend making its presence known throughout this year’s Market was a vibrant color combination: aqua and coral.
Aqua and coral call different sides of the color wheel home, but when combined the effect is fresh and beautiful.
You might typically think of the combination of aqua and coral as being only for a coastally-inspired home, and while that certainly holds true, it’s more versatile than you might think, and can work with nearly any overall design concept, from modern to traditional.
Patterned Elegance
Thibaut has a longstanding reputation for creating stunning wallpapers, and their showing at this year’s High Point Market was no exception.
This room features an unlikely combination of not just coral and aqua, but also patterns and prints, yet it’s tied together in a way that makes it seem open and airy, without the sense the décor is overwhelming or burdensome.
Neutral Base
For a lot of homeowners, the biggest worry about using two strong colors like aqua and coral is the fear it will become overpowering or just feel like “too much.”
By combining bright, bold colors with shades of beige, gray or even white, you’re grounding the color palette and preventing it from becoming too intense.




Put It on Mute
Instantly when you think aqua and coral you think very bright colors with a lot of personality.
They’re typically the kind of colors that are going to make their presence known in a room, but you can go for softer more muted shades of each color for a look that’s more subdued and traditional, while still being visually interesting, like in this dining room.

Refined and Elegant
A lot of people hear coral, or even aqua and think using these colors, particularly together, is going to create a space that’s too feminine, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The rooms below utilize a combination of aqua and coral, but they do it in a way that’s balanced, elegant and even understated. By designing rooms this way, it takes the combination of aqua and coral from being a fleeting trend to something that’s timeless and enduring.


