I have a love-hate relationship with color. On one hand, I think neutrals are cooler, more sophisticated, calming, natural. And then I get in a party mood and want to splash everything with wild hues. What’s wrong with me? (A loaded question to be sure.)Okay, so this is my living/dining room, festively dressed for the New Year.

(Pay no attention to the coffee table. I’m currently searching for a replacement. And the floating shelf? It will someday be replaced by a built-in storage unit that doubles as a buffet and continues to the other side of the alcove to take the place of the media cabinet with chunky white wooden shelves above it. I know I sound like a supermodel with body image issues, but other than those things—oh, and maybe a couple of new floor lamps in the corners [maybe, maybe, wish list?] I like everything the way it is.)It wasn’t always this way. When I first bought my house six years ago, I painted the gallery wall Benjamin Moore Hibiscus (a bright chartreuse-y green) and hung every picture I owned over the entire 200 square feet. Let’s put it this way: the riot-of-color police never showed up, but overall, the look was more Alice’s Restaurant than modern.

Anyway, while the current palette is fresh and easy to live with every day, it’s not always lively enough when food fests roll around, so here’s what I’ve found works for punching up the place, Pantone-style. Maybe it’ll work for you, too.1. Rotate your art. Bring in that juicy-hued Rothko print from your guest bedroom and swap it out with the moody Paris montage. When you move pictures and other wall art around to new locations in your home, sometimes they appear brand new—or look better—brighter, more interesting–than ever before.

2. TGFF: Thank Goodness For Fabric. Table linens (including cloth napkins for eco-consciousness), seat cushions and pillows work transformational wonders. You don’t have to be a color theorist to experiment with shades of one color, complementary colors, colors you’re most attracted to, or even the same color in different textures (and lighting).

3. Flowers. They pretty much come in every color (there are over 20,000 species of orchids alone), so go ahead. Drop in some drop-dead gorgeous dendrobia into your vases, alone or with some viciously attractive amaryllis and precocious protea, and feel the happy vibe. Fruit works, too.