Football season is approaching, and if you're more than excited to settle down in front of the TV to cheer on your favorite team, you might be interested in showing off your team spirit through your interior decor. But unless you're a 20-something dude who's cool with bar-room style, you're probably looking for something that's a bit subtler than larger-than-life team logos and bold primary colors. Here are a few ideas for how to give your team a shout-out without making guests question your tastes.

1. Don't hold back in kids' rooms. If your son or daughter is a sports fanatic, it's okay to let that shine through, but there are still attractive ways to do it. While having a theme is a great way to make a child's bedroom look cohesive, you don't want it to overwhelm the space. In addition to a few posters or pieces of sports memorabilia, try sticking to using the team's colors on just the fabric in the room. For example, bedding could be red, white and blue if your son loves the Patriots, or a fabric headboard like this one from MarthaStewart.com in purple and black would be perfect for a girl who likes the Ravens.

2. Use your own color interpretations. Most team colors tend to be fairly simple. They usually involve some combination of colors from the rainbow, silver or gold or black and white. But you know there are plenty of shades in between, which is why you shouldn't feel limited by primary picks. Feel free to use maroon and canary window treatments to cover your faux blinds instead of loud red and yellow, or pick forest or pastel green instead of straight-up green.

3. Realize that prints can be your friends. You don't have to choose throw pillows, curtains and blankets with football patterns or team logos that you bought from the NFL store to show your pride. Any type of print, whether it's stripe, floral, zig zag, paisley or polka dot, can be reminiscent of your favorite team as long as the colors match. It suggests allegiance without proclaiming an obsession.

4. Mix in other elements. If you chose to use your team's colors in your decor, that doesn't mean the entire space has to be full of the same two or three hues. Not only is that overwhelming and monotonous, but it's not a sign of tasteful design. Use neutral colors (add in wood blinds perhaps) or metallics to anchor brighter colors, and don't be afraid to bring in other shades as accents that don't necessarily match the scheme. As long as they're complementary, they'll still work.