5 PROFESSIONAL SECRETS WHY NEUTRAL COLORS ARE PERFECT FOR HOME DECOR

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Let’s talk about using neutral color(s) in home decor – and why it’s such a great idea! As a professional interior designer for over 5 years, I have designed a LOT of rooms, seen a lot of different styles, and pleased a lot of tastes – but I always start with a neutral base in whatever I am working on. Why? well, simply put – it works – and this post explains why neutral is perfect for home decor in whatever room you are designing.

I am a HUGE promoter of using neutral colors for home decor, so today I wanted to look at why this is such a great idea, how you can use it in your own home, and why it definitely doesn’t have to be boring!

Sound good?

Let’s get going then. Shall we?

#1 – NEUTRALS CAN NEVER BE BORING.

It is a popular belief that neutrals are boring or bland – well lets agree to disagree. Because if the neutrals are used well, most definitely they are NOT boring. In fact, you can introduce lot of different colors that work as neutrals that you can totally get a sense of your own style and home while decorating with them.

Think about all the different colors that fall under the neutral banner: –

• White
• Black
• Brown/Beige
• Cream
• Grey

So many choices of tones and shades!

(In fact, all colors in their muted tones are considered neutral, which is a key trick that designers use to bring a color scheme together without having to use too much color in the mix. This works especially well on walls as you can use a muted version of the accent color to tie everything in.)

If you have knowledge of mixing these neutral color choices with different textures, styles, patterns and layering etc…, you have literally unlimited possibilities.

In fact – I don’t think any home that uses neutral colors, would ever look exactly like another one, and definitely not bland! – it’s the magic of how they’re used – that is only what counts.

#2 – NEUTRALS ARE COST EFFECTIVE.

Let’s face it. It’s expensive to redesign a room or a whole house – and that’s because most things will need to be changed.

WAIT… DO THEY?

When you look at redesigning a room, then there are some big expenses to be considered: –

• Redecorate the walls
• Curtains / Blinds / Shutters
• Carpet / Wooden floor
• Furniture
• Soft furnishings (cushions)
• Accessories and Art

Most of us don’t have a huge pot of money to spend each time we want to update a room, but it’s always nice to refresh things every now and then – and so it makes sense to be careful as much as possible with what you spend your money on. Isn’t it?

As such, creating a room that has a neutral base for the more expensive parts means that these will not need changing as often and so saves a LOT of money over time.

The secret is to keep the walls, flooring and main pieces of furniture as neutral as possible, and then add in different colors with the more cost effective items so they can be changed more often. (Now that’s a great IDEA!)

This way, you can spend a little more on the neutral items if you like, because overall they will need updating/changing a lot less frequently. You can thank me later! :p

#3 – NEUTRALS WORK WELL WITH COLOR ACCENTS.

If you have a base of neutrals, then you can add in pops of color and accent pieces much more easily.

For example: –

In a living room there’s a neutral colored wall, beige ceramic floors and all furniture is Matt Wooden Mahogany textured again blend with white (neutral). This is a gorgeous look in itself, but can easily be added to with a vibrant sofa, few cushions in different colors and patterns, a chunky throw, some foliage and a rug. Some artwork in the same color scheme finishes things off nicely. After a few years you may want to change the scheme. To make a huge change though, the only things that you need to update to create a whole new look and feel will be the cushions, throws, rug and artwork. Just Perfect!

The neutral colors have become the perfect base for the rest of the design, and actually showcase the color scheme much more effectively, and you could choose a muted color scheme, a brighter scheme, or something in between – the options are endless!

#4 – NEUTRAL COLOR SCHEMES ARE VERY FLEXIBLE

I love using neutrals in both modern homes AND very traditional ones.

In fact, there’s a perfect neutral color scheme for all tastes, and they go out of fashion a lot less often than colors (if ever!).

Because of this flexibility, you can maximize your home in a couple of key ways by using a neutral base: –

• You can move items around your home for fresh new looks without worry that things don’t work in a different room. If the main neutral color is the same throughout the house, then it really can be a mix and match situation!

• You can move home and most neutral items will work whatever home you move to, so less money on having to spend again to create a look that works.

#5 – NEUTRALS WORK TOGETHER WELL, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS COLLECT AND MATCH THEM UP EASILY.

One of my favorite ways of making neutral colors unique to you and your style is to mix and match items together.

  

Because neutrals are always available, you can add to collections easily.

As you can see in the picture above I am always more inclined towards using more of the neutral color and then play with other elements. Pop some color here and there or introduce a complete contrast color to it on an entire wall. It enhances the room and helps in expanding the room farther.

This room that I designed for a client who was very skeptical about using white color in their space, and I quote the exact same words ” it may look very monotonous and boring. After finishing neither they had something to say nor you. It is that attractive. C’mon say YES!

So, have I tempted you to use neutrals more in your home rather than going straight for the color?

Remember, a neutral color scheme doesn’t have to be dull, you can use neutrals as a great base for any home design, they will fit with any home, they can be collected over time to make a truly unique style, and most importantly – once you have a neutral base it’s a great canvas for adding in colors and personality (and changing color schemes really easily).

Neutrals are truly your best friend when it comes to home decor, and I totally love them! In fact, there’s very little color other than neutrals in my own home – and I don’t think it looks boring or lack personality in any way.

I’d love to know what you think about using color or neutrals. Do you like loads of color on every surface, or do you prefer a neutral background? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Happy Coloring.