With so many tones and hues to choose from, many people find it tricky to choose a color palette for their home.
Some people rely on the Pantone “color of the year” for design inspiration. Some people keep it light and pretty with pastels. Some people go bold and bright with vibrant tones that make a statement. Others prefer dark and muted shades.
But color isn’t always the way to go. Sometimes, creating a neutral look can have an even more significant design impact!
Not sure how to design a neutral home without it looking blah and boring? Here are eight amazing neutral décor trends you can lean on for inspiration!
1. Paint Grey Or Off-White Walls
Colorful walls can make a noticeable impact, but choosing neutral paint colors opens up your design options. Colors such as light grey and off-white create a blank canvas so that you can design any room in any way that you want.
Add a colorful area rug. Splurge on that blue chair or green couch that you love. With neutral wall paint, you won’t have to worry about coordinating your wall color to your furniture selections — it will go with anything!
Prefer something a bit darker or more dramatic? Shades of black, dark grey, and charcoal are great neutral options if you’re looking to bring some sophistication and elegance into your home.
2. Go Zen
Find your inner peace by decorating your home with a minimalist, zen-inspired aesthetic. This look is all about decorating with clean lines and simple shapes. It also involves mixing natural textures and natural materials to create a neutral, modern look.
Zen style is as much a look as it is a state of mind. So to keep it calm, soothing, and serene, add some plants and greenery for an organic pop of color!
3. Choose A Color Palette Of White On White
There’s nothing more neutral than white. As long as you’re clean enough to keep it looking pristine, white-on-white makes a bold statement.
With white couches, white tables, and white walls, you can turn any living room into a super clean, stark space. It’s the perfect way to embrace your minimalist sense of style!
Plus, if you decide to add a colorful piece of furniture later on, it will stand out wonderfully against your all-white canvas.
4. Embrace Scandi Style
There’s a reason that IKEA has stores in more than 50 different countries — people around the world love the Scandinavian style!
The beauty of true Scandi style is that it’s neutral and modern yet still cozy and comfortable. It focuses on functional pieces with clean lines, and light woods such as pine and birch are almost always the focus.
To decorate your home with a Scandinavian look:
- Mix and match different shades of wood together.
- Mix and match neutral tones in shades of grey, ivory, brown, and white.
- Add rich texture through accents such as area rugs and throw pillows.
Layering in textures and different finishes can make a room as cozy as can be.
Don’t want to be too literal with the Scandinavian design style? Add in some Japanese influence to create a Japandi room that combines Japanese and Scandinavian techniques together.
5. Decorate With Pastels
Some pastels are so pale that they read like neutrals. Incorporating light blue and blush pink hues is a great way to give a neutral room a subtle hint of color. Using these colors also means not worrying that your color choices will be too overpowering.
Pale blue goes with all neutrals, including white, beige, brown, and grey. Pale blue pillows, throw blankets, towels, and decor will coordinate beautifully, no matter what neutral base you want to enhance.
Blush pink is so light in tone that it often reads beige. Yet when used in conjunction with shades of ivory, cream, and brown-based beige tones, you can see that it has a slight pinkish hue. As a result, it’s the perfect contrast color for a room that’s outfitted entirely in neutral tones.
6. Make It Metallic
Metallics are neutral! Pewter, silver, rose gold, and black metal accents are the perfect way to keep things neutral while adding pop (and personality) to a room.
When selecting furniture, consider buying tables and chairs with metal legs or metallic edges. Opt for metallic decorative accents such as storage boxes and serving trays to spread that element of shine around the home. If you’re looking for a cool way to decorate a wall, consider hanging metallic geometric wallpaper to bring some shine to your walls.
7. Add Woven Accents
Natural fibers tend to be neutral in color. Materials such as wicker, cane, rattan, and bamboo can add rich texture to your home while maintaining an effortless, neutral vibe.
Add wicker baskets for storage. Add cane or rattan accent chairs in your living room. Instead of hanging curtains or spreading out colorful area rugs, opt for bamboo blinds or bamboo floor mats.
Natural materials work with all types of design aesthetics. Into the rustic look or the modern farmhouse vibe? Prefer coastal style or a boho-chic look? Natural materials in neutral colors coordinate with a variety of different design styles.
8. Opt For Neutral Floors
Whether you have hardwood floors, tiles from somewhere like Standard Tile, or wood-look laminate, area rugs can add great texture and bring serious style to any room in your home.
Area rugs come in every color and pattern imaginable, including cool neutral colors and tone-on-tone patterns. Neutral rugs will add style underfoot but not stand out or become the focal point of your room, like a colorful area rug might. When choosing an area rug for your living room, dining room, or bedroom, choose a neutral one that coordinates closely with your actual floors to create less contrast.
As for size, go big! A large area rug can make a more significant impact than a smaller one, even in a tiny space. Smaller rugs tend to break up the space and can actually make a big room look smaller. On the other hand, a large rug will create the illusion that you have a larger floor and a bigger room all around.
Conclusion
Neutral doesn’t always mean basic or boring. By combining natural materials and rich textures, you can turn any space into a stunning neutral room that’s stylish, cozy, and inviting!
Author Bio
Ryan Sundling is a Group Marketing Manager at Cardinal Group Management. He has over 10 years of experience in the conventional housing industry and works with The Depot at Akron on a daily basis to help them with their marketing efforts.
