Despite popular belief, neutral doesn’t mean boring. The mistake some make is believing that creating a neutral room is dull + unfinished. Successfully decorating a neutral room is anything but boring and it is possible to make it feel polished, interesting and put together! If you want to design an exciting neutral room, here are my top suggestions.

The Color Palette

Creating a breathtaking room in mostly neutral tones and small “hints” of color can be so beautiful. All anyone wants from a room is calmness, to begin with. Where homeowners make mistakes in creating a neutral room is in a misunderstanding of the importance of adding shades within the same tones.

Which Tones to Use

Neutral doesn’t just mean just beige, and even if it did, there are dozens of shades of beige! Neutrals encompass various tones of beige, shades of dusty blues, terracotta tones and whites. However, many would also include black and grey under the neutral umbrella.

Wooden Accents

Wood or wood-toned items are the perfect neutral addition to any room, and they break up the neutral hues with something different. To successfully create a neutral room, you need to create complexity and depth. This is why it’s important to avoid matching everything to everything, this will only result in a flat room. Remember, you’re creating a room of varying neutral shades, so you can buy a coffee table that has a deeper wooden tone, a rattan vintage chair in a pale tone to add some soul, throw blankets/pillows with a bit of pattern (such as block print) to add interest. Neutral gives you plenty of room to experiment!

Metal Accents

Black is technically a neutral color, so it might be just the touch you’re looking for to complete yours. It adds depth and provides the room with much-needed grounding. How you incorporate it is up to you, but it could be a painted fireplace, lighting fixtures, vases or framed art. Small pops of black can add the depth and interest that many people overlook in neutral rooms.

The Textures

Create an impact by embracing exciting silhouettes and shapes. Every room requires visual intrigue, whether it’s sculptural seating, a curving coffee table, or a piece of statement art. You don’t need a room brimming with expensive pieces. You simply need two or three stand-out items and in my opinion, always something vintage to bring any neutral room to life.

Your textiles are your chance to inject a variety of different textures. From your rug to your sofa to your pillows and throw blankets. Linen, rattan, seagrass, mud cloth, the sky’s the limit! Again vintage pieces (rugs, art, collected items, flea market finds) something unexpected is always a good idea to finish the space.

The beauty of creating a neutral backdrop is that even the smallest pop of a pattern or splash of color will shout. Try taking your neutral room to the next level by using personal collections or photos, or any exciting pattern that’s unexpected. Try adding mixed textures, a few vintage finds, plants and metals. Layering in these pieces is key to creating an overall beautiful aesthetic.

Remember, neutrals are beautiful. You just need to find a flow that feels good to you and have fun!