Why Neutral Colors Are Best

There are a lot of reasons to use neutrals in your interior design. image Source: James Thomas

Do you think neutral colors are boring? We are going to debunk the myth that bold is better. Of course, there is always room for pops of color in your life, but there are a lot of good reasons to stick with a neutral color scheme for your interior design.

Neutral colors don’t have to be boring! In fact, a calm, neutral backdrop allows you to bring out some pretty bold elements into your design that may otherwise look garish. So, put down that can of red paint, at least for a moment, and read this first…

Here are the top reasons to stick with a simpler, more neutral tone-on-tone color scheme for your home interior:

You will never grow tired of neutral colors, and you can liven it up with textiles such as the zebra club chairs in this photo. Image Source: Thompson Custom Homes

Neutral Colors Show Off Furnishings and Textures

The textural elements of a room often get over looked. Interior designers are schooled and excel at this textural  design secret— a neutral backdrop creates a welcoming interior when mixed with warm textures such as rough hewn wooden elements, shiny tiles, nubby linens, and brushed velvets.

If walls are painted in a bright orange, for example, then the bold color takes center-stage, making any textural elements disappear into the backdrop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, when done properly, but it can make a room feel unwelcoming by omitting a layered, textural design.

Simply put, layering textiles is the key to creating a warm, well-designed space, and neutral colors allow you to create this space more easily. Scandinavians have had this design style down-pat for centuries.

Look to the bathroom in the image below— the neutral color scheme allows the modern tub, shiny tiles, rustic wooden ladder, and modern dark wood vanity to come to the forefront and tell the story of the room design.

With a neutral backdrop, this bathroom shows off its modern tub, textural tiles and wood flooring. Image Source: I Custom Designs

Never Grow Tired Of Neutral

Have you ever painted a room in a bold, bodacious color? If you did, how long did it take for you to pick up the paint brush again, covering the once-loved color with something more calm?  Another example of bold-gone-wrong— the bright red couch that you thought you just had to have.  Fast-forward three years later—yeah, you are pretty sick of it now aren’t you?

This is the best feature of neutral colors—you will never grow tired of them. Neutral will always be a classic. If the mood strikes and you decide you need some vibrant hues in your life, then you simply add a few inexpensive pillows in a bold color, or buy a beautiful bouquet of bright flowers.

Think of a neutral color scheme as an investment, allowing you to avoid buyers remorse and ensuring an interior design that will never grow old.

The bedroom in the image below is a perfect example of neutral done right. Imagine this bedroom with bold walls…it certainly wouldn’t be the same calming bedroom retreat that it is now.

Neutral colors are very calming and are perfect for a bedroom retreat. Image Source: Amy Studebaker

Neutral Colors Offer Colorful Opportunities

We hear you. You want a unique interior that speaks to your vibrant personality, so you think a neutral home wouldn’t work for you, right? Wrong!

This is all the more reason that you should choose a neutral backdrop for your interior. With a neutral background, your personal tastes can come to the forefront, allowing you to show-off all your cool design choices and personal style.

There is a reason designers commonly choose neutral walls, especially in modern interiors, it allows the lines of high-quality furniture and the architecture of a room to come alive and be noticed. Look at the bold black-and-white chevron cushions in the image below— they work because the backdrop is neutral and they certainly show-off a bold personal style.

Also, the  architectural elements in this photo come alive thanks to a calmer color scheme. The wooden wall and vaulted ceiling would have been lost within a bolder backdrop.

A neutral backdrop and neutral couch allow the bold chevron to take center stage. Image Source: Johnson Mcleod

Neutral Works For Any Style

We  have already touched upon why neutral is best for modern interiors, but here is the great thing about neutral colors—they literally work with any style! Whether you are modern, traditional, eclectic, or love rustic country charm— a neutral backdrop is ideal for you.

Home stager, Barb Schwarz, notes that white and grey neutral walls (which are very popular right now) allow a room to seem larger, more airy, clean and welcoming.

She adds that these neutral colors work with any style or range of taste, allowing prospective home buyers to envision their own furnishings in the space.

The living room in the image below certainly attests to that statement. The grey-on-grey color scheme is anything but cold. The room appears very clean, welcoming, well-designed and warm!

Regardless of style, neutral works with everything. Image Source: AJI

So there you have it, neutral color schemes are the ideal choice for any interior style statement. Use neutral colors in your home to ensure that you never grow tired of your design choices, thereby creating a classic home that never gets old.

Neutral colors are also great options for modern interiors, allowing the architectural elements of your design to take center-stage.  Plus, if you get bored of your neutral backdrop, then you simply add a few inexpensive, brightly-colored cushions.  Proving, that neutral is anything but boring, rather it is for the savvy home designer that loves keeping their options open.

What is your favorite neutral color scheme and why do you love it?

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Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine