Why You Should Consider Neutral Colors in Your Next Design

by Maureen Citarella 08/01/2021

If you’re planning a new decorating project, color palette is probably at the forefront of your decision making. Whether you’re planning on painting interior walls, swapping out furniture or doing a complete style overhaul, your color choices will be a guiding factor in every step of the process. This makes it especially difficult if you don’t know what colors to use.

Why Neutrals?

While many design experts recommend going with a neutral palette, it might be hard to see the appeal. After all, doesn’t neutral mean “boring” and “bland”? In reality, neutral colors don’t have to be boring or bland at all. They also don’t necessarily mean “without color,” either. Neutrals come in an entire rainbow of colored undertones beyond basic beige, giving you tremendous freedom in selecting and mixing hues. Just because a color doesn’t appear on the color wheel does not mean it can’t be beautiful and effective in your interior design.

Here we will go over a few more reasons to consider neutral colors in your decorating.

Neutrals Are Always In Style

A key benefit of neutral colors is that they are timeless. Neutrals have classic appeal and will stand the test of time as other color trends come and go. With wall color, many consider painting in a neutral shade not only a smart decorating move but a smart investment. Neutral tones are proven to get more positive feedback from potential buyers touring a home for sale. If you are ever considering selling your home, you can do yourself a big favor in advance by sticking with neutrals.

Neutrals Are Versatile

Neutral colors include far more than just “plain beige.” In fact, beige can come in dozens of different variations of undertone: gray, pink, brown, green and more. You’ll find the same with other neutrals like taupe, brown and even white. This makes neutrals incredibly versatile and flexible in your design scheme. You have a lot of choices and you also have a lot of simple ways to incorporate other brighter colors harmoniously.

Neutrals Showcase Details

One of the best things about neutral palettes is that they can draw attention to other details often missed in brightly colored spaces. Shape, texture and finishes all stand out in a neutral color scheme, meaning you can really show off your furnishings. Going with different textures of fabrics will add depth and visual interest even if every piece is a neutral color. Without the distraction of a bolder hue, you’ll notice it’s easy to incorporate texture to create a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Neutral colors also provide an excellent backdrop or base for you to highlight specific furniture or decorative pieces. This makes it especially easy to showcase your own personal style, as well. Instead of building an entire color scheme around a favorite art piece, you can create a timeless and classic environment to make it pop. If you change your mind in the future, you’ll know that whatever you use to decorate will work beautifully with your neutral tones.

These are some of the major benefits of using neutral colors in your interior design. However, every space and preference is different. Neutrals provide a great way to experiment and make a design that’s all your own.

About the Author
Author

Maureen Citarella

Hi, I'm Maureen Citarella and I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.