How To Use Neutral Colours In Your Home

Love the look of all those homes featured in glossy magazines? Well chances are they all have something in common – a great use of neutral colours. When it comes to colour schemes neutrals are the backbone of good interior design. They are the blank canvass which makes your design touches shine, so how do you use neutrals effectively without becoming dull and drab?

Not So Neutral After All

If you’ve ever spent a little time perusing the colour charts at the local hardware you well know that it’s not just 50 shades of grey – it’s literally hundreds. And the tiniest colour tint goes a long way when decorating your home. When painting, slight creams and off-whites add warmth and space. Light greys are crisp, modern and particularly in vogue at the moment. Beige to light browns have a warming and cosy allure.

When selecting your tint it’s really important to consider the size, sunlight and purpose of your room. It’s critical to test out the colour on your wall before committing to paint the entire space. What looks fresh and inviting at the paint shop can be cold, dull or too dark on the wall of your living room.

Contrasting With Colour

A really great way to add vivacity and vitality to your neutral backdrop or furniture is to contrast it against strong colour. For example a neutral toned living room can be transformed using one feature piece of bright furniture such as an armchair. The theme may be tied together with the same bright colour repeated in lampshades, cushions or even storage boxes on shelves.

The benefit of this is that you can paint and buy some solid base pieces of furniture but freshen up your room every couple of years using new coloured highlights according to colour trends. If you are looking for a little inspiration check out furniture stores such as A-Mart – they have great displays that illustrate neutrals in action and a host of options when it comes to coloured cushions, artworks or lamps.

Layers and Highlights

When using neutrals it’s all about shading, complementing and contrasting. Some of the most inviting spaces are created using layers of neutral shades. For example, a beige-tinged wall is complemented by plush even lighter-toned couches, which are layered again with cream cushions but contrasted with more striking artworks.

Pick a Feature

So you’ve got your neutral canvas and are looking to liven things up further? Well what about a feature wall or even feature flooring? Think amazing wallpaper or a coloured feature wall that contrasts against your neutral scheme. You can then go to town with cushions and a rug to pick up the colours and tie them together. The tip to this is highlighting and not overwhelming and the benefit again is that when that wallpaper goes out of fashion you only have to redo one wall.

 The bottom line is that while neutrals on their own may feel a little lifeless, it’s what you them add to them that counts. Your room can go from mediocre to masterpiece with your own touch of creativity.

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