Working solely with neutral colors is easier than you may think. A lot of homeowners will opt for this timeless trend because it creates a clean and well-put-together look. The only issue with having a neutral color palette is that you have the possibility for a “boring” space. To help you get the best look for your buck, we have created a simple guide on how to incorporate neutrals into your design. Let’s take a look!
How to Incorporate Neutrals into Your Design:
- Understand The Undertone.
A neutral color can be characterized as a color that has equal parts of the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) with each primary color being at an extremely low saturation. This low saturation can make for a beautiful, soft color that will compliment all other colors in your design. Next, you will notice that there are two types of neutral undertones: warm and cool toned.
- Undertone Examples:
- Warm-Toned Colors: Red, Peach, Orange, Copper, Rust, Amber, Gold, Yellow, Violet-Red, Burgundy, Tan, Beige, Cream, Brown, etc.
- Cool-Toned Colors: Blue, Navy, Blue-Green, Sea-foam Green, Emerald, Plum, Purple, Pink, Gray, Charcoal, Black, etc.
- Backdrop.
Since neutrals are versatile and compliment everything, they make for the perfect backdrop. When working specifically with neutrals, you can get creative with textures and materials. Backsplashes help to add interest and design into your space without taking away from the overall look.
- Keep it in The Family.
After discussing the difference between undertones, we want to encourage you to choose either a cool-toned or warm-toned design for your room. All cool-tone neutrals will work well with one another and vice versa for warm-toned neutrals. The base of these neutrals are the same and they will help to create a seamless design.
- Texturize.
Our best advice to you while decorating with neutrals is to add texture. This texture will help spice up your space. From an exotic wallpaper to a detailed rug, you can have a beautifully textured piece that does not distract from the rest of the room’s design.
- Light to Dark.
Lastly, you want to be sure that you are incorporating an array of different shades of neutrals throughout your room. Designers recommend beginning the room with 30%-50% in the lightest color then building from there. The rest of your room can be matched with medium and deep shades to compliment the different values.