The great charm of neutrals is their effortless comparability, so you are bound to find color combinations that please you. Used in imaginative ways, these easygoing colors create satisfying and harmonious schemes of endless fascination. Next time you go to the beach, take a close look at an assortment of pebbles, stones, and shells. You can use their blends of colors as a reference point for your decorating schemes by studying the subtle interchange between dark slate gray, the sandy gold of flint pebbles, and the veins of white marbling in chunks of granite.
Mixing gray and cream forges a refined combination that looks quietly understated yet smartly adult. Start by sponging the walls in two shades of cream and painting the ceiling in ivory. Then introduce storm-cloud gray as an accent on door and window architraves, with the doors painted in a paler tone. The pale gold of sisal or jute natural flooring makes a textural contrast on the floor, with richly textured fabrics in cream colors outlined and tied back with gray cord at die windows.
Far from being harsh, the contrast between the darkness of black and the paleness of cream is intriguing. Together, they are responsible for creating some very handsome room schemes with a thoroughly modern edge.
In Favor of Neutrals
There are many plus points when you opt for a scheme based on neutral tones.
Muted, quiet tones such as creams and grays provide a restful backdrop for a hectic lifestyle.
Neutrals are perfect for open-plan living areas where different parts of the room have various functions; coordinating the separate areas is far easier with soft tones that blend easily with each other and with other natural surfaces such as wood or brick.
For a hardworking family room, brownish gray or charcoal colors which don’t show dirt and wear and tear are a boon. Choose mottled, knubbly carpets and heavily textured upholstery fabrics, saving lighter tones for items that are easily cleaned, such as cushion covers.
Eliminating powerful colors casts the spotlight on the shape of the room itself and on the items in it. Play up any interesting architectural features with lighting, and go for contrasts by placing a spindly metal table in front of the plump curves of a sofa.
Exciting textural details really come to the fore in a neutral scheme. Look for surfaces with different textures – wallpaper with a raised, ribbed surface instead of a printed stripe, natural stone or wood flooring, cane or bamboo furniture, and textiles with patterns in the weave.
Accessorize neutral color schemes with natural materials that rely on their texture and shape for maximum effect – wicker baskets stacked with pine cones, a terra-cotta urn filled with seedheads, or a panel of antique cotton lace over a headboard all fit the bill.
Nearly Whites
As anyone who has tried to match white with white can testify, even this most neutral of neutrals can have a tinge of color, which does not become evident until it is contrasted with purer white. Whites with the merest suspicion of another color are most popular and widely used as neutrals, even though they are more accurately described as the palest of pastels.
You can buy ready-mixed, tinted white paints with a hint of color, such as apricot, rose, or green, that take the hard edge off a brilliant white. The tint tilts the room toward a color theme, without committing you to a definite scheme. Use tinted whites to create light, airy rooms, with a warm touch of apricot or a romantic hint of pink, for example.
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