Creating
Neutral Color Schemes

Neutral color schemes may be safe, but they don't have to be dull or boring - the difference is in the details...

Your Tranquil Haven

Neutral color schemes are superbly restful on the eyes. If you have a stressful job or live in the heart of a busy city, then this sort of room will be a haven of tranquility at the end of the day.

The term "neutral" applies to a range of complex tones and shades that are created by mixing black and white with brown, gray, and small amounts of muddy green, yellow, red or blue.

So neutral color palettes might be based around soft blue-toned gray or pale khaki brown. But whatever the undertone, there will always be a high proportion of white.

Texture is Key

Neutral paint colors are usually inspired by the color of a natural material such as parchment, sand, stone, or marble, and work well with natural textures, fibers and finishes in the decor.

Room color schemes based around a single neutral will never look monotonous if an interesting mixture of contrasting tones and rich textures is used.

A neutral scheme doesn't have to omit color altogether either, but the proportion of any other colors used should be small enough so as not to override its basic neutrality.

Pattern is one way that a color can be used without overpowering a scheme intended to be seen as neutral. This will work particularly well if the pattern combines the predominant neutral and a color.

Perfect Canvas

A room painted and decorated in tones of beige, gray or off-white is like a vessel waiting to be filled. You can make a statement through the use of strong color contemporary furniture, paintings, dramatic lighting, and even flower arrangements.

Creating a neutral color scheme is probably the best approach for people on a budget, or for those who want to shake things up a little and experiment with color, but are afraid that they will quickly get tired of bright, intense tones.

This approach allows you to easily and inexpensively manipulate the mood, look and feel of the entire room simply by adding, removing or changing the color of the decorative accessories.

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