Decorating your home with neutrals is safe, classic, and chic. In a way this timeless style of decorating will save you from any certain disaster with the paint can.
However, over time you might find yourself bored with the same old white, beige and tan colours. Bored is not good – especially when it comes to your humble abode. Colours in interiors evoke all sorts of emotions – energy, calming, revitalising, happiness etc. What feeling are you hoping to create by introducing colour into your home?
Read on for our 8 helpful decorating tips which will help you introduce colour into your neutral zones.
8 ways to decorate your neutral home with colour:
- Add a patterned rug: Adding a fantastic rug is a great way to spruce things up under foot and can be a wonderful addition when tying a room scheme together. Even if you have carpet, placement of a rug on top can lift a room, inject life and create visual interest. Opt for a rug that has colourful detail or an interesting pattern throughout. A glass top coffee table placed on top of a detailed rug is a great way to allow the rug to shine through.
- Accessorise: The gathering of homewares or accessories in the same colour palette is an effective and non-permanent way to entice the eye with colourful appeal. Think of grouping green vases or bottles together – a great way to add personality to a neutral room and yet still adaptable, in that if you later decide cobalt is more your thing, changing it up is no problem. The result of colour blocking these collections is a visually stunning display on any mantelpiece or console.
- Go green: Adding indoor plants or floral arrangements throughout your home will not only give your home a desirable botanical appeal, but it will also add touches of vibrant hues of green to your scheme. A big trend for 2016 is bringing the outdoors inside, and the introduction of greenery into the home is a wonderful way to soften the space and add a natural element to your interiors. Not only are plants objects of décor, they also have many beneficial properties such as purifying air and improving health. The fiddle leaf fig is a wonderful addition to any room – with its large lush leaves and easy maintenance, this plant will become the feature of any space.
- Get artsy: If you prefer a monochromatic colour scheme in your home, but desire a bit of personality, artwork might just be the solution to your colour woes. Adding artwork in a neutral room gives you the opportunity to add splashes of colour in a way that will allow the artwork to stand on its own, in a magnificent way. So choose a style you are drawn to and which will suit the room, for example abstract, contemporary or classic hanging art or even photography, and let the art be the star of the room.
- Colourful textiles: The addition of a striking and colourful textile can make a strong statement in a neutral zone. Think bold blankets or throws and gorgeous washed linens, to add pops of personality throughout your home, especially in the bedroom. Sumptuous saffron, tangelo and lilac colours work so beautifully with various shades of grey. So be brave and add that pop of colour.
- Make a statement: If you are fond of your neutral room, but are dying to add a bold colourful statement, then go for it! A single solitary furniture piece will make just the impact that you are in search of, in a stylish and sophisticated way. You may choose to reference a colour from a painting or cushion in the room or it may be a favourite colour you would love to highlight. Just ensure the piece is beautifully designed and you can rest assured it will be the talking point of the room.
- Stay on the safe side: If you have decided that you are ready to take the next step away from your love affair with neutrals, but don’t want to stray too far from your comfort zone, stay safe with regards to colour selections. Choosing softer tones will be best to start you off. Think variations of peach, mint, blush and pale blues in faded textiles, rugs or cushions. Flowers are also a great source of inspiration to choose your pastel colour palettes. This subtle introduction of colour can lift a room and suddenly the space has that added warmth and appeal you were hoping for.
- Choose an accent colour or duo: You can tastefully add a classy touch of colour to your home by incorporating a single accent colour throughout. Think touches of sage green in lamp shades, plants, through artwork or even textiles. Although this look creates emphasis in a colour scheme, be warned that too much will be overkill! For those that want to take it up a notch, another effective technique is by choosing two distinctive colours to accessorise and accent with. Use the colour wheel as your guide…it’s a great tool to co-ordinate colour schemes which are complimentary to each other, for instance red and green or yellow and purple.
There is no better time to tastefully incorporate colour into your home than during the cooler seasons. Adding colour to a space that has historically been neutral can be intimidating, but with the right guidance is possible. If you are looking to introduce colour into your monochromatic home, reference the helpful tips listed above and you will not be disappointed with the outcome!