Tips for Decorating with Neutrals

Keep your neutral decor from looking flat by implementing these tips for decorating with neutrals!

Decorating with neutrals should never be boring, flat, safe, or dull! I am a lover of neutral decor and find neutrals to be cozy, calming, versatile, and gorgeous. When I was a newlywed, I decorated our home in rich jewel tones and vibrant colors, and I loved it. When I was a new mom with babies on my hip, I began craving more calm in the home and decorated in all coastal blues and soothing greens, and I loved it! And now as a busy woman with two teenage boys, I am passionate about decorating with cozy and soothing neutrals. Here are some important and simple decorating tips to keep in mind when using neutrals in your room decor.

1. Use Neutral Patterned Wallpapers

If you’re tired of beige, gray, or white walls, spice them up with wallpaper! I have used neutral wallpaper in four different rooms in our home so far and plan to wallpaper our master bathroom soon. It’s a beautiful way to add interest to a space. Here is a link to the Folk Tulip Wallpaper I used in our media room.

In the boys’ bathroom, I used a peel and stick faux grasscloth wallpaper and love it! The wallpaper has actual texture to it and looks very realistic.

2. Use Architectural Features Like Wainscotting and Planked Ceilings

All spaces, colorful or neutral, benefit from architectural interest. Adding shiplap, beadboard, board and batten, wainscotting, picture frame molding, ceiling planks, and box wall treatments instantly add depth and character to any room. Our media room is one of the smallest and coziest spaces in the house where all of us congregate together daily. I love all of the architectural interest we added to this space!

3. Add Warm Wood Tones to the Mix

Many times when an all-white space looks and feels stark or flat it’s because it’s missing a few warm wood touches. For example, my light fixtures and bar stools compliment the wood countertop and corbels in my kitchen and keep the space from looking too cold. Adding a few well chosen wood-toned accessories also helps.

4. Use Texture with Baskets and Accessories

When decorating with neutrals, it’s important to layer on lots of cozy textures. I like to do this with baskets, rugs, throw blankets, and accessories. My laundry room looked stark and boring before the addition of a few well-placed baskets and and a tasseled rug!

5. Use Unexpected Neutrals

The definition of what constitutes a neutral color in interior design has evolved over the years beyond the standard black, white, grey, brown, and beige. If you’re craving more color, consider using an unexpected neutral. Navy, barely blue, sage green, and dusty pink are all great color options to consider.

6. Use Metallics to Add Intrigue and Bling

To add drama to your neutral room, don’t forget the bling! Bring in color to your space with gold leafing, copper, gold, chrome, and silver. Metallic light fixtures, hardware, and accessories are a great way to spice up an otherwise neutral palette.

7. Layer Various Shades of the Same Color

Layering shades of the same color creates depth in a room. My dining room is a great example of this! The walls, end chairs, dining table, rug and chandelier are all within a similar color palette but not the exact same shade. For those wondering, my dining room wall color is a custom paint color created by the previous homeowners’, but it is similar to a cross between Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray and Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter.

8. Use Fresh Greenery to Add Life to a Neutral Space

Decorating with fresh plants and greenery immediately enlivens any space! Fresh is best, but a few well-chosen faux touches will work as well. House plants and branch clippings from the yard placed around the room will bring some seasonal vitality to the space!

9. Add Pops of Color with Flowers

Decorating with neutrals outdoors is a foolproof choice that looks beautiful throughout the seasons. Understated grays and driftwood finishes always look beautiful against greenery! I like to add just a few pops of color with flowers.