In the past few years, we’ve seen homeowners and decorators alike embrace all-gray and all-white everything, but while we’ll always love a soothing gray bedroom or clean white kitchen, we’re itching to trade the old standbys for more creative hues.
Before you hit panic mode, recognize that “more creative hues” don’t have to mean a full-on commitment to electric teal or zippy chartreuse (though power to you if that’s your thing). Instead, we’re all about embracing neutrals in fresh ways: Think bypassing standard whites and grays for dialed-down versions of your favorite colors. Going all-out with easygoing shades of blue, green, pink, or even purple, rather than playing it safe with white or gray, gives your rooms dimension and allows your personality to shine through. Here are three dos and don’ts for ditching white and gray and using your favorite color as a neutral.
Do Incorporate Several Tones Of Your Chosen Color Into The Room
T effectively use a color as a neutral, be sure to include varying shades of the hue throughout the room. For instance, if you’ve painted the walls a light-light shade of blue, introduce other tones from the blue spectrum, like cerulean, sapphire, or indigo, into the space with fabrics and rugs.
Do Include Complementary Hues In The Room’s Palette
Just as you’d want to bring in colorful patterns and accents into a white- or gray-walled room to liven things up, be sure to embrace vibrant and complementary colors in subtly colorful spaces, too. If you’re using a muted shade on the wall, like dusty pink, be sure to incorporate more saturated hues, like rich teals, in patterned window treatments, furniture upholstery, and artwork.
Try to use a color palette website like Coolors.co to put together the perfect palette for your space and taste. Our recommendation? Pick your favorite color and then go from there. Try googling your favorite color and color palette to see what shades might look good with it.
Don’t Skip Out On Neutrals Altogether
Just because you’ve opted out of splashing the old-faithfuls all over your walls doesn’t mean you should avoid them at all costs. Instead, bring in the safe-bet shades to make your new neutrals pop even more dramatically. A traditional white mantle or glossy white trim highlights the color of your walls, plus it calls attention to the fact that you thought outside the white-and-gray box.
Will you be embracing colors as neutrals this year? Share your paint preferences with us in the comments.
A Few Paint Color Options To Consider
So now that you are inspired to go for a bolder color option, let’s get to painting. Here are five of our favorite colors to consider when painting your home. These options are bold, make a statement, and will bring dimension to your space.
Brinjal By Farrow & Ball; farrow-ball.com
This color is bold, beautiful, and not a typical color you see painted in a home often—which is why we absolutely adore it. This eggplant deep purple shade will add some major contrast to your space, and create an immediate elegant feel.
Seaworthy By Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com
As the name infers, this color is perfect for homes with a beachy feel. It is calm and comforting, yet rich and powerful, and you won’t be sorry you chose it.
Waller Green By Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com
Say hello to an earthy home with this color. We can already envision this moody, masculine green finding its way into your study or guest bedroom.
Coral Dust By Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com
This color will give any room a breath of fresh air, but we think it’s perfect for smaller rooms like your laundry room, guest room, guest bathroom, or study.
Normandy Blue By Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com
Not wanting to go so bold? This gray-blue is calming and can be easily used as a neutral because of its tranquil, and modest demeanor. The color has a subtle way of inviting you in and making you feel cozy, which is just what you want our guests to feel when they walk into your home.
